Nogales international., 1935-08-17

Lnen.
ooh, God" said Tony, and hung
up the receiver.
1t was two o'clock when a special
messenger brought note. 1t was
a sharp, curt little note.
"I'm sorry, Ellen" it began, with
out any word of greeting, "but you
picked the wrong time to ask for
an expensive apartment and all that
goes with it. It's utterly impossible,
as things are, for me to comply
with your wishes. In fact, I'm afraid
it's goodby as far as we're con-
cerned." So the letter ended.
With quivering fingers she was
reaching for her hat, was pulling it
over her curls. And then she was
racing down the stairs, feeling i'll
and dizzy and lost. On the street
she hailed taxi and gave the driver
Dicks address. 1t seemed as if the
taxi crawled, as if she could hardly
wait until it had reached the studio
building where Dick lived!
But when she opened the door,
the world began to take shape again.
For Dick was standing in front of
his easel, just as he had always
stood, and was painting away, just
as he had always painted.
well, has the prodigal come
homer" he called out. And then,
peering around the easel
"For Gods sake, Ellen, what's
happened?"
1t was as it had been the night
of her marriage. Ellen was in his
arms, crying and laughing, and a
button on the front of Dicks shirt
was rubbing against her nose.
"Everything's all over, Dick" she
sobbed. Il don't know what I'm GO
ing to do. Tony" she blurted it
out-"Tony's left me! He's through
Then" Dick was looking past
her, out of the window, then you
must have married him because he
was millionaire You couldn't have
loved him when you didn't know
him, at all. We've all been rather
afraid that you were blinded by the
thought Of great deal of money.
Only L" he choked, II held out
lfo7 1t, that the money didn't matter" !"
Ellen's hands were twisting to-
gether.
"Ihe whole crowd of you." she
said, might have known that it
wasn't money, Dick. Else I wouldn't
have gone on living in my own
house, and working. I'd have had
more of the material things to show
for my bargain 1t was love, Dick
- at first sight. Oh" piteously,
"please don't laugh at me. Love at
first sight does happen! / was crazy
about Tony before | even knew his
name"
Dick ignored the last part Of her
sentence,
why" he said, flowing your hus-
band, have you gone or living as
you have always lived? You'd better
come across with it all, Ellen-else
l won't be able to help you"
Dick was right. The time for sub
terfuge had passed.
Ellen, DEAR" he said, "I'm des-
perately sorry for you, but | can't
help feeling that there is something
to be said on Tony's side-a great
deal to be said! l don't suppose you
realize just what's going on down
in Wall Street, | don't suppose
you've seen paper for days! Tony's
firm failed yesterday, in an exceed
ingly spectacular way. And on top
of the failure. you called up and
asked Tony for things that he prob
ably isn't able to give you any more.
Naturally, coming after all you'd
said before" He hesitated for a
long while, and then
II here must be some reason.
Ellen" Dick said, at last. "why you
took such an utterly inanc stand
Ellen took a firm grip on her
COul age. one nadnt t talked about
herself to Dick since the first day of
their friendship.
ct began" she said at last. with
my mother. Wed lived together, all
alone, tor seventeen years, Dick.
And from the time I was old enough
to understand words, she told me
that | should love lightly. She'd
had very cruel lesson, Dick. You
see, my father :"
1t didn't take such a long while
to tell the story-not nearly as long
as it had taken to gain courage to
tell the storyi
Strange how futile it seemed at
this telling and retellingi Strange
how artificial and unreal it all was.
II think" for the first time Dicks
voice was unsteady, and it was an
unsteadiness born of renunciation,
Il think that I'd better take YOU
down to Tony's Office, / want you
to tell him everything, dear-just
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