Show Fiction Telegram LOVELY LOVEL Y LITTLE CHArTER CHAPTER VENTY T TWENTY EIGHT Worn Wor oJ out by the previous day ay Bets Betsy over overslept the next morning It was wa after 10 when Mrs Seymour came came into the room with her break break- fast tast She put the tray on n the night table able the windows turned the switch on the hot-air hot panel open across the room to and tiptoed Betsy Mr Mrs Seymour gently pulled one of ot the golden curls in front of ot her ear and Betsy opened opened- her eyes Her mother said John was down at 7 He Hc told me everything Ob Betsy I am so O happy happy so so happy and look what a beautiful da day you have for your wedding Just look lookout lookout lookout out that window Beth Betsy turned ned lovely sleepy eyes to the tho trees with their snowy arms tho the ledges of f the windows across the street plied piled high with white tho roofs of ot tho houses gleamIng gleaming gleam gleam- ing irig with their wintry blankets The Thc wind still sUU ang sang through bough the sunshine sunshine sunshine sun sun- shine and the frozen world like a wild harp player Mrs Seymour went on excitedly John and I have attended to all aU the details A florist has decorated the parlor You ought to see it Mrs Stockton sent Reginald over with hundreds of flowers from your debut debu He took the rest to Terry John hurried down at 9 o'clock for the tho license and to get rings Hes He's asking Bishop Williams an old friend of his fathers father's to perform perform perform per per- form the ceremony A bishop Betsy Bets feel reaU really married marrie when a bishop says those solemn words over ove you All AU you have to do dois donow donow now is cat c-at your breakfast bathe and dress and and It Dont Don't You Want ant To Bets Betsy drew up the pillows and balanced h hr r slim body on her el elbow el- el bow And be married she finIshed finished finished fin fin- her eyes wide her lips Ups trem trem- bling bUng Mother Molher said her bright face ace clouding cloudIng clouding cloud cloud- ing Betsy what's wrong Dont Don't you want to marr marry John Y Yes mother Of ot course Mrs Seymour caught Betsy's shoulders in itt her rough hands She said Are Arc you marrying him because because because be- be cause you love lovu him him or or because Marshall eloped with Libby Stockton Stock Stock- Stock Stock-I Stockton ton I That And because we need I Imone mone money TerrI Terr needs money money money- Her voice was young and bitter Oh my dear deal my dear cant can't you see that John is is the man for or you Even if it he were poor and unable to do anything for or us Mother looked as jf If Betsy had quite taken leave of he- he senses He doesn't deserve to have this happen to him mother He doesn't deserve to have havo a girl marry him for his money money for for a way out Hes He's too sweet end md nd fine for that I If It Mrs Seymour had said just one word agreeing with her Betsy knew that she would have havo hurried out of that bed hed and gone instantly to John telling him that she couldn't marry him But her mother put the breakfast tray across Betsy's lap lifted the saucer from over her egg unfolded unfold d her napkin and said Try to cat eat a little darling You'll feel teel differently about all this after breakfast And do look at the package package package pack pack- age John put on the tray for you Then she went out of the room Feeling as if it everyone and everything everything every every- thing in the world were against her Betsy opened the small violet plush box The lid clicked open on silent expensive springs and there standing stand stand- standing ing upright against a background of ot white satin were two rings a rings a platinum and diamond wedding band flashing bright facets of fire and a gorgeous engagement ring ring ring-a a two two- two carat arat diamond b 1 I u e white e flawless set et in platinum with orange brange blossom clusters of oC sma smaller Her stones on Vie the sides Betsy feeling tho the tears st starting up in her eyes eyes snapped th the box shut and slid It under her her pillow She laughed d. d.- B But t only for or a second because the sound of ot her vole voice in Jn that quiet room was i inexpressibly shocking I cant can't marry him she sobbed r I cant can't Im I'm not thinking of ot myself myself my my- self f now Im I'm thinking of ot him hUn I j l like Ilke him too much to do this to him Bets Betsy's Wedding But she sho did marry him At 11 o'clock she went downstairs wearing a black velvet suit with a little rhinestone buttoned jacket that hugged her waist as fast as a aman's amans amans aman's amans aman's mans man's arm might one might one of ot the dresses from the of lovely things that Barbara had sent from Holly Holly- wood wood black black velvet slippers and Johns John's white orchids pinned on her shoulder She looked very beautiful beautiful ful and small and and unhappy I Mrs Stockton Jennie Jennic Barbara Lee Travers who Travers-who who was to be the best man Tommy man Tommy Collins getting Collins getting poetry out of it all all and and her mother and and father tather stood in the flower clue clus parlor waiting for her John in morning clothes with wita a white carnation in his lapel was leaning against the mantel talking with Bishop Williams The bishop was in good humor as shown by the of his cheeks Imposing too in his ecclesiastical robes- robes white lace vestments over full cardinal cardi nal skirts Ho was saying When I married your mother and father John I stayed awake a week trembling trem trem- bling over it They were my first couple In a daze Betsy saw John bow t to the bishop and and come across the room to to- her F Felt lt him tako take her arm Felt him ste steady dy her She heard