Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-15

quest in every city was of faro bank. there
10 play with variations of good and bad
luck. but in the aggregate to be beaten. OF
course by the professional gamblers. Spurred
desperately on by the hope of recouDing his
losses and particularly by vain anxiety to re-
cover enough money to take up the note with
the forged Endorsement, he became reckless in.
stead of cautious and not infreQuently steadied
his nerves and sustained his courage with
alcoholic stimulants. His wife saw some OF
these vagaries of conduct and regretted them;
she even expostulated with him on several occa.
sions but was too much elated with the upward
tendency of her own chosen career TO grleve
much over his downward course:
That arch conspirator, Wilton Ortley,
watched the progress of affairs keeDly. He
encouraged the wifes professional ambition,
exaggerated her artistic success whenever he
talked with her on the Subject, and in every
way sought to wed her more closely to her
stage career. On the other hand, he abetted
the husband in his gambling, permitted him to
appropriate and lose every dollar that could
be spared from the treasury, and missed
no chance toiucrease his consumption OF lnto4l-
cants At length he decided that the time mad
come to estrange the husband and Wl1e, pre-
paratory to an utter separation OF them. The
long railroad rides made private conversations
feasible, if patiently waited for, altnough the
company were most of the time together In
their one car. Il was not long after Ortley
deemed it time to make a revelation to Helen
Delware that he found himself alone at one end
of the car by her side. He first led up to dis
cusslon of the finances, his office OF manager
making this an ordinary thing to do.
You say that we have something OF sur
plus" Miss Delware remarked; yet you are
asking me for draft on my banker to meet
deficit. How is thar, Mr.. Ortley?" -,
at is my duty to make a frank explanation"
he replied. at is true that we have taken in
more money than we have paid out during our
tour and there should be a surplus in my hands
of few hundred dollars"
n,31d GOV
sidering that this is my second season only"
But there is deficit, because your husband
is constantly drawing money"
"Yes, 1 know. 1t is for our personal ex-
penses."
For some of his personal expenses, which
are hardly legitimate, permit me to say. dom t
like TO turn informer, but duty compels me.
John Warduf has become an inveterate gam
bier and an irreclaimable debauchee. He
posters me for money-he even demands it
and have accepted until will no longer take
the responsibility of enabling him to squander
your earnings"
spendthrift, but didn't imagine that he was a
hopeless gamester or a drunkard. Perhaps L
have neglected him. Surely wife should be
intimate enough with her husband to discover
his bad habits Make out a detailed statement
of our finances so that l may know how We
stand. and, as to Johns misdoings-leave me to
reform them"
Ortley was disappointed by this forgiving
spirit. lie had noted ner careleSSnesS 10 ner
husband, and had imagined that it sprang from
outright dislike. He had expected that she
would be angry and resentful, and he could not
bear to abandon the line OF argument which he
had marked out for this occasion.
You deserve more appreciative partner.
Miss Delware." he insinuatingly said. IF /
were your husband, should find my pleasures
altogether in your triumphs-l should be too
happy in your presence to wish to stay away
from it-my admiration of you as an actress
would increase immeasurably my love OF you
as woman"
have already said that this man had been
an actor, and there was skillful defamation in
his utteranee, notwithstanding that huskiness
of voice which had incapaciated him tor acting.
He intended to convey the idea to the woman
that he was in love with her without actually
saying so, and he accomplished his purpose:
but again he was astonished by the manner In
which his overture was received. He had
thought that this was frivolous creature who
would at least permit him to tempt her.
Your criticism of my husband is imperti-
nent," she said. IF you please. we will not
discuss his dement's or my merits"
1T is in order to consider your merits. Is it
not?' he proceeded, turning adroitly from
business. "As your manager, have right to
say to you that you are an admirable actress,
and that you ought not to be defrauded out of
the money you earn. If have disclosed to
you the affection you have inspired, it was
indiscreet. but will take nothing back. l de-
mand your friendship on the score of my de-
votion to your best lnterestsr'
GU are very hlllus anu Sllt S6emeu nearly
as much amused as she was annoyed. DO you
know that you have singular way of showing
your friendship"
Possibly" he answered with tranquil audac-
ity; ''but it is sensible way. after all. We are
sufficiently well acquainted, you and /, fer me
not to feign an attachment that / do not feel.
l don't pride myself on my disinterestedness
and view life as it really is. l am John War
duff's comTaGe, but not his friend in the senti-
mental sense of the word Friendship is based
only upon unity of interests. Now. 1t mat
tiers very little to me whether this gentleman
turns out badly or not; but it does matter
the penalty OF his folly"
Then you and must have common inter-
ests, as you espouse my cause SO warmly" and
she gave him a searching glance.
'Unquestionably," he responded, with a SIM
ulation of fervor. II confess it. l have
dreamed of your finding out your husband to
be worthless of your being rid of him, of your
taking me into his place"
Here again the old actors appreciation of a
dramatic climax led him into a mistaken pol-
icy. In play such situation as he had placed
himself in might win over the woman but in
real life he found that no such result was
achieved.
Don't dare to say another word like those"
she commanded. You have insulted me,
Don't do it again"
Very we'll" he retorted angrily. "Be con-
tent with rascal for husband if you will"
You shall not malign him"
20, don't misrepresent him. He is not only
a rascal, but a criminal. He is a forger 1
carry in my pocket the proof of his guilt
The proof? Let me see it"
He took out the note, read its face to her.
and then, turning il over, pointed to her name
on the back. dip you write that?'
Once again he was disappointed. The woman
did not promptly disavow the genuineness of
the endorsements She hesitated moment,
and then quietly said: 'Of course know it. II
is my signature. l wrote 1t.
Ortley stared at her in blank amazement
Then his face flushed with bad temper, and he
said: "Y lou are unreasonably, ridiculously soft
and yielding. l tell you that Warduff is un-
worthy of your regard"
Then 1 will win him back. L have been
neglectful of John. confess it."
He Will hardly be so ready to confess his
dereliction. l have only told you that he is a
gambler and a drunkard-that he is a forger.
A wife may overlook those things, though she
Is a fool to do it. but she will not excuse him
for falling in love with another woman. Yes;
that is what he has done. Have you been so
blind as not to see his fOndness for Jessie Cor
don? 1t has been clear to everybody else"
"Is it so? Then / must win him back have
found myself too complaisant toward this hand
some Frenchman. But know to a certainty
that am innocent of any serious transfer OF
my love. There is no real alienation. have
INDUCED in no more than a passing whim of
fancy. So l haven't any right to believe that
John is untrue to me. 1t is a fault of stage
folks, you know. to be unconventional, but we
are not SO scandalous as outsiders believe: 1
am obliged to you for your warning, Mr.. Ortley
! shall now take pains to let my husband know
that love him."
She turned from him and gazed out at the
window, thus pointedly dismIssng him; and he
said not word, but expressed his rage by
means of portentous scowl behind her back
before retreating to the further end of the car
Ortley joined Warduf there, and being
keyed up to do something malicious, he said to
him in a tone of confidential sincerity: WAR.
duff. my dear fellow, have got to tell YOU
something and don't want to. Andras Nor
maine is paying court to your wife Now. he
doesn't know that she is Mrs. Warduff, and
therefore, isn't 10 blame for falling in love
with her, perhaps. But L have made up nv
mind that you should know of it."
Don't you think can safely leave nv wife
to behave herself?" Warduff asked somewhat