Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eagle Valley news. (Richland, Or.) 191?-1919 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 1918)
The DESTROYING By Louis Joseph Vance Can you Imaalne yourself dead among old friends In New York city, asked for an accounting of your estate and announced your Intention of V finding the girl you had married under pressure before you disappeared much to their shocked surprise! That's X the position In which we find Hugh Whltaker In this Installment. How his plans ruin the Important plans of $j others about him. how he creates a furore at a big theatrical performance and how he finds his wife, la told with h dramatic effect CHAPTnR V Continued. Whltaker laughed quietly and turned tho conversation, accepting the mutin eer's pseudo-confidences nt their face value tbnt Is. ns pure bluff, quite eon sdstent with tho managerial pose. They rose presently and wade their way out Into the crowded, blutnnt night of Broadway. -We'll walk. If you don't mind." Max suggested. "It Isn't far. nnd I'd like to get n line on the house as It goes In." lie sighed affectedly. "Heaven knows when I'll see another swell au dience mobbing one of ray attractions!" They pushed forward slowly through the eddying tides, elbowed by o match less motley of humanity, deafened by Its thousand tongues, darzled to blind ness by walls of living light. Whltaker experienced a sensation of participat ing In a royal progress: Max was plain ly a man of mark; be left a wake of rippling Interest At every third step somebody hailed him. as a rule by bis flrst name : generally ho responded by a curt nod and a tightening of his teeth upon his clgnr. They turned east through Forty sixth street shouldered by a denser rabble whose faces, all turned In one direction, shone livid with the glare of a gigantic electric sign, midway down the block: TIIEATKU MAX SARA LAW'S FAREWELL. It was nearly half-past eight; the house had been open since seven; and still a queue ran from the gallery doors to Broadway. The lobby Itself was crowded to suffocation with an occi dental durbar of barbaric magnificence, the dty's supremo manifestation of Its religion, the ultimate rite In the worship of the pomps of tho flesh. "Look at that" Max grumbled through his cigar. "Ain't It a shame?" "What?" Whltaker had to lift his voice to make It carry above the bur ring of the throng. "The money I'm losing." returned the manager, vividly disgusted. "I eould've filled the Metropolitan opera house three times overt" He swung on his heel and began to push his way out of the lobby. "Oome along no use trying to get In this wny." Whltaker followed, to be led down a blind alley between the theater and tho adjoining hotel. An Illuminated sign advertised the stage door, through which, via n brief hallway, they en tered the postscenlum and Max drag ging him by the arm passed through a small door Into the gangway behind the boxes. "Curtain's Just up," Max told him; "Sara doesn't come on till near the middle of the act. Make yourself com fortable; I'll be back before long." He drew aside a curtain and ushered his guest Into the right-hand stage-box, then vanished. The few empty stalls were rapidly tilling up. There was a fluent movement through the aisles. A subdued hum and rustle rose from that portion of the audience which was al ready seated. The business going on upon the stage was receiving little at tentionfrom Whltaker aa little as from anyone. The opening scene In the development of the drama Inter ested the gathering little or not at all; It was hanging In suspense upon the unfolding of some extraordinary devel opment, something unprecedented and extraneous, foreign to the play. Max slipped quietly Into the box and handed his guest a program. "Better get over here," he suggested In a hoarse whisper, Indicating a chair near the rail. "You may never have an other chance to seo the greatest living actress. Wonderful house," he whis pered, sitting down behind Whltaker. "Drummond hasn't shown up yet, though." "That so?" Whltaker returned over bis shoulder. "Yes; It's