PAGE EIGHT MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEPFORI). OREGON. SUNDAY. NOVEMBER 11. 1934 VstusCxl uditht Lane Marian Gordon bv ,EAXXK IMWMAX . .yyC8S: Lon Catfld it work lny lor UcSwain, the oontractor. and Uarian Cataii leart UcSwain Iilott han't downfall. More, tht motes ileSwaln it a orook. but can not pertuade Lon tot it right. 8he and Lon have quarreled and Lon hat aont off tor a night "with tht bovt." A oarage man near the Caeait hotitt eallt to eau that Lon it there and drunk: when Lon ie brought home and Doctor Steele hat revived hin it developt that Lon het b'en paitoned. however. Chapter 36 . McSWAIN CALLS "T ON poisoned?" echoed Martin. - "I ihould have uld drugged.' aid Steele. "I've in ldei what wai used. I'm darned lorry 1 didn't lea him earlier In tbe evening to 1 could jrov It to my own aatlafactlon. It wn probably given him In liquor and acted on him like a strong drink. Where was be and why?" Marian repeated Murphy's story "He told me not to wait dinner on him as he was having little . he called It a get-together wltb the boys. I Imagined he meant some of the men wltb whom he was work' lng." "Don't you know?" questioned Anne In surprise. "No," answered Marian, and be cause they wore the two closest friends she and Lon possessed she spoke frankly. "We haven't been on very good terms this last week. I have objected to bis working for McSwaln because 1 know McSwaln to be completely unscrupulous. Mc Swaln, knowing how 1 felt, talked Lon Into believing 1 felt that way because he and my father were po litical enemies. And so, Lon won't listen to me. And . . . and I'm afraid for blm. McSwaln has reasons to hate me." "Hmm," mused tbe doctor, then "Can you put us up for the night?" "I'll be so relieved If you'll stay.' confessed Marian, and hastened to make her spare room ready for them. Tbe clock struck two as she slipped into bed shivering wltb fatigue. For a long time she lay there listening to the even, restful breathing of Lon, afraid to stir for fear of Interrupting IL What lay behind this Illness? Lon protested weakly at tbe breakfast allowed him by Doctor Bteele. He seemed completely baty about what bad occurred tbe night before. "We had a little conference at the office." be ssld to the others as they sat around the Are, "and then I drove Wilson and Meredith out to tbe Moroco brothers cafe. We had dinner. I wasn't hungry, thought I'd have Ian fix me a snack, so 1 Just took a drink . . . one drink wltb them to show 1 wasn't high batting them." "When did you cash your check, Lon?" "Hlght after that, tbe boys needed some money. Say Ian, look In my pockets and see If the money's there." Marian returned In a few mo ments and banded a roll of green backs to Lon. then stood by as be counted them, "Hra," be said, "that's queer, two hundred dollars, must have been in a poker game." "Lon," said Marian, "you men tioned McSwaln's Intention to give you 1 raise; couldn't that iccount tor the money?" "But he wouldn't give me a hun dred at one shot" "Do you mean to say you get a hundred a week as foreman there? Ye gods, why did 1 ever waste my talents on medicine?" came from Doctor Steele. "Isn't that unusual?" asked Anne. "It Is these days," admitted Ma rian. "Lon. you cashed your check, don't you remember how much Murphy gave you?" SHB looked at him stretched on the divan, cheeks chill white, daik circlet under bis eyea He cloi'd bis eyes though striving to close out the faces around blm and bring back the scene of the night before. "No," he admitted at length, "the whole thing's bszy. 1 only remem ber . . . let's see. Wilson told me I'd better endorse It and then be used my fountain pen to endorse bis . . . no 1 don't remember. Well, no more drinks for me, from now on where 1 go, little lan goes to see I come home on ill twos Instead of ill fours." Marian and Anne left the two men together. They went "dell cstesslng." Anne celled It. and wiien they returned. Marian could tell by the stubborn expression on Lon's face that Doctor Steels bsd been talking to blm with the familiarity of a boyhood friend. Because she felt she couldn't tend the loneliness of Lonlan Lodge, Marian accompanied Lon Into town the following morning. leaving Wakl and bis wife In charge of the house and of Hero. She loitered about tbe shops, bought a smart small bat wltb which to charm Lon at luncbtlme. and succeeded so well she ilmost forgot the fear wblcb still bung over her. She called