The Ypsilanti Daily Press

A Ride by Paper Boat
By Marie Blizzard
Written for and Released by Central Press Association

Synopsis: Leaving New York for Miami to marry again, Hallie Singleton, fashion model, reminisces about the time, six years before, when she was only 21 years old and had just met Eric Adams, a young would-be actor. She remembers how Sheila Sherman, a chorus girl and friend of Eric's, appeared on the scene.

Yesterday: Hallie leaves home.

Chapter Nine

Sue Amberson hitched up her slacks and thrust her paint-stained hands into her pockets with a boyish gesture, but the black eyes in her wide, homely, intelligent face were round with girlish interest and they were fixed on Hallie Singleton, who had finished telling her why she had arrived at the studio at midnight:

"Jimminy, Hallie! I just didn't know things like this happened in this day and age! Family pointing a stern finger at the door and practically telling daughter never to darken it again."

"It wasn't quite like that. I told you just what happened," Hallie said wearily.

"In effect, it's the same thing. Wedding dress, bridesmaid's gear and all, arrangements made and then—no wedding. Well, I'm glad you had enough spunk to go it on your own. The family'll come around in time. We'll clean up this place and have the wedding right here... But you're very sure?"

Hallie nodded. "Very. Nothing like this ever happened to me before."

"Nothing has ever really happened to you yet, Hallie. You've been brought up wrapped in cotton wool." She regarded her former roommate with respect. "I didn't think you had it in you. Now, if it had been me—"

Things happened to Sue. The first was the collapse of Michael Amberson's fortune in mining interests when his only daughter was at the finishing school where she and Hallie had met. The next was her marriage to a young Russian painter with an unpronounceable name, with whom she had gone off to study painting in Paris when she was 17. Widowed at 20, she returned to New York with scarcely a sou, but with courage and ability, and now, two years later, she was a successful commercial artist.

"I could always get along somehow," she said to Hallie. "Ivan and I managed on less than the proverbial bowl of rice, but that was in Europe, where we thought ourselves rich to have paints and canvas, a loaf of bread and a bit of cheese. But New York isn't like that when you're broke."

"But we won't be broke," Hallie pointed out. "Eric goes into a show next month and he's to have $75 a week. And, if we're ever hard up, I've got $2,000."

"You might be hard up. No one can tell how long a show'll stay open. But far be it from me to cast dampers on this romantic adventure. You poor kid! You've had enough. Now, let's plot the wedding and we can tell Eric about our plans as soon as he gets here."

Hallie had telephoned the boarding house where Eric lived as soon as she reached New York, and been told that he was at rehearsal. She left a message for him to call at Sue's studio.

There was an electric quality about Sue as she moved about the big, littered studio which was her home, saying, "We'll shove this out of the way and fill this space up with flowers..." Hallie was soon caught up in its current, putting the past behind her, looking forward to the future.

"You'll be my bridesmaid, Sue?"

Sue gave her a grin and ran grimy fingers through the untidy mop of her black hair. She looked ruefully down the angular length of her which was nearly six feet.

"Some bridesmaid I'd make, but sure! Only don't try to do me in organdie."

"No," Hallie said firmly. "I'm off organdie for life."

Sue was making coffee back of the screen that didn't quite succeed in hiding her kitchen arrangements, when the bell rang. It was a little after two in the morning.

"It's either the police or your Romeo. Am I going to like him?" she asked as she pressed the buzzer to open the door four flights below.

Hallie felt excitement mingled with pride rise in her. "You will," she promised.

When Sue opened the door and saw him standing there—and later, too—she didn't know whether she liked him, but she thought: He'd make a good model for an illustration. With one flash of that boyish smile, he could stop a girl's heart beating.

"Hello," Hallie said, back of her. "Eric, that's Sue Amberson, who went to school with me... Sue, Eric Adams."

Sue said: "Come in, Eric... Oh, my coffee's boiling over!" She disappeared back of the screen.

Eric and Hallie looked at each other and then Hallie said, "Aren't you surprised?"

"Not very much. Sheila called me tonight. She said your mother had been to see her. She... she told her everything, Hallie."

"I know she did, Eric... Mother said the marriage was off. I told her that I knew..."

"But did you?" He asked tensely.

"Of course. It doesn't matter, darling. That's why I'm here. I know Mother and I know that she won't change. She's old-fashioned, but I'm not. Besides, Mother's had her life as she wanted it, and now I am to have mine. Her father didn't really want to have her marry Daddy."

Eric said, "Your father? Are they both...?"

Hallie nodded. "Daddy is Mother's slave, but some day they'll come around, Eric. We've got to have our happiness."

Eric took her hands in his.

"Maybe we'd better put it off, Hallie..."

Sue came out from her screen, with a tray containing a platter of sandwiches and an ill-assorted lot of cracked cups and saucers.

"Put it off?" she said. "I should say not. We've got all the plans made, m'lad. Just as soon as you two find a place to live—you ought to be able to do that in two or three days—we'll have the wedding right here. You're not going to spoil my chances of being a bridesmaid, are you? And if so, why?"

Eric felt Hallie's eyes on him and when he turned to look at them, they were melting into his own. He went over to her and put his arm protectively about her shoulders.

"Do you know her well?" he asked Sue.

"Pretty well. Why?"

"Do you know that she's an utter fool to throw her lot in with a man like me?"

Sue measured him for a moment.

"Maybe every girl's a fool, then, who gets married because she's in love. But there are a lot of girls who never get the chance. If you know of any good reason why you think Hallie shouldn't take a chance, you might tell her; if you don't, she's got rights that include the one about the pursuit of happiness."

Eric's eyes returned to Hallie and settled on her radiant face.

"You know the worst?" he asked again.

"Silly," Hallie said, and kissed him.

Sue rattled her dishes. "Do you think we could have things ready by Saturday? I'll have a lot of things to do... getting food and flowers and things like that. By the way, who's to be the best man?"

"Toby," Hallie put in.

Eric said dubiously, "Toby? I'll wire him, but—"

"Yes, do, Eric, dear. I like him so much and he's your best friend."

"I'll wire him tonight," Eric promised.

Toby wired his regrets the next day, but, by that time, Hallie was in a fever of excitement and it never occurred to her to ask why Toby couldn't—or wouldn't—come.

It was to be the smallest of weddings, just the four of them, Hallie and Eric, Sue and a boy named Pete Gordon. The wedding was to take place in the Little Church Around the Corner, and then they were to return to Sue's studio for a wedding breakfast.

The wedding was to be at noon. At ten minutes of eleven, when Sue was trying to dress and finding herself all thumbs, and her emotions were up and down with tears and laughter, the bell of Sue's apartment rang and Sue heard Toby Fennell's voice saying, "May I see Miss Singleton, please?"

She heard Sue say, "But she's dressing now. She's very..."

Toby said, "I have a little surprise for her. I must see her before the wedding."

Hallie's heart seemed to stop beating. She ran into the room and caught Toby's arm, unable to speak.

But Toby was smiling.

(To Be Continued)