funny; never knew blm to be bo late. He ulwuys has the aisle sent, fourth row, center. But he'll be along presently." He glanced Idly at his progrum, In differently absorbing the Information thut "Jules Mux haw the honor to pre sent Miss Sara Law In her first and greatest success entitled Joan Thurs day a play In threo acts " The audience stirred expectantly; a movement ran through It like the movement of waters, murmurous, up on a shore. Whltaker's gaze was drawn to the Btngo ns If by an Ira placable force. Max shifted on the chair behind him and said something Indistinguishable, In an unnatural tone. A woman had come upon tho stage, suddenly and tempestuously, banging n door behind her. The audience got (or Ave years? Suppose at the end or tho barest gllmpso of her profile an. pausing momentarily, she eyed the other actors. Then, without speaking, she turned and walked upstage, her back to the footlights. Applause broke out like n thunder clap, iwnltng heavily through tho big nudltorlum, hut the actress showed no consciousness of It. She whs standing before a cheap mirror, removing her hut. nrranglng her hair with tho typlral, unconscious gestures of a wwiry shopgirl; Rhe was acting living the revue, with no time to waste In pandering to her popularity by hows and set smiles; she remained before the glass, prolonging the business, un til the applause subsided. Whltaker received an Impression as of a tremendous force at work ucross the footlights. The woman diffused an effect as of a terrible ami boundless energy under positive control. 8bo was not merely an actress, not even merely a great actress; she was the very soul of the drnma of today. Beyond this he knew In his heart that she was his wife. Sara Law was the woman he had married In that sleepy Connecticut town, six years be fore that night. Ho had not yet seen her face clearly, but he knew. To And himself mistaken 7ould have shaken the foundations of his understanding. Under cover of the applause, ho turned to Max. "Who Is that? What Is her namo?" "The divine Sara," Max answered, his eyes shining. "I menn, what Is her namo off tho stago. In private life?" "The same." Max nodded with con viction; "Surn Law's the only namo she's ever worn In my acquaintance with her." At that moment, the applause hav ing subsided to such an extent that It was posslblo for her to make herself heard, the actress awun round from tho mirror and addressed one of tho other players. Her voice was clear, strong and vibrant, yet sweet; but Whltaker paid no heed to the lines sho spoke. He was staring, fascinated, at her face. Sight of It set the seal of certainty upon conviction: Sho was one with Mary Ladlslas. He had forgotten her so completely In the lapse of years as to have been unable to recall her fea tures and coloring, yet bo bad needed only to see to recognize her beyond any possibility of doubt Those big. Intensely burning eyes, that drawn and pallid face, the quick, nervous move ments of her thin white bands, tho slenderness of her tall, awkward, Im mature flguro In every lino and con tour, In every gesture and Inflection, she reproduced tho Mary Ladlalaa whom ho had married. And yet . . . Max was whisper ing over his shoulder: "Wonderful make-up what?" "Make-up I" Whltaker retorted. "She's not made up she's herself to the last detail." Amusement glimmered In the mana ger's round little eyes: "You don't know her. Walt till you get a pipe at her off the stage." Then he checked the reply that was shaping on Whlt aker's lips, with a warning lift of his hand and brows: "Sshl Catch this, now. She's a wonder In this scene." The superb actress behind the coun terfeit of the hunted nnd hungry shop girl was holding spellbound with her Inevitable witchery tho most sophisti cated audience In tho world; like wheat In a windstorm It swayed to the modu lations of her marvelous voice as It ran through a passagc-at-arms with the termagant. Suddenly ceasing to speak, she turned down to a chair near the footlights, followed by a torrent of shrill vituperation under the lash of which she quivered like a whipped