oi John King, found him out for the day, enjoyed a plcturlzed musical comedy and re turned to tbe car. Then together they returned home. Wakl and May met them wltb smiling assurance that no one had called In person or on the telephone, excepting "one man be call. He lay, I like speak Mlasa Cased. I say he gone illi same work. He say good-', bye." ' After the Wakla had departed and' dinner was over they sat before the fireplace In tbe restored intimacy of. their honeymoon days, laughing i over nothing, listening to favorite' radio programs, discussing their future. "And now to bed," she quoted as the clock chimed nine. "Hero, want to go for a walk first?" She looked down. Hero was stand ing, ears straight up. Marian lis tened. There was a car coming Into tbelr place; It bad stopped at th gate which they now kept pad locked at her Insistence. And then a few moment! later there came footsteps and, to tbe accompani ment of barking and growling on tbe dog's part, a rap at the door. LON dropped the door abutter ' "Why, Mr. McSwaln," he said In pleased surprise, "come In , . back In town, this Is a surprise." McSwaln stepped in and Marian, Instinctively, reached down for a hold on Hero's collar. Take the dog out of the room," barked McSwaln, "be doesn't like me and I don't like police dogs." Marian stood still and looked at blm, felt ber temper rising like a flood, remembered what that ten- per bad done In tbe past and obeyed. closing Hero In tbe kitchen. She returned to And McSwujn fac ing Loo, bis eyes narrowed as Silver .. narrowed hers, bis Hps In a th'i, cruel line. "Now young man,' be snopped. "what's the meaning of this?" He held out a. slip of paper, re taining bis hold on It, allowing Lon only one edge. Lon's brow furrowed. "Why . .. . why 1 don't know Mr. McSwaln, what do you mean?" "Mean," came In a voice that brought a snarling protest from the dog in the next room, "1 mean this check yon cashed Saturday night; Isn't this your signature on It?" He turned the check over. Lon looked at the signature and nodded. "Yes, that's mine." he answered. "but what's wrong with It?" Not a thing wrong with the sig nature but . . . don't stall, don't pre tend you don't know what's wrong wltb this check . . . look here. I have the treasurer sign pay check made out for one hundred dollars to one Lionel Cased. This morning that check, showing visible evidence of bavlng been tampered wltb. comes Into the bank for two hun dred dollars." Marian caught her breath In an audible gaap. Two hundred dollars. Lon had come In with two hundred dollars. Lon couldn't remember bow much money Murphy bad given blm. "Well, speak up. what's your ex cuse?" Lon didn't inswer, every vestige of color bad left his face. "How about you, young woman, have you driven your husband to ralslug checks?" "No, Mr. McSwaln," she answered calmly, "nor do I believe my bus band raised the check." "Is that so? As usua' you know mora than anyone else In the world." "No," she answered coolly, "mere ly more than the District Attorney." He turned on her now, "So that's It . . . you did It; He brought the check home. You weren't satisfied with the good salary t was paying blm and you kited the check?" "Just minute, Mr. McSwaln, that Is my wife you are speaking to. You don't need to Implicate her. She had nothing to do with It- I was the only one to handle the check. I was drunk" "Lon," Marian cried, "you wore not" and there she stoppud. It she could prove he was drugged there was a chance to save him Back In her mind a sudden suspi cion was rearing Its bead. She mustn't let McSwaln know any thing. "So you admit It." he said, "yon admit you did this while you were drinking." CetrtH. h isnmvl The noitlbHltlet of Lon's trouble dawn on the Cacadi, tomorrow. The Andrews Opera Company 20 Years of Opera From a Fail Fence Circuit Intfrrktlng II tut 017 of Mtdford'i riniwr Muitral KamllT In One Mht Standi In tht Mlddtenrit Many ari Ago aa Told (it Fd Andrew to Char If 1 hkrll. cy overlooked. Under theae condi tion we ultimately decided that It was a losing game and we began look ing for a place to make a home and a living outside of the ahow business. What might be termed the last rally of the Andrewa company under the old banner occurred at Duluth. Minn., where In the winter of 1902 a new theater waa opened with a week of repertoire of standard operas. Within a year thereafter the princi pals had settled In the Rogue River 'valley of southern