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

position, believe me. All L intended to
say was that 1 could get at first nothing
pleasant to do for living. For little
while I was an agent for French wine
frm-a boomer, my American companions
called it-but doubt if was the means of
selling as many bottles of champagne as /
consumed in the process of booming it, and
l was in imminent danger of pronounced
dissipation before gave up the job. One
day your Mr.. Ortley came to the modest
hotel where 1 was boarding, and inquired
of the proprietor for some French actor who
spoke English not too brokenly. The estab-
lishment was a place where French stage
folks made their home temporarily, but it
chanced that the requisite guest was not
there. L heard the inquiry, and at once
offered my services. Mr.. Ortley was in
cliaed to turn his back on me when 1 con-
fessed that had never done any acting, but
DELAYED his refusal by urging that, surely,
my French English was just about the
thing he wanted. He surveyed NE inspect
ingly, and seemed satisfied that I would
look as we'll as speak like the particular
rascal which he meant to put on the stage
ga very gentlemanly y rascal, you know
a perfect gentleman in manners, with an
unmistakable stamp of good breeding
''Thank you, madam. You are consider
can't help-that IS, my French accent and
my deportment-that the audiences will
mistake it for skillful mimicry."
Andras Normaine's free avowal of him
self seemed to open the lips of Helen Del
ware to somewhat similar frankness. She
had taken liking to the Frenchman, and
was disposed to establish unceremonious re-
lations. This was not usual with her, and
the others OF the party observed it with
curiosity One of them eyed the pair COW
ertly, but with look of seriousness unlike
the careless interest betrayed by the rest.
This was John Warduff a 1orid and not
sentimental looking man, but when q hus-
band sees his wife engaged in familiarity affa-
BILE dialogue with gentleman who is
hardly more than a stranger, no amount of
phlegmatic disposition will prevent him
from becoming concerned. Mr.. Warduff
was the husband of Helen Delware.
1 have written of her as "Miss"
Delware. 1t is theatrical Gus
tom, as you probably know, to claim
maidenhood for actresses before the public,
all conditions of matrimony to the contrary
notwithstanding. But in the case Of Miss
Delware the suppression of her wedlock
went beyond the printed play bills, and ex-
tended to the members of the company, not
one of whom knew that she was Mrs. War
duff That was whim of her histrionic
ambition. Her residence since childhood
had been in California, where her husband
had engaged in mining ventures, making
and losing money spasmodically, and
finally getting to climax in financial col
lapse. But his wife was more fortunate.
She had speculated in gold and silver
mines, too, and came out of the risks and
chances with considerable fortune in her
own right. 1t was from this wealth that
she was drawing money to support her stage
career, in which her husband figured as os-
tensible proprietor and capitalist of the un-
dertaking. The cnly person in the travel
ing party who knew that Helen Delware
and John Warduff were man and wife was
Wilton Ortley, the business manager, and
he had been enjoined to secrecy.
These two men sat side by side, half
cars length from Helen and Andras. Ort-
ley was one of those furtive individuals who
hardly conceal their interest in something
else than the conversation they are engaged
in, provided there is another object of con-
cern in sight. At this time. although for
awhile he talked with Warduff about the
ordinary business affairs of the company,
he eyed the other pair so constantly that
Warduff noticed it,