The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-11-24
CHAPTER V

When Ssepnen curt ushered her { into his stepmother's presence Diana thought, This isn't real. It's & play. Old ladies like that are only on the screen. It's makeup that causes her to lock like thatl"
 But when Ellen Curt spoke Nhere was no mistaking her genu- heness, "So, stephen, you've come to your senses at lastl l didn't think you'd let the money get away from you. Sit down, both of you, and tell me where Fou found this girl"
 Diana sank into c small, an. ,eient, overstuffed chair, but ste- phen strode restlessly about, Mrs &Mrt sat at straight sofa los If she scorned anything soft and yielding.
 She was si1laN. aAd Sat, but there was an alertneSS about her that ,eentered in her little twinkling Alack eyes. Eyes that seemed to ,eee to the very core of your being. Rocking at her you were sure she knew Q great deal, more than she lever let on. You knew it would be useless to try to fool her. Her halr was gray and curled neatly. ISler gown was gray, too, of q stiff rustling material, and on her tiny Geet were pearl gray satin slip- lpers. She thrust her feet out in lfront of her and surveyed them from time to time and Diana be- llieved that sch must be very Nproud of their small daintineSs.
 Well, begin, Stephen Tucker, you say the girls name is - who las she and where did she come 'GromP'
 Disconcerting, being discussed lAs If you weren't present, Diana didn't like that. She sat forward on her chair. "Youll let me tell lyou, won't your"
 Diana glanced ct stephen, saw him stop his pacing to watch her face. She hoped she wouldn't say too much, but she couldn't lie to this clear-eyed old woman.
 I've followed your stepson's work for Q long time she said slowly. Both l and the members of my family have admired him greatly. We think he's Q very 1 great man"
 Of course he's a great man." Ellen Curt repeated, tapping her little gray slipper.
 'Today I met him for the first time"
 she thought the black eyes opened wider, and for c moment sch expected an outburst of in- dlgnation, but after Q short pause tho old woman said imperiously, Go on"
 MT. Curt was in the ofice where I worked when I lost my job. I think he must have felt sorry for me. And so he explained the terms of his inheritance to me. He asked me to marry him. That's all. see you're greatly surprised, but I don't see why you should be. After all, he's be- ing forced into q marriage that means nothing to him. Do you think that's fair9"
 old Mrs. Curt gasped. Could the airl have suspected that 1t was she herself, who had persuaded her late husband to insert that clause in the willp At any rate she was not at all accustomed to having strange people ask if she was being fair. She really didn't see where fairness came into it if she were getting her own way. And this time she knew she was doing what was best for stephen. She knew very we'll where his heart lay, and could see him in her minds eye growing into Q grabbed, lonely old many. Anything, she thought, was better than that. Anything was better, to, than having him fall prey to some adventures. Many brilliant men did, especially when the woman they loved had mar ried someone else, and had their careers ruined thereby. stephen would be saved that. She meant to choose his wife herself. But this girl whom he had brought for approval was something quite outside her experience.
 'rt's nothing to you, young lady, whether what do is fair or not. It may not have occurred to you that | have 6 very good reason in wanting to secure Stephens happiness. His father was con- aerned only with his welfare"