Oreqon, which I later became the home of more than i fifty of those who at various times 1 had been associated with us In opera productions. In twenty active years of trouplng we had nine or ten prima donna, some of them achieving national rep utations. Prior to 1886 Nan Wilkin son waa the moat popular, he was succeeded by Letla Prltach, a talented German girl, who was followed by Laura Bellini In 1689. Bellini wu a great artiste. Marie Roe came to us In 1891. playing at times until 1897. Nellie Andrewa. a daughter of Will Andrews, developed to stellar soprano roles and, being always with us, she could be depended on In emergencies. She married Charles Hazel ri erg. who for years was our outstanding musical director. Both are now In musical work In Chicago. Julia G If ford Joined us In 1890 as & beginner and became s prima donna, later becoming noted In eastern comic opera. She married Bob FltzMmmons the Australian prize fighter. Rena Atkinson, a Chicago girl generously gifted with beauty and voire, came with us In 1892, achieved stellar so prano roles and waa In the company five or alx years. Myra Morello. a fine artiste, was our leading woman two years, singing with one or our most notable tenors, Montegrlffo. O race Holllngsworth ' became our prima donna In 1898 and was our last noteworthy soprano. It waa In the liter nineties that Klaw A: Erlanger undertook to "stan dardize" the ahow booking buftlnesa throughout the country with a ayi tem whereby they came Into virtual control of entertainment In hundreds of theaters tn the middle est. Man agers of some very eminent touring artist. Including Sarah Bernhardt, Mrs Fiak and David Warfleld. mere driven to tent and roller skating rinks It was the beginning of the end for such as the Andreas Opera company. It had been our plan to hire a th a,tr, maka an advanca ticket tub Of the men heretofore mentioned, Billy West was an excellent baritone and comedian. Prank Walters, tenor, had come to our chorus an untaught singer. In ten years of work with the Andrews company he developed a voice of amazing power and later was successful in grand opera. Undoubtedly the most notable of the men ho started their careers with the Andrews Opera company was James Stevcna, who may be aald to have become In later years Reginald DeKoven's favorite baritone. Stevens I waa a Minnesota boy who early had (Joined the Andrewa company and J within a few years waa given Impor tant baritone roles. When In IBOS. (the Andrews company having laid off for a season, he went to New York City sa a young and ambitious singer, I he came Into contact with Henry W. Savage, who placed him under a five year contract. ' He was put Into a btg production of "Everywoman," a drama set to music j a strange piece in which leading characters were "Truth," "Conscience" ("Passion." etc. The play had a long run on Broadway, Stevens singing "Pflslon." Engagements came then with the Shuberts, with the Aborn Opera company and with Klaw fiz Erlanger, and Stevens sang opera in eastern cities five or six years. He j has a repertoire of ten grand operas and some 70 light operas, j About five years before DeKoven's death he conceived the Idea of a grand revival of his opera "Rob Roy," with its marvelous first act. Tnla opera has a baritone lead and New York was combed for the right man. Stevens waa selected. With Bessie Abbott, from the Metropolitan, and others of a carefully selected cast, the production went on In New York to a successful run and was followed by a tour of the DeKoven company fn "Robin Hood" In which Stevens sang his favorite role of "Llttlejohn." After a year in a revival of "Ruddl- gore" at the Park theater, New York, : Stevens was called to St. Lou La, which had conceived the Idea of civic opera !on a large scale, and by subscription 1 had fitted Forest Park with an out jdoor theater seating 10,000 people. jWith the best principals they could j obtain, a chorus of 100 and the St. -Louis Symphony orchestra, the mayor land his backers started what became the most notable continuous year-to - year summer opera In America. The city government sponaored It financi ally and It was self-supporting from , the beginning. This show has played to business as much as 70.000 a Iweek, with an overhead expense of about 35.0O0. Stevens sang leading baritone roles with this company four years. Then his health failed and he waa forced to retire and seek climate. The city I voted him an appreciation