The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-10
THE NEW HEROINE.
A Drama of the Future, Made True to
Life.


Life.
Edwin--And do you really love me?
Angelina-With all my heart and
soul, and yet
Edwin Yet what? Angelina, why
do you look so strangely at me? There
is something on your mind. something
you have not the courage to tell me.
Angelina-Edwin, [ can hide nothing
from you. Even though it should wreck
both our lives you have the right to
know the truth.
Edwin-My own darling. what is in
your heart?
Angelina-Can you bear to hear it?
Dom { look at me, or shall not have the
courage to say what must be said. Ed
win, 1 have never lived disreputable
life.
Edwin (burying his face in his hands,
Great heaven, and 1 believed in you
80 utterly. (Then rising, with desper-
ate effort to control his emotion) Good
by.
Angelina calling on her knees and
elinging to hiTn)-Ah, no, you shall not
go. Think of it, Edwin=of the tempta-
tions to virtue that surrounded me, of
the examples of simple girlhood that
poisoned my youth. If 1 have lived
life of spotless innocence remember, at
| least. that l knew no better. What else
could l do?-brought up from earliest
infancy by mother of un blemished rep
utation?
Edwin with a gesture of horror)-
Your mother too? Angelina, our mar
riage is impossible.
Angelina-How hard you men arei
/ Is your sex alone to have the monopoly
of innocence? Must there always be
one law for women and another for dra
matte authors? Oh, it is cruel, crueli
But you will not leave me. Remember,
I am still young. 1t is never too late
to err. And is it because am a woman
I that I am to be denied the chance of
retrieving the innocence of a misspent
youth by the indiscretions of a ripper
womanhood? Besides, are there not
cases, cases known to us both, where a
wife has lived down the terrible reproach
of a blameless girlhood? Why, even
Mr.. Jones' latest heroine, and there is
nothing later than that, could not abso-
lutely prove she had gone wrong, and yet
her husband took her backl But you
are so proud, so relentless. You have
no pity in your heart.
! Edwin-Believe me, it is not pride.
For myself, would gladly brave the
censure of the world, and if in after
years men should say i'll scorn, ''He mar
ried her, though there was nothing
against her, | should still be happy
knowing had your love- But my ia
Their, that dear old man in his quiet
country vicarage. Think of it! 1t is too
| horrible!
Angelina with bowed head)-You
are right had forgotten your father.
Edwin-How could l ever look into
that sweet wrinkled face and meet those
reverend eyes knowing that was ask
ing him to receive as a daughter one
who had never strayed from the paths
of virtue?
Angelina see it all now. Goodby.
Edwin-Goodby.
Angelina las he is going)-Edwin,
come back.
Edwin-Ah, don't torture me. I can
bear no more.
Angelina-But what if l were to
tell you that this confession, so humik
iating to us both, was but ruse to test
the strength of your devotion?
Edwin-Ah, don't raise false hope
within me, only to plunge me again in
the abyss of despair!
Angelina-But this is no false hope.
Edwin (eagerly)-Whatd do you mean
Angelina (burying her head on hi:
shoulder)-I mean that have been nj
better than I should be-
Edwin embracing her)-My own true
love. Nothing can part us now.
Curtain Punch.
Very Sure.
Hers was delicious dream of ever
| LASTING SIMMER time