The times., 1899-07-30

obtrusively showed his extreme fondness
for Mrs. Marlowe, pretty, little Soman
with powers of self possession as directly
in contrast to the impulsiveness of her
worser half as her slight frame was TO his
towering one.
The solitary exception named above was
Stephen Robson, the chap whose disap-
pearance set all New York talking at the
time Of its occurrence. Those who were
in the habit of visiting the Odeon decade
back will not have to be reminded that this
fellow was perhaps the best portrayer OF
heavy roles who ever trod the boards OF
that stage. Villains came natural TO MN,
and his range in the fine art OF depicting
them began with lago to end only with Sir
William Harcourt or other melodramatic
scoundrels. 1t may have been mercy sue
cessive exhibitions OF different traits In
Robson's nature that made his repertoire
affecting and effective. but affecting and
effective ii certainly was His creations
were hissed heartily every evening, and
yet, so fine in face and manner was the in
terpreter. that the matinee girls often
waited for him after the Saturday per
formances and admired him to the exciu-
sicn CT both Marlowe and the leading man,
one Harry Truman, by the way.
4 decided streak of peryersity ran
through Robson, however, and prevented
ms ever AOlhS sAli1 ALillE atNthA vi A4eA'A 49,
so. Despite the alteration of the multitude
and the apparent worship of the company's
female contingent, he devoted EimEe as
siduously to my friend s wife, sending her
costly flowers and so many messages that
/ was distrustful even of her until noIcei
the glance with which one of these letters
was received and understood that she was
bearing the infiiction in dread of what
might happen should she complain 10 Mar
lowe. That the comedian had been blind o
long was entirely the result OF his com
plete faith in the woman he had married,
but he was not an unseeing lover, and |
knew that when he discovered what had
been going on either Robson's coward.y
soul would hasten :he departure OF mis- lit
I lie body or the injured husband would Go
him great violence. To be utterly frank,
/ let me add that my disgust at the heavy
mans actions and the fact that he had
shown himself faithless in some financial
dealing with me reduced my fear for him
to almost nothing, but l was really in
trepidation for Marlowe whenever 1
thought of the skulking, contrivins, ven
geance- seeking nature of the petty cur
whom each of us had SO much reason TO
dislike
| Ny own quarrel with Stephen Robson
/ could not be averted, and came some time
| prior TO the heated one between himself
and Marlowe-the one that preceded the
dastard's amazing disappearance. had
| loaned him a considerable sum of money
early in the season, having been moved TO
| pity ct the unfolding of long tale oil
woe, and had tried unsuccessfully at va
rious later periods TO collect II. Finally,
| in desperate need OF the debt, L stopped
! Robson in front Of the theatre one night
and insisted that he pay me at once. To
my intense surprise, he not only declined
| but denied ever having received from me
| the amount l had handed him freely and
without bond because he seemed sadly to
require it. The disavowal, with an imme-
diate remembrance Of what 1t meant, stung
me to sudden fury. l said something about
getting even,' and then, upon his making
q sneering reply, I struck the rascal full
in the face with my fist. He was too much
a poltroon to return the blow, but crowd
gathered, and my temper sowed the seeds
/ for future trouble.
When, on cne Sunday evening at the
+ Marlowes, a boy brought a white envelope
and l saw my friends heipmeet turn DEