Show GWEN GIVEN IN TN N MARRIAGE MARRAGE By 81 ADELE GARRISON Madge and nd Lillian See New T Threat reat to Happiness Happi Happi- ness of Mary and Noel As Philip tossed his y Verbal hand gr grenade nade into o our r midst he leaned slightly forward In his chair for all th the world I i told myself as if 11 he were gauging the force of the ex ex explosion x pl sio and its effect upon each of of usHe us He received small ch change for chOngo-for for his liver fiver however Lillians Lillian's experience and training have made her herS proof against any sudden any sudden shock or surprise and though I 1 do not possess her poker tac face facCI I I had so so- braced myself to wi withstand anything Philip might propose that I was able to keep any semblance of surprise from froin my voice and manner M Mary ry armed by her quick wits and the thc old age-old tradition Hon tion th that t a proud well bred woman does docs betray jealousy also preserved pre preserved served face surprisingly Only Noel betrayed any disturbed reaction to his fathers father's astounding gre re request quest th that t Avis Arlen be permitted to act as bridesmaid to Mary at the hurried hur hur- rl ned ried d informal home wedding we were planning for our two love lovebirds lovebirds lovebirds birds as Harry and Dicky persist in calling th them m. m But But I I was sure that his father looking from one face to another another an other with an amused slightly sardonic sardonic sar sar- sar donic little smile just touching the corners of his mouth was well aware of the consternation the which the exploding ex cx of his little bombshell had caused in each of our breasts Avis Arlen Aden Noel stammered stammer d Why I thought I-thought she was In in S St. St Louis Louisor or out out west somewhere You haven't been keeping very much in in touch with me pe lately his father said with a a touch of smiling reproof in his voice or you would have known that she he and her mother came back to New York not quite two weeks ago and that that Avis Avis is is-em is em em- employed ploy d f for r the pr present sent in hi my office NS N'S MOTIVE MOnVEl I saw Lillians Lillian's eyebrows arch ever everso everso ISO so slightly at that phrasing for lor the thc present which hid had affe affected ted me rae much as a sudden icy draft of wind might h have ve- ve done Was Wu that the way he meant to punish the girl for the theft of the l letter letter from from me to him telling telling him him of the date of Noels Noel's marriage mar maz- the the theft of o which I had refused refused re re- fused to give him him- any proof even even though I held the purloined letter in my ray b bag g at the very moment f Z his questioning But If it his wrath was roused rowed against his old friends friend's ds d's daughter daught r to a degree a.-degree pe permitting mit ng him to her only means of livelihood livelihood granting granting that her story of 01 her mothers r losses s were true tru why true why why should he be planning at atthe atthe the same time to upset all the arrangements arrange ments for the wedding in order to I gratify a mere whim of the girls girl's There was a dusky adusky hued gentleman hidden In Iii the wood pile somewhere I told myself although I had no opportunity op op- to locate him him or or to establish I his identity But with the conviction that that- something was distinctly amiss I resolved to watch Philip actions and reactions closely until the wedding wedding and and afterward SPARRING G FOR TIME TOlE Mary wi with her characteristic fear fear- was the first of us to speak Working Avis Arlen she saidI saidI said I 1 hope Old Man Depression h hasn't nt reached out and grabbed h her r. r She was sparring for time I knew that by the flippancy of her tone and I 1 I did not know which emotion was strongest within strongest within me sac pity for Mary in having to a accept a girl she loathed as one of her bridal attendants attendants attend attend- ants anger against Noels Noel's father for forcing the question upon h her r or fear of what might lie behind this unusual proposal Philip expressive ey eye eyebrows eyebrows brows narrowed Her mother has lost losta lesta a great de deal l lof of money she tells me he said Again I had the sensation of some hidden meaning mooning behind his words I 1 of course ourse found a place for her in my organization until I can find out what can be done about her mothers mother's finances but I fancy they are in iri rather bad shape That Is isone one reason why I wish to Indulge the ch childs child's ds d's whim to be c one of oC your bridesmaids She was tremendously thrilled by the n news ws that thal you were to be marr married cd A FALSEHOOD AL I looked at t h him m in aston astonishment at his utter d disregard of the truth Avis had had- stolen tolen the letter containing the news of Noels Noel's wedding and of course had dared say nothing of it to Philip I until he himself should tell her of it She had fled from the office right after my phoned message and I I I. Iwas was certain that she had had no no conversation whatever with him upon that subject or any other He was wa spinning this particular tissue of falsehood false false- hood without any any- foundation of thread But all this Is beside the mark Mr went on smoothly You have not yet answered my ray question Are you yoi willing that Miss Avis shall be one of y your ur bridesmaids Continued Monday COPY Copyright 1933 K KF F F. S. S Inc |