thorougMired. Abruptly, pausing with her hands on tho buck of tho chair, there came a change. The actress had glanced across the footlights; Whltaker could not but follow tho direction of her gazo; tho eyes of both foeusscd for a brief In stant on the empty ulslo-seat In tho fourth row. A fihudo of additional pal lor showed on tho woman's fuco. Sho looked quickly, questlonlngly, toward the box of her manager. Seated as ho was bo near tho stage, Whltaker's fuco stood out In rugged relief, Illumined by tho glow reflected from the footlights. It was Inevitable that sho should see him. Her eyes fastened, dilating, upon bin. Tho sceno faltered perceptibly. Sho stood trans fixed. . . . In tho hush Max cried Impatiently: "What the devil I" Tho words brokp the spell of amnzemeut upon the actress. In a twinkling the pitiful counterfeit of tho shopgirl was rent ANGEL that time you turned up suddenly 8 and torn nwny; It hung only In ahrcda and tatters uiion nu ttullvhtiinllr v wholly strange to Whltaker: a larger. stronger woman seemed to havo start ed out of tho mask. Sho turiiiHl. calling imperatively Into tho wings: "Ring downl" With n rush the curtain descended as pandemonium broke out on both sides of It . CHAPTER VI. The Late Extra.. Impulsively Whltaker gut up to fol low Max. then hesitated and sank back In doubt, his head uwhlrt. He was for tho time being shocked out of all ca pacity for clear renNouIng or right thinking. Uppermost In his conscious ness ho had a hulf-formod notion that It wouldn't help matters If ho were to forco himself In upon the crisis behind tho BCC1IPS. Beyond ull question his wlfo had recognized In him tho man whom sho hnd been given every reuunn to believe dead: n discovery so unnerving ns to render her temporarily unablo to con tinue. This, then, explained Drummond's reluctauco to hnve him bidden to tho supper party; whatever ultimate course of action he pi mined to pursuo, Drumtuoud had becu unwilling, per haps pardonably so. to have his ro mance overthrown nnd altogether shat tered In a single day. He had lied, lied desperately, doubtless meaning to encompass a marriage before Whltaker could And his wife, and so furnish him with ovcry reason thnt could Influence an honornblo man to disappear a sec ond time. On tho other hand, Max to a certain ty was Ignorant of tho relationship bo tween his star and his old tlmo friend, Just as he must have been Ignorant of her Identity with tho ono tlmo Mary Ladlslas. For that matter, Whltaker had to admit that, damning as was the evidence to controvert tho theory, Drummond might bo Just as much In the dark as Max was. It was only fair to suspend Judgment. In the mean time . . . Tho audience was getting beyond control. In the gallery tho gods were beginning to testify to their normal In tolerance with shrill whistles, cat-calls, sporadic bursts of hand-clapping and a steady, sinister rumblo of stamping feet. In tho orchestra and dress circle people were moving about restlessly nnd talking at tho top of their voices In order to tnako themselves heard above the growing din. Abruptly Max himself appeared at ono si do of tho proscenium arch. It was plain to tlioso nearest tho stage that he was seriously disturbed. There was a notlcenblo hesitancy In his man- ODD PLACES TO HIDE CASH Woman Concealed Savings on Her Mother's Grave Safety Deposit In Cannon. The woman who, as Just revealed In tho law courts, hid her savings on her mother's gravo In Forest Hill cemetery probably hit upon a unique encho. But there Is no saving. The person who mistrusts savings bunks generally looks around for the most unlikely spot In which to deposit wealth, and moro than ono may hit on the same Idea. Old cannon, for Instance, seem to form favorable depositories. Quito a quantity of Jewelry was found some while ago In a solitary gun which stands In the fort nt Hhoreham. and about tho same tlmo a bag containing 70 sovereigns was discovered In an old cannon In Peel park, Bradford. From ono of tho old Crimean cannon at Liverpool also somo Inqutsltlvo youngsters onco brought forth a sol dlor'H discharge papers and