of $1000. His calamity changed the current of his life. He went to the Pacific coast seeking a health-restoring place j and found it In the Rogue River ve.l j ley of southern Oregon, where he ts ! now a voice teacher. In the last 20 years In this valley of the Rogue, enough members of the bid Andrews Opera company have reBlded within calling distance to put on a produc tion of opera almost without need of rehearsal. Observation has shown me that young men and women Ignore one of their greatest natural . assets: one that, developed early and used with discretion can be made almost of first importance as a business and cultural weapon In the winning of success. I refer, of course, to the human voice. The re can be gre at bea u ty and power In a voice and lta value can be I perhaps greater In dally commercial land social contacts than on the stage. 1 Edwin Booth's voice moved anyone who heard It, at any time or place, j Even hsd I been blind, hearing him j read Hamlet, his voice would have Sheld me Bpellbound. FOOTBALL MATCH By GLUYAS WILLIAMS SEfllK W1b 60CP SJW AS FOOT BALL 6AME BIKS. ilS 001 A 06AR AND ffELS FOR A MAtfH UHEA5V 106K SiSAlA OlffR FACE AS HE FAILS TO FIND A MAlfcH HE CAfl B6RR0W Ctif . MVS MGSH Itf WOMEN AROUND HIM A5K6 MAtf FMR SEATS AWAY OH HIS RlfcHf, WHO HASN'T 6fff K. ASKS MAM ALOhlC THE ROW ON HIS LEFT 1fS MAN, CHEERED BYfoO MUCH STltfULANT.TAKR HIM RR OLD C0LLE6E SUDDS' AND WANT6 10 5lK4 S0Nfc& WrfH HIM SIMM UP TO A5K MAN SOME RbwS BEHINP, BLOCKING VlEWoF EtflTlNfc TLAV AND CAUSING SHOOTS OF Sl POWN ! " Srfe VOVlti AND CAREFllW 6iK THR006H POtKCft A6WN 6LO0MII.Y WATCHK REST OF 6AM,CriwlN2 ON COLD Cl&AR: ll-lo WS WITH IDEA OF 6ETT1N6 001" iO FiND A MATCH BUT REALIZES SPECTATORS ARE RACKED IN TcD CLOSE (Copyright 3934. by The Btll Syndicate, Inc.) S MATTER POP- By C. M. Payne Iff vi ' xCIMl tmlii ill T, L ' lo-n j ? -J d j "r TAILSPiN TOmiViK "iviy fal Homes First!" - - Forrest I Solly! --what 00 ydu TTJ ang skeets is i, WWX'7$k .sob Rv, miss , but 1 f rve. sotW y(, , -J'M2$T DO FOR A GIRL WHO T IN THERE.-- I'VE. ') JjM ( YOU'LL. WAVE. TQ T W IMPORTANT ftSOYfc K?'' Vpriy MINTS?--1 DON'T--- ) ' GOT TO HELP 5 FS, COCE. OUT OF" ):&?SJ ,A BUSINESS TO Wi KNOW WHAT TO C2) HtM! . XT iWtf YOUR siOOON z-2xZJf 3-C W ATTEND TO- yLzr ??LviS HA yft BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Ben Will Help Bv EDWIN ALGER Jf AND BEM . IF VOO'UL GO :?riJ"Vi INDEED, I CXD.' I WO THE jg'.-Sr I WA4 IN THE HMPItAL .X j JT , J W WTH ME, MAVBE WOO vffM&aS rao Vrti)' 'SOLE OWNER OF CHIRPS jHiJT THINKING TWICE A" MUCH I W AH, BEN. VOUVE HELPEP ToLL RIGHT, 'M" ( CflN HELP ME REGAIN fc-?- wyOU S&l OCXS, PONV, WILD ANIMAL S ABOUT HAVING ONLY ONE LEG I II OTHER FOLKS WON'T ) A1R. CHIRP, CONTROL OF MY OLD CIRCUS- A? IP If nWMA W "NO REPTILE SHOW -BUT AS I EVER DID ABOUT TWO WHEN 1 j YOU LEND A HAND TO BRIAR AND -NAM. THEM WED HAVE TIMES Zwrn 8$h? ,01,- WHEN MISFORTUNE LRID EMk. I HAD THEM, THEN's WHEN THEY jfeeSSi! L GWEN AND MEf I WILL &0 tcwp-- THE NEBB3 Harmony By Sol Hem C o aLL -n-ie peoole ive eves: II f ip Tuao- mw op griep is amdtuax-s a. svoxt-he-pc SEEM UCITOME COULD STRETCH ) 6ROUSWT A&OOT BY TVJE PACT WF5-' e TROUBLE IS THAT MIS FACE ISJTO THAT MUCH TMAT SU&6E5TED A VACATION I 5He HA5MT A. TMISJS TO DO '.DISCOIOTENT.NOUVE SEEM y MVSELC PULL IT BACK TO ITS ) TO OUT I'yCAMVlKJS THW AliOUlslDr; I 1 NJO?t-iAL ePWECSSiOlvJ MOTHER. IS UJHA.T ATOUSH UCE f TUJ DSZf 171 SOMS WTO DRV DOCK PO TME7 55'S GOT r---! ' iirrrffflii ' 1LBM? I II 1 ill ic tf -r I sJU : M"fc n,,J BRINGING UP FATHER By George McManui wrlptlrm tufflclrnt to (tuwtnt txpeiur, ind plit the m with' rotpplpt dmrreird of outld foros. K. A E. noon chtripM thnt. Cntrin(t ill baking tvithoritv in j New Vorfc thf nfw K. A- B oontrivt j put mmiy ptn rompinic on t.h i rorkii. In tw ym th Carlton company, th Brv.tonini and others. ! paiel out of th plctir. Th An 'drfwt Opr crtmpanv hmnk Ttom membrnhip cl forty to ltttl troiipf of fourteen- mr a time found my out bv ; pUylng Cftnwlt and uch frontier I toin 4vs Xht Nw York booking TVE COUNT ? t HAVEMT ?EEN HIM ALL DA'Y THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOVk I'LL LOOK FER t fmhi w THAT GUV ACTS MORE LIKE A BURGLAR THN Ht DOES A COUI HE LIKE ! JNJT- j 7 IfH K nt F...wn .-Jir lw Cm St I MIGHT HAVE KNOWM IT- GIT OUT OP THAT ICE-BOK- J I k. 5 S I '"'e Mill SJ BUT THAT HAM I'VE. GOT TO EAT SOME TIME- I'LL STARVE TO DEATH IP VOU TAKE ME TO AMY MORE TEAS-