The Washington times., 1935-09-11

MRS. Helen Schiller Riley.
formerly the wife of Walter
Riley, owner of the AnastaSia
Beauty Salons. the marriage
ended in divorce in December,
1927"
Her ring! Helen experienced
a momentary fright. Then she
breathed a sigh of relief. 1t
was on the perfume tray on
the dresser. She got out of bed
to get it and scurried back
under the covers. She must
have taken it off last night
without thinking.
She shuddered. She slipped
it on her finger now and twisted
it around by the stone. It
didn't feel comfortable. She
was too conscious of it.
X X X
AS her wedding drew near,
Helen became panicky. True,
she enjoyed getting a trousseau
with Cecily'S help.
Gracie's appendicitis in De-
cember gave them a bad scare
but it also came as a godsend.
The child was deathly sick.
The wedding had to be post
poned. For her convalescence
Helen took the child south.
"It's just as WE'LL" Helen con-
soled Lester before they left.
I'D rather be married in June
anyway and then we can go
around the world without a
worry. BY that time I won't be
nervous about leaving Oracle"
Lester, truly concerned at the
child's illness, said nothing at
all.
Helen, sensitive to his every
feeling, sat down on his knee
and wound her arms about his
neck. Darling, you've been so
kind and patient. But admit,
dear, it was something entire
ly outside of our control"
II do admit it, darling, only
I'm not a patient man."
The stock market was on
everyone's lips. Lester was in q
fever of money making. The
fortune he was piling up was
staggering.
1T can't go on, Lester. I'm
scared to death. It's like a
fever, like Gracie's fever. It's
dangerous. Get out, Lester, I
can't stand it,
I'll get out soon," he prom
ised,his eyes cleaning. "Soon!"
Lester. the excitement of
the gain doesn't compensate
for the fear of losing. Get
out. I don't like it. I don't
want so much money. I have
a feeling that I'd like to throw
it away by handfuls."
He took her down one day
to the Stock Exchange in the
fevered days of February, 1929.
He was amazed at her revul-
sion; he had only wanted to
amuse her.
Lester Molyneaux sold out
that week. He was to regret
it later when stocks rose again
to dizzying heights but he was
also to rejoice that he came
out practically unscathed with
a huge fortune salted away in
Government securities when
the great crash came.
The wedding date was once
more set definitely for Christ
mas Eve, by which time Les
ter hoped to have closed up
his affairs and have the free
dom to travel and to take the
holiday he had planned all his
life.
In September came the first
crash that shook the country
and in October the second,
that amounted almost to panic.
What is happening?" old
Mrs. Terhune quavered, be"
wildered.
Don't worry" Lester assured
her. "Give me all your securi-
ties. I know I can exchange
them for you-or something. /"
Through Miss Fredericks,
Helen heard of the effect Of the
crash on Walter. Irene Ter
hume had to let Wells nurse go.
Walter Riley had lost the big
Brooklyn Salon, also the smaller
one, also the Fourteenth Street
and Broadway branches. The
only places left we're Anastasia's
Thirty-fourth and the Forty
fourth Street branches. The
Fifty-seventh Street Salon was
running at a terrific loss. Still
he chung to it.
Helen was shocked. In the
two years since her divorce she
had never seen Walter.
AS soon as Helen now heard
the news from FrederickS, she
called Lester.
Lies, may I come over for a
minute? I want you to write a
letter for me if you're not too
busy, dear"
Its all right. Come along"
A few minutes later Helen
was in his office.
Ito Be COntinued)