notes to tho value of 100. London Chronicle. Couldn't Give Up the Movies. Said ono charming young crcnturo while sipping her tea: "Did you hear that Etellitt and Oluf huvo broken their engagement?" "Heuvono, no I" exclaimed tho. other charming creature, ulmost choking over her cake. "I thought they wcro tho original turtledoves." "Well, they wero; but Olaf la short sighted and has to sit In tho very drat row at the moving plcturo theaters, utid Ktelkn cun only boo from tho very back; and sho said sho would bo aw fully unhappy If thoy had to spend half their Uvea apart and that the best thing to do was not to marry. And there you are." nor, n pathetic freiisy In his habitually mild nnd lustrous eyes. Advancing halfway to (ho mlddlo of tho apron, ha paused, begging attention with a pudgy hand. It waa a full inluuto before tho gallery would lot him bo heard. "Ladles and gentlemen," ho an nounced plaintively, "I much regret to Inform you that Miss Law has suf fered a severo nervous shock" his gaxc wandered In purploxed Inquiry to ward tho right-hand stagebox, then was hastily averted "and will not bo able to continue." Wnvo upon wnvo of sound swept through tho auditorium to break, roar ing, against tho obdurnto curtain. Max with dlfllculty contrived to make him self disconnectedly audible. "Ladles and ..." ho shouted, sweat beading his porturhed forehead . . . "regret . . . Impossible to contlnuo . . . money ... box ofllco . . ." An nngry howl drowned him nut Ho retreated nt accelerated discretion. Whltaker, slipping through tho stage He Knew In His Heart That She Was His Wife. door behind tho boxes, ran Into the stage mannger standing beside the flrst entrance, heatedly explaining to any ono who would listen tho utter futility of offering box-offico prices In return for seat checks which In the majority of Instances had cost thotr holders top notch speculator prices. "They'll wreck tho theater," he shouted excitedly, mopping his brow with his coat sleeve, "what t'ell'd sho wana pull a raw ono like this for?" Whltaker caught his arm In a grasp compelling attention. Well, what's your guess? Whltaker's wife receive him gratitude and open arms cause hs saved her honor ago or will she look him calmly and chase him off place? (TO UK CONTINUED.) Matter of Height Wo are Informed by an otherwise veracious friend that he was standing In front of a department atoro, gaz ing raptly Into one of the display windows, when he beard this conver sation: "Tell me, Oraco," said a man whoso wlfo or maybo she wasn't had rondo him stop while she rubbered at the dresses, "when you're getting a dress, which coats more tho wulat or the Hklrt?" "Why, that depends," said the wo man. "On the season, I suppose." "How could It dopend on tho sea son, silly?" "Well, this season tho skirts come high, but tho waists don't ain't I right?" Expert, Indeed. A strango man had been sent to polish tho floors. Ills manner was anything but energetic, nnd tho lady feared that ho would not polish thorn properly. "Aro you qulto suro that you un derstand tho work?" sho Inquired. His Indignation was tremendous. "You know Colonel B.'h folks, next door but ono?" ho said. "Well, 1 refor you to them. On thu polished floor of their dining room tlvo persons broke their IcgB lust winter and n lady slipped clear down tho grand stair case. I polished all their floors I" Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph. Sportive Fish. Tho gamboling of whales Is often witnessed by Bailors, nnd Paloy nays that any observer of (lull must nC' knowlcdgo that "they aro mo happy they know not what to do with them selves. Their attitudes nnd frolics are simply the effect of an excess ot eplrlts." Will rt with W be- ijj long 3 over g : New Servant Girl Story. Tha wlfo of a successful young lit erary man had hired a. buxom Dutch elrl to do the hounowork. Several weeks paused and from seeing her master ooiisinniiy auoui uio uuuno, the girl rccolved nn orroneous ltnprea- slou. ... "Ogscuso me, Mrs. Blank," she eai tn hsr mlatreae ono day. "but I like to Bay somedtngs." "Well, liena?" Tim slrl blushed, fumbled with her anrnn. nnd then roDlted. "Veil. iou ear me four toilers a. voek " "Yes, and I really can't pay yen aay more," "tt' nnt ilnt " ruinondad tka atrl! "but I be vllling to take tree tollara till till your nusoana geie vora. Boatou Transcript To keen clean and healthy take Dr. Plorco'a Moojinnt PolloU. They re gu- la to liver, bowels and nlomacn. A Real Curiosity. The showman waa exhibiting a very email skull, which ho said was the headpiece of the great Oliver Cross woll. "This skull Is much too small to the skull or a man," eald one patroa. Indignantly. "It can only be the akull of a little boy. You're a fraudl" The showman did not lose his nerve at this, but replied with dignity: "You are right It Is not the stall ot a man, but that of Cromwell whea he was a small lad." New York Oloke. WOMEN ON BATTLEFIELD VTe hear much theae 4r of what the womm arc (Joins on the battle-Una. Mow few Amarloan woman are strong enosgh to go to the front and endure In hard- hlpa ot the meal 1U1 Is offered, ana Is rrealy glvea t very nervous, delicate wce&aa, by Or- Plerce'a Favorite Prescription, nemem- bar Ingredient on label. In tablet or liquid form. No alcohol. In "female complaint. Irregularity. ex wukntM, and In every eihauatod eendl Hon of the female eyetem. the "Prescrip tion" seldom fall to benefit or core. Hearing-down palaa, tatemal Inflamma tion and ulceration, weak back, and kin dred allmeata are cured by It ask your neighbor. It a a marvelous ramear w narvoua and general debility. Insomnia, or Inability to sleep. Write Dr. Pierce. Prealdtat of the In valids' Hotel. Iluffalo, N. T for confiden tial advice and you will receive the medi cal attention of a epeclallet, wholly with out fee no charge whatever. Bend 10c for trial nag. "Favorite Pre scription Tableta." Only Ona Can Oresa Well. "Her husband must have a salary." bis "What makes you think eo?" "The way she dresses." "Well, go now and take a look at the way hex husband dresses, and you'll chango your mind." Brooklyn Cltlsea. Cutlcura la So Soothing To Itching, burning skins. It not only soothes but heals. Bathe with Cutl cura Boap and hot water, dry gently and apply Cutlcura Ointment For free samples address, "Cutlcura, Det X, Boston," At druggists and by mall. Boap 26, Ointment IS and SO. Adv. Quite So. "Wo may live to soe the airplane In common, every day uso like the auto mobile." "Sure! But our chances of living to soo that will bo better If we leave the experimenting to othor people." Ex change Inspired Respect "How did Mrs. Clrabcoln succeed In getting Mr. Orabcoln to attond church regularly?" "She porsuadod tho now rector to play Mr. Orabcoln a gamo of golf. The rector boat Mr. Orabcoln so badly the proves their wonderful properties. For old gentleman said any man who could play golf Hae that ought to be able to preach a smashing sermon, bo he went to church." Brooklyn Citlaen. E TEA TO DARKEN HI She mixed Sulphur with it to Restore Color, Glow, Youthfulnesfl. Common garden sage brewed Into a heavy tea with sulphur added, will turn gray, streaked and faded hair beautifully dark and luxuriant Just a few applications will prove a revela tion If your hair la fading, ntreakod or gray. Mixing the Sago Toa and Sul phur roclpo at home, though, Is trou blesome An castor way la to get a BO cent bottlo ot Wycth'a Sage and Sul phur Compound at any drug storo all ready for uso. This lo tho old tlmo roclpo Improved by tho addition ot othor ingredients. Whllo wispy, gray, faded hair Is not sinful, wo all desire to rotaln our youthful appoaranco nnd attractive ness. By darkening your hair with Wyoth'e Sage and Sulphur Compound, no ono can toll, bocauso it docs it sr naturally, bo ovenly. You just dampon a apongo or soft brush with It and draw this through your hair, taking ono small strand at a tlmo; by morn ing all gray hairs havo disappeared, and, aftor another application or two, your hair becomes beautifully dark, glossy, soft and luxuriant This preparation Is a delightful toil et requisite and 1b not lntondod for tho cure, mitigation or prevention of dlseaee. Atr. GRANDMAUSEDSAG