Barbara say Oh h here comes the bride and saw her hurry to the old walnut upright piano where she began to play I 1 Love You Trul Truly singing the words softly in that clear flexible husky voice that always held her audiences spellbound It had a quality of ot magnetism of charm a throbbing poignancy which made the words livo and made mado herself a part of ot them To Betsy it seemed a mile to the where the bishop now took his place before the mils mils- ing mellow v lights of the tho c candles s- s a little black le leather ther book in his hands his gray head lowered so that he rather looked up at them over tho gilt edges of the tho pages A kindly old man who seemed to be seeing through her seeing all aU the 11 things that were were locked locked in her heart the the ugly cruel things she was doIng doing do do- ing to John Storm Storm and and somehow understanding At last Barbaras Barbara's voice trailed away and a hush descended over 11 the room Betsy and John Were before before before be be- fore the and Bish Bishop p Williams Wil Wil- hams liams was saying in his his' deep resonant resonant reso reso- nant voice Dearly beloved wo we arc are gathered together After that everything was a blur Betsy didn't know that she was crushing one of Johns John's orchids fiercely in one small smaIl white whito hand as she repeated the tho solemn sol aol words that have joined to together together together to- to gether the lovers of the world that she sho hesitated for so long on I 1 will Nor did Betsy know lenow that her face drained of color as John slipped the tho diamond circle on ott her finger his eyes looking straight into hers i By PI promising her everything his everything his pos pos- pos pos- sessions SeSsiOns his his heart his heart his very soul Married And then John was kissing her tenderly whispering Oh my darl d rl ing my Ing-my my darling and it was over Everyone was talking ex excitedly Her mother and Mrs Stockton cried a little and clung and clung together Barbara and Jennie and Jennie rushed up l laughing and nd flushed to Betsy and wound their thelt arms Seymours Seymour's around her John Jom shook Mr hand and the bishops bishop's ps p's and took tho the clapping on his back that Lee Travers gave him beaming beam beam- I ing tag with happiness After the informal wedding breakfast break break- fast when the towering white cake with the imp Impudent dent kewpie faced bride and groom perched on the I top had been cut and Jennie crestfallen crest crest- fallen had drawn a thimble thimble for for an old maid maid and and Barbara radiant had I drawn rawn a rl ring ring for tor g-tor for a bride brIde brIde-Be bride Betsy Betsy slipped sUpped quietly upstairs to mothers mother's room for the suitcases ses se which had bad been packed for tor her herfor for her hat and coat pocketbook an and gloves She stood in fri the center of ot the room looking around feeling as if It sh she hc were were were-In in a strange place even though she sho could hardly remember having lived anywhere but right here She Sho opened her mothers mother's top toT I drawer remembering how as a smal girl she had tipped up lip- lipon on her toes fascinated by the serene and orderly condition co of ot mothers mother's possessions At first uirt she didn't see sec the long white hite envelope pe addressed ao to h her r r. r Th The tears jn In her eyes were misting her vIsion But suddenly nty the bold black letters of a return address of ofa a publishing pub pub- lishing house a and d the neat typing of her own name on the face faco of the envelope sprang sprang into her her cOnscious conscious ness Wonderingly she picked up the letter lefter It had been opened For the first time in her In-her her life Ilfe her mother had open opened d h her hr r mail She wondered why T Too o Late She slipped the letter out of the th envelope and began to read her expression expression ex ex- changing slowly Her novel nove was very fh th the t M hi MI Everston Everston- editor of oi the V Womans Woman's Journal wanted to run it serially and would pay 1000 for the rights Afterward it would appear in book form There would be no advance guarantee on the book sales however however however how how- ever because she was a first timer She might make a lot She might make malee just a very little The radio and motion picture rights were at her disposal Would she send a biography telling everything about herself that was interesting interesting her her age her hobbles s her birthplace her education Also a photograph Hop- Hop FOOL I ryllis t Moore Gallagher I ing ng this offer otter be acceptable and thanking her herfor for submitting the novel they were were Betsy had just finished reading this amazing letter when her mother came into the room Mrs S Seymour ym ur had a slim sUm bracelet set with sap sap- strung over her fingers s. s She said beaming Mrs Stockton wants Stockton wants you to have thi this Betsy Isn't it perfectly gorgeous gorgeous' But Betsy didn't hear her she didn't see the bracelet glittering gUttering on on the gnarled work worn hands bands She swung quickly around on her ler- hersUm slim heel her face faco pale her lips quiver quiver- ing Mother Ing Mother Mother How could you have done this to me You knew about this offer after e you knew v. and you let Jet me ahead go ahead and marry John Betsy Oh mother cant can't you see sec I 1 wouldn't have had to marry marry John John she sobbed I wouldn't have havo had to marry him loving Marshall loving Marshall as I do I I. I I. I sh she shi broke off abruptly For beyond Mrs Seymour stand ing in the door bewilderment and pain traversing his his' bronzed young face stood John Storm To be continued ed Friday Copyright for The Tho Telegram |