The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-07

church n Orldal party ilui
riedly left while police held curious
sidewalk crowds back from the vel
vet ropes.
Ellen Chapman and Bill Mallory
were among the first to follow ano
stood waiting for the last of the
bridal party to enter the waiting
motor.
Fabienne, a long white robe over
her blue organza gown, passed
down the steps on the arm of her
Uncle Mark and got into the car.
Ellen said, Come on, Bill. You
can have a long look at her at the
house. B ythe way, did you look
at the bride at all?"
"Was it as bad as that?" he
asked, giving her a shame-faced
sidelong look.
obvious, you mean," she an
swered, getting into the cab that
was to take them to the reception
at Gertrude de Ligne's apartment.
She stole a worried glance at him.
He looked SO happy! For a little
while during the winter weeks, she
had thought that Fabienne was at
tracted to Bill. And, too, during
the time that she was i'll, she had
been dependent on him. Ellen had
deliberately stayed away, giving
them time to be alone with each
other. But suddenly Fabienne had
changed.
"Well, she thought, Fabienne had
an environment that was not easy
to break away from. Reared in the
Jap of luxury, it was not unlikely
that she was afraid to fall in love
out Of her own circle. Or, again,
perhaps it was only the brief story
of the patient-physician relationship,
pleasant, dependent and over when
that dependence was over
And there was Nicky. Perhaps,
after all, Fabienne was in love with
Nicky and reluctant to admit it.
She had seen Nicky at the we'd
ding-remembering him from the one
time she had seen him that first
day with Fabienne at the settlement
bouse-and he looked very handsome.
Not big and rugged like Bill, but
d~elicately boned, aristocratic and a
trifle sad. The kind of man Ellen
liked.
Nicky and Fabienne belonged to
the same background. She and Bill
were outsiders. She'd eve let
herself fall in love with a man like
Ay.zy-, DIT nav rAyyhr fnlf fh6
things a girl did and she feared for
Bill.
Her thoughts ran a swift, trou-
bled current during the drive down
Fifth avenue and acros Twenty
second street.
Bill asked ~humorousiy at the door,
which was Immediately opened by a
butler.
mo, but I wish I'd hired a cos
tume,' Ellen whispered, looking
about at the crush of handsomely
gowned m She rather wished
they hadn't come, but Dick had
dropped in to thank her and Bill for
what they'd done to Fabienne and
been most insistent about them ap-
pearing. And now here they were
with not a familiar face in sight.
Then she saw Nicky, and Nicky
was coming toward them.
Hello" he said, holding out his
hand to her. 81 expect you don't
know me, but I remember you. I'm
Nicky Bartlett, friend Of the fam
lily. You're Miss Chapman, aren't
you? I saw you n day when l
drove Fab down to Willoughby
house."
Pink brushed Ellen's cheeks be-
cause he said he remembered her.
And Ellen was very pretty when
that pinkness came into her face.
She said shyly, II do remember you.
of course"
She turned to introduce Bill.
Bill had turned along with the
tide of incoming guests and was
talking to F%abienne.
II must see Fabienne," she said.
"Ill get you in the line and then
we'll get you some champagne. !
want to talk to you"
Imagine his wanting to talk to
her! To plain Ellen Chapman, who
wore a dark blue REFER and a SIM
pie little quilted Scotch cap, when
the rooms were filled with beauti-
fully gowned girls.
Moving toward the line, with
Nicky's hand at her elbow, Ellen
found that Fabienne was leaving
the line. She saw her face for a mo-
ment.
"Stay right here. I'll catch one
of these boys with trays" Nicky
said.
He was lost in the crowd of PEG.
pie and Ellen wandered away
There had been something in Fa.
bienne's crumbling face that she
had
She went through the door when
Fabienne had disappeared and
found herself in a long corridor.
Doors opened to the right and te
the left. She looked into them, not
finding her, and came to a CLOSED
door. She put her head to it. Inside
the sound Of muffied CRYING wa:
very low.
Ellen turned the knob softly. y
Fabienne lay on her bed, the fold.
of her blue bridesmaid gown, spreac
= about her, her cornsilk hair spread
over the pillow. She looked like {
doll that had been thrown there
Only her shoulders moved, rising an
falling with deep sobs.
Ellen moved across the room an
drew the sobbing girl toward her.
TOO much excitement for our in