New-York tribune., 1894-04-22
A DAUGHTER OF THESPlS.
(Copvright lS9I: BY The Tribune A'''e'a"'"'
CHAPTER XVIII
BY JOHN D. BARRY.


fror, managers: their thickness and heaViness
o,scested Haunting announcements OF ROAD
,o,rs without examining the blurred postmarK
che tore one open quickly and blue slip OF
naner fell ont and huttered TO the floor. Before
nicline q up she read the note on the heaVy
double sheet that accompanied II:
.Wiu Miss Johnson be kind enough 10 accept
.h,s money as a compensation for her loss the
other dav from the person who is responsible LOT
the loss?"
cbe could hardly believe her eyes, and she reau
over the awkward phrase several times. Then
sba stooped and took up the blue paper IL was
q nostoffice order for one hundred dollars Drawn
In her name She sat down on her chalr ana
nassed her hand over her face. as she often od
when she was troubled in mind VINO could
have sent it? The thief? No, that was ho'
likely. Who then could be the mysterious per
son" referred to in the note? Perhaps-her laVe
grew hot and cold at the thought-perhapS MI
Webb, But he certainly would not take such d
mean advantage of her; besides, he wouid write
a more graceful note than that. But the recon-
lection of the conversation they had had the
morning before made her suspicious rush oaoN
upon her. and she sat breathing hard with shaii'e
and indignation. The very wording OF the ho'e
showed that 1t was not sent by the person VINO
had robbed her. Perhaps perhaps Haroiu 0e! :
mour had done II. She recalled what ne hdu sdiu
the night before of the chance tnat the money
might be returned. With his reckless generosity
he was capable Of sending the ORDER ana ne
would have no scruple in resortng 10 ruse 10
do It. For several moments she sat torn with
doubts and smarting under the sense OF oeins
treated as an object OF charity. 1t was an IN
.,,,, on outrage. she was tempted 10 tear up the
miserable order; but she would keep 1t FOR the
nresent and try TO discover the sender
With these thoughts in her mind she care
lessly opened the other letter lts DuiN "ad w
attained by the insertion Of two neaVy pieces y,
cardboard. Between these she found note anu
another postofice order for one hundreo uoi'ai D.
Whom she saw the order she uttered little CITY
of anazement. She glanced quickly at the note
1t said:
"Tbe person who yielded to temptation on the
Non.osket hoat the other day and robbed Miss
Johnson Of her pocketbook deeply regrets what
no has done and returns the money with sincere
apologies. and with the request that she VIII io' .
rot all about the unpleasantness he has caused
har II he had known who the owner OF the
bag was he would not have been tempted
When she had read this she burst into hysteri-
cal laughter. excited by the ptiful little cofhph-
ment it contained She felt sure she knew VINO
had sent that. Mr. Webbs gallantry had been
too much for his honesty. This was the way ne
took of having the debt he thought he owed her
Rnt she would show him, and his wife too-of
course Mrs Webb was implicated-that she mad
a will OF her own. They probably thought De-
cause she earned her own living. perhaps because
she was an actress. that they could treat her as
kind Of mena; they could not understand mat
the spirt Of independence was quite as strong
In her as in themselves She would send that
money back to Mr.. Webb with singing note
He and his wife were probably surrounded with
people who depended on their bounty VINO were
eager to accept their money, and 1t would 90
them good to find that there was at least one
nerson in the world with pride and self-respect
She sat down at her table forthwith, ana lHeo
TO frame an epistle suitable TO the circumstances
but she could think Of nothing satisfactory 10
say: In her present mood her note would be 100
splenetic: 1t would show how deeply she was
hurt. Finally after sitting for several moments
tapping her table with the handle or her pen'
she decided 10 put off writing until she was in
calm frame of mind.
Madge Guernsey's letter soothed her some
what. Madge had evidently heard nothing about
the robbery, for she did not mention it. She be-
saunderson for the soubrette role in Deception
he had engaged her for that the day after that
performance in Yonkers. She hadn't received
the lines yet. but she had heard they were lovely
And had Evelyn got any encouragement from
Mrs Moriarity? Madge knew there was beau
tiful part in Ewing's play that saunderson hadn't
engaged any one for; she had just cracked Evelyn
ND to the skies before Mrs Moriarity and Saunder-
+ha mar ger seemed
gone on Evelyn's performance that night (she
really was great Madge had never seen her play
so we'll before), though he hadn't said much
about It, He had remarked that the success OF
the new piece depended as much on the character
of Mathilde as on the heavy part. Did Evelyn
know that that horrible Helen Gordon was going
10 play leads? Madge had heard about her
tongue.
Madge's letter hereupon broke off into dis
cussion of her trials with Harry" He had
proposed that night. as she had anticipated but
10 her surprise and annoyance he had refused to
allow himself TO be put off. However. she
couldn't help admiring his pluck. He had even
offered TO 20 back TO the bank II she'd accept
him; he said he knew he couldn't act; ne knew.
too that she knew 1t. But what could she do?
She told him that she couldnt-she couldn't.
promise to marry him; but she did think it would
be better for him to return 10 the bank than TO
go out with the Tangled Web people. lie
hadn't made up his mind yet; 1t was very pro-
voking. He actually threatened to come up and
spend his summer In Providence to be near her.
Think OF the row that would cause. How wild
Jimmy Wise would be. Jimmy was just lovely
as ever4 He was awfully proud OF her. and
he was glad Of her New-York engagement He
said he wouldn't object 10 her staying on the
stage: he'd be glad to marry her In spite of any
conditions that she might make. Wasn't that
nice OF him? Jimmy was nice. Oh. but she
couldn't spend her life with him. he'd talk her
70 death. Madge thereupon proceeded to give