The Wilmington morning star., 1941-11-15

,,
the scene.
YESTERDAY: Toby Fennell, a
friend of Eric's, arrives shortly
before the wedding.
CHAPTER x
Yes, Toby was smiling. 1t was
a pathetic sort of little smile, but
it was a smile. Nothing terrible
had happened to Mummie or Dad,
or any of the other unnamed
things she'd thought in that dread
full moment.
Halle suddenly realized that she
was standing in her slip and stock
inged feet grasping Toby's arm.
She snatched at one of the batik
scarfs that was always to be found
amid the litter of books and paints
and oddments in Sues studio and
mumbled excuses and said, sud-
denly remembering, what is it..
Toby?"
Someone to give the bride
away"
But, Toby, not you?"
Toby said, Come in, Doctor!"
DR.. Singleton put his head
around the door and Halle, with a
little cry, flew to him, hugging
him until he cried for help.
"Oh, Daddy! Daddy! This is the
omen of good luck l needed so
badly. Did Mummie ?"
"Your mother sailed for Ber-
muda this morning. I came down
to put her on the boat. And this
young man - He looked over
her shoulder to where Toby was
standing, happened to come
along. since Louise motored down
with us
Louise! Louise is here?" Halle
cried, feeling that her cup of hap
piness was brimming over. "Oh,
Daddy, this is going to be the
most wonderful wedding ever Only
now it's too late to have Louise
and Toby stand up with us, but
it won't matter"
Toby's mouth was a straight,
unsmiling line when she looked at
it, and then at the clock. "Sue,
take care of everybody. may be
able to receive in a slip, but I
can't get married in it,
She was married, not in the
creamy satin and tulle which was
to lie in its box for six years, but
in a frock of beige with a cluster
of brown orchids at her shoulder.
She had chosen her own ring, a
simple band of gold. And when
Eric slipped it proudly over her
finger, she thought no wedding
could have meant more to her than
that one did.
There was Eric, tall and proud
and handsome at her side. And a
step behind them, her dear Daddy,
loving her, standing by her, the
weight of his love already bowing
his shoulders.
DR.. Singleton would not join
them for the wedding breakfast;
he had to get back to his work
in Worburn, but he took them
aside for a moment. IF there
anything you need" he said, II
guess your Daddy can help out. I
wish I could give you an allow
ance, but your mother -
Daddy" Halle protested, her
hand affectionately over his trem-
bling mouth. I'VE are rich. We
are Independent. Don't you ever
worry about us
Later, Eric said, That was nice
of your dad. It's all right to know
that there always is someone to
fall back on
Were not ever going to fall
back on anybody. Well get along
on our own. We've a perfectly
sweet apartment-even if we can't
afford it-and it's going to be our
home, the walls, our fortress
against the attacks of the world
on our happiness.
Fortresses they may have been,
but they enclosed very small
rooms, with view that over
ooked court that separated their
apartment from the back of the
apartment on the next street. BY
craning her neck, Halle could see
a patch of sky that she calculated
10 be 10 feet square.
But the rooms were nice. There
was a living room with a wide,
single lead-paned window, a bed
room with just room enough for
heir tw obeds and highboy, a
Tiny foyer and timer kitchen. It
was much smaller, and much
more expensive-$150 month
than Halle would have wished
for. But Eric told her that "a
good address, was very important
to him professionally, and CEN
.ral location was equally impor-
Eant, since they had no car and
taxis were expensive.
Halle believed anything Eric
told her, and she knew she could
manage easily on the remaining
b150, for all that the furniture in.
stallments had to come out of it.
Well, no matter, she had nothing
10 do through the days and nights
put be a home maker and Eric's
wife.
It was like playing house tc
make the apartment into home
With Sues help, she chose daring
color schemes and with Toby's
nelp at paint and brush, the )
turned the living room walls into
4 deep turquoise and hung heavy
apple green satin curtains at the
one big window so that it looked
almost twica as large. Fortunat