Evening star., 1935-08-31
CHAPTER XXvIII.

10 when Mrs. Seymour
came into the room with her break.
fast. She put the tray on the night
table, closed the windows, turned oper
the switch on the hot-air panel anc
tiptoed across the room to Betsy. Mrs
Seymour gently pulled one Of the
golden curls in front Of her ear and
Betsy opened her eyes.
Her mother said: "John was dowr
at z o'clock. He told me everything
Oh. Betsy, am so happy-so happy
and look what a beautiful day you
have for your wedding! Just looA
out that window"
Betsy turned lovely, sleepy eyes tc
the trees with their snowy arms, the
ledges of the windows across the
street piled high with white, the roofs
of the row houses cleaning with theil
Wintry blankets. The wind still sans
through the sunshine and the frozen
world like wild harp player.
Mrs. Seymour went on, excitedly
John and I have attended to al
the details. A florist has decorated
the parlor. You ought to see 1t! Mrs
Stockton sent Reginald over with hun
dreds of flowers from your debut. He
took the rest to Terry. John hurried
down at 8 o'clock for the license anc
to get rings. He's asking Bishop
Williams, an old friend of his fathers
to perform the ceremony. A bishop
Betsy! You'll feel really married
when bishop says those solemn words
over you! All you have to do now
is eat your breakfast, bathe and dress
and"
Betsy drew up the pillows and bal.
anced her slim body on her elbow
And be married" she finished, hel
eyes wide, her lips trembling.
Mother said, her bright face cloud.
ing: Betsy, what's wrong? Dont
you want to marry John?"
"Yes, mother. OF course"
Mrs. Seymour caught Betsy's shoul-
ders in her rough hands. She said
Are you marrying him because you
love him-or because Marshall elopec
with Libby Stockholm"
THAT. And because we neec
money. Terry needs money" Hel
voice was young and bitter.
"Oh, my dear, my dear, can't yor
see that John is the man for youi
Even If he were poor and unable tt
do anything for U.S." Mother looked
as If Betsy had quite taken leave oi
her senses.
HE doesn't deserve to have this
happen to him, mother. He doesn't
deserve to have girl marry him
for his money-for a way out. He's
too sweet and fine for that"
If Mrs. Seymour had said Just one
word agreeing with her, Betsy knew
that she would have hurried out oi
that bed and gone instantly to John
telling him that she couldn't marry
him. But her mother put the break
fast tray across Betsy's lap, lifted the
saucer from over her egg, unfolded
her napkin and said, "Try to eat a
little, darling. You'll feel differently
about all this after breakfast. And
do look at the package John put on
the tray for you"
Then she went out Of the room
Feeling as If every one and every
thing in the world were against her,
Betsy opened the small violet plush
box. The lid clicked open on silent,
expensive springs and there, standing
upright against a background Of
white satin, were two rings-a plat
mum and diamond wedding band
flashing bright facets of fire and a
gorgeous engagement ring-a two
karat diamond, blue-white, fiawless,
set in platinum, with orange blossom
clusters of smaller stones on the
sides. Betsy, feeling the tears start
ing up in her eyes, snapped the box
shut and slid 1t under her pillow. She
laughed. But only for second, be-
cause the sound of her voice in that
quiet room was inexpressibly shocking.
IT can't marry him." she sobbed.
II can't. I'm not thinking Of myself
now. I'm thinking of him. I like
him too much to do this to him"
But she did marry him.
At IL o'clock she went downstairs
wearing a black velvet suit with a
little rhinestone -buttoned jacket that
Rugged her waist as fast as a mans
arm might-one of the dresses from
the trunkful of lovely things that
Barbara had sent from Hollywood
black velvet slippers and Johns white
orchids pinned on her shoulder. She
looked very beautiful and small and
unhappy.
Mrs. Stockton, Jennie, Barbara, Lee
Travers-who was to be the best
man-Tommy Collins-getting poetry
out of it all-and her mother and
father stood in the flower clustered
parlor waiting for her. John, in
morning clothes with a white carna-
ton in his lapel, was leaning against
the mantel talking with Bishop VIII
liams. The bishop was in good humor,
as shown by the floridity of his cheeks.
Imposing, too, in his ecclesiastical
robes-white lace vestments over full
cardinal skirts. He was saying, when
I married your mother and father,
John, stayed awake week trem-
bling over it. They were my first
couple"
In daze Betsy saw John bow to
the bishop and come across the room
to her. Felt him take her arm. Felt
him steady her. She heard Barbara
say, "Oh-h, here comes the bride!"
and saw her hurry to the old walnut
upright piano, where she began to
play 81 Love You Truly" singing, the
words softly in that clear, flexible,
husky voice that always held her audi
ences spellbound. It had a quality
of magnetism, of charm, a throbbing
poignancy which made the words live
and made herself part Of them.
To Betsy 1t seemed q mile to the
priedieu, where Bishop williams now
took his place before the pulsing. mel
low lights of the candles, little back
leather book In his hands. his gray
head lowered so that he rather looked
up at them over the gilt edges Of
the pages. A kindly old man who
seemed to be seeing through her,
seeing all the thinks that were locked
in her heart--the ugly, cruel things