Evening star., 1940-02-26

Hc tcuS utT enc mas VOICE worm
training. Eric appears. pleading with
Elaine to marry him. He wires his
mother but she does not reply. Month
cell Iets her Job In friends VILLAGE
CHAPTER II.
In the weeks that followed Elaine
thought of James comment often
for Eric had not as yet been sub
jected to the final test. Though
he said little, Elaine could tell from
his increasingly nervous demeanor
that the suspense of waiting for his
mothers reply was rapidly whit
ling away the confidence he dis
played their first evening together
in New York.
She was more infuriated with the
lack Of reply than she would have
been had Mrs. Reardon simply
telegraphed that her decision was
final. It was now obvious that the
older woman was craftily delaying
her answer, trying to ruin Eric's
confidence In himself, waiting for
him to run out of money, so that
when she ordered him home her
chances Of success would have ma
terially increased.
The more Elaine dwelt upon the
bitter struggle she and Mrs. Rear
don were waging the more 1t sick
ened her. Had she read about 1t
in some novel she would have
laughed at it as being utterly fan
tastic, for in this modern era it
hardly seemed possible that a
mother would deny her son the
right to marry girl on the grounds
that once in her life the girl had
drunk too much. And when to this
Elaine added the fact that Mrs.
Reardon had never troubled her.
self to learn the truth of the matter.
it seemed not only fantastic, but
ridiculous.
Doubts Arise.
Again she wondered whether she
was doing the right thing in en-
couraging Eric to defy his mother.
Had it not been for this recurrent
worry she would have terminated
the struggle by marrying him. there
by compelling Mrs, Reardon to take
some definite action, one way or
the other.
She knew with a feeling of dis
may that she could gain Eric's
consent to this plan. It was the
knowledge that he was amenable
to her every suggestion that caused
her dismay and she could not help
wishing he acted more like a man.
He had certainly not seemed to
possess a will of his own during
the last week, lounging around the
apartment during all her spare time.
constantly in need of encourage
ment, always seeking advice as to
where to eat, where to look for q
job, and even as to what type of
haircut he should get. Elaine hated
to think that Jane had success
fully diagnosed his character. but
as the days passed swiftly by it
was becoming increasingly plain
that Jane. as far as Eric was con-
cerned, knew what she was talking
about.
Elaine was pondering over this
one afternoon in the restaurant
dressing room when the door opened
and Myrtle poked her blondined
head into the room.
There's a lady outside to see
you," she told Elaine with respect
full eyes. "She looks like a debu-
tante."
Myrtle Thrilled by Deb"
you're out of luck this time, "
Elaine told her with little laugh
1t was a standing joke in the
restaurant that Myrtle stood in awe
of the social register and was fond
ly hoping that some day she would
meet one of the 'bluebloods.' The
only social figures I know are out
of town."
Myrtle laughed seemingly. "Gwan.
This DANES got class. A dope would
know she's a debutante."
Elaine followed Myrtle out into
the restaurant, wondering who the
visitor was, and then. remember
ing that only Jane and Eric knew
where she worked, wondered why
Jane had decided to come to visit
here.
"There!" Myrtle exclaimed trium-
phantly. pointing finger at the
golden-haired girl who sat at q
table near the rear of the room.
"If she amt a debutante; then
where did she get those high-hat
clothes?"
Elaine could have told her that
any one who worked could buy
those same "high-hat" clothes, but
realizing that Myrtle wanted to be-
lieve the girl was a debutante, she
said nothing. Her brow furrowed
into tiny lines as she walked over
to the table The girls face was
vaguely familiar, but for the life
Of her she could not remember just
who she was.
But If she did not remember the
girl, the girl remembered her, for
when Elaine halted before the table
she looked up with smile.
Sent by Mrs. Reardon.
Hello, Miss Warburton," she
greeted, scornful eyes belying the
friendliness of her smile. Mrs.
Reardon sent me here to talk to
you"
Mrs. Reardon?" Surprised, Elaine
looked at the girl, then suddenly
remembered who she was. But why
had Eric's mother sent her Sec
retary to see her? Why had she
sent her clear across the continent
to deliver q message which could
more easily have been sent by wire?
Helen Wortorski laughed at the
expression Of surprise still on
Elaine's face. "Of course, you know
I've come because of Eric's tele-
gram. Mrs. Reardon wants to know
what your price is"
The terse words came as q COM
plete shock to Elaine and she felt
herself suddenly boiling with rage.
Hot words sprang to her lips, but