The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-12-16
Christmas .. Her Wedding Night Alone
BeginningA Gripping Story of the
 Yuletide
CHAPTER I

peoule trying to describe Linda Benton often said that she was different" They meant in part, no doubt, that she was made with a delicate llneness that suggested ex. uuisite workmanship; in part that she had soft rings of dark brown hair, beautifully set lark-brown eyes like those of q sweet-tempered, rather serious child, and an elusive ouirk of Q smile. But they meant, too, that there was about her a baffling simplicity and directness, together with a gracious dignity that some how set her apart from other girls of her age. Perhaps this was because she had been ed ucated abroad, entirely by tu- tors, under the close super. vision of an aunt, who, rather than Linda's own mother, had been made her guardian at her fathers death.
 Sometimes Linda ha d wished that sho might go to school like other girls.
 sho did not know that every phase of her life had been ordered to eradicate from her character all inherited likeness to tho beautiful tompestuous. peasant mother WhoSo sensational dolngs, on the stage and of, had made hoadlines for yeafs; and to shield her from tho Scand- aloua repereussions of that mothers tragic death,
 10 was not until the day Linda came of ago that she undtrSto0d she was penniless, Although she knew little of her fathers re- sources, sho had always supposed she would have plenty, When she learned the truth, Shc determined With 6 steely purpose hard to re- eoneilO with her dainty rather gentle lovcllncSs, that she could not be dependent any longer upon those who had kept her from her mother.
 Ht was then that She began to understand that her carefully planned sehooling--with its music, dancing, riding, languages, and slnatterlng of art and literature had loft her pitifully unequipped to cope with lifo RS she found it h tho 20th century,
 ft was old Mir. Meredith, her fo- ther's attorney, who suggested what seemed an immediate solution to her problem, A client Of hiS, an elderly lady, slightly crippled and much alone, needed c companion and Se0' retary. mn
 "she insistSd," MT, Meredith said, "that must not Bend anyone who did not have what she called tho education and VolCo of c gens tlewoman'. thought Of you at once, my dear In all my ITO I remember Just ono voice as lovely Rs yours"
 He means Mothers voice, Linda thought, remembering the night, years ago, when her mother had taken her as c small child to the theRter, and had left her in q chair in the wings during tho play Lln' da had cried, elutehed by a vague unutterabie grief Rt the hoart- breaking magic Of her mothers voice -- without understanding a word, or knowing that beyond the footlights 6 crowded house wept with her Her father had been very angry baout that night Linda WaS never lnkon ngRin to sec her mother play,
 "f gave her your complete hlS' tory, Of course" MT. Meredith wat going on. Miranda Trent lS Il treat stlckler for family traditions And of course Godfrey Bontont daughter would be welcome any where .
 "T'hank you" Sad Linda SittlnF vQry straight and pale and young "I will 20 If she wants mo"
 When Linda arrived one even- Ing at the lIttlo town of Nordhof ahe was met Ht tho depot by . Golored chauffeur who told her Mrs, Trent had Sent him
 Nordhof was Q typical 0ld'fahh. toned county seat, which Gentertd about Rtnld little grassy parl. nnShrning q central monument md four cannon, and dotted with beds of CGnnnS and goraniulns' AhhiiL Lhn park GluNL0red Lhe