The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-10-05

o.
her husband and showed it plainly.
She was without the discretion Of
knowledge, and her released tenn
permanent OverflOwcd. Acton was
glad, even though he was really
fond of her, to get back to London
and the work he delighted in. She
acted with him again.
Within six weeks she was as cold
as ice.
why don't you love me as you
pretend to do when we're playing2"
said her husband. "Why, what's
wrong with your"
And she answered him as she had
replied to Marlborough: II am what
I am. I can't help it. wish you
would De reasonable"
But it is hard for any man to be
reasonable under the circumstances,
and Acton was as impulsive as his
wife had been when her emotions
were dominant. He stormed and
made the house unpleasant. At
night they hardly spoke except on
the stage. And her coldness en-
dured and deepened day by day. It
only gradually relaxed little when
she had to leave work, for in the
spring child was born.
Then she was for q time like q
child herself nth q new toy. New
sources Of f cling woke up in her.
The child was an unfailing pleasure.
She suckled it herself and attended
to its every need. Nothing troubled
or disgusted her. The worries of
maternity seemed to smooth life for
her, and her husband was delighted.
"Now I understand what was
wrong with her." he said to himself
cheerfully. II was a fool not to
think Of it before. Physiology is q
curious thing"
And till she returned to work he
was quite happy. For ilor own part,
she would have been content to let
the th5ater go, or it seemed 80, but
Acton impressed on her the necessi-
ty of making as much money as
they could while the chances lasted,
and she gave way.
In week he regretted it, and the
nurse, too, for she had entire charge
of the child. The mother hardly
troubled about it. But the gain was
the worlds, or at any rate the world
Of the theater.
"As an emotional actress Miss
Templemore increases in power ev-
cry time we see her," wrote the
czitics. And for once the critics
were right. But she grew in power
at the expense of her own soul, at
the expense Of a neglected child, at
the expense of her husbands g happi-
ness, for now, even in holiday time,
she hardly grew tolerant or tolera-
bic. She was harder day by day.
What's wrong with youa" said
f-cton savagely. "Can you say what
you don't like. or, by heaven, can
you tell me what you do like, if you
like anythinga What's wrong with
me that I can please you NO longer9'
"Oh, leave mo alone,' said his
wife. II don't care what you do if
you do that. I'm tired Of these stu
pid and ridiculous scenes just be-
cause I'm not young girl with 6
lot Of foolish ideas. shall be glad
to get back to work again"
AND, being much the stronger,
she broke down Acton till he took
TO drinking more than sufficient for
him. Then she left him and znade
small objection to his keeping the
child. She went to see it every
month for about year.
IT can't spare the time" she said
one day when the time came for her
to visit her baby, and after that she
only saw the little boy ali irregular
intervals.
But the emotional public loved
her and paid their money to gee 1er
act. She made them feel She set
their nerves tingling. Old and young
adored her. She was overwhelmed
with letters.
She laughed with a cold content
ment.
AS long as she knocks che folks
in front that's all she cares about"
said Acton one night ..yhec &c won't won't
in to see her act. But she held him
still, and if he had doubted her vir-
tue it would have torn his heart.
"She can't feel now," he said, and
then a little light came to him as 8
storm Of applause greeted her.
"She'e sold her soul to simula-
ton"
And behind her fellow actors
hated her passively or actively. She
showed no jealousy either Of the
men or women. She was assured of
her own strength, but she never
praised them, never gave them q
word of commendation or help, nev-
er showed any feeling for a man in
distress or a woman in trouble. The
accident of her own virtue grew in
her to kind of pride. In the old
days she might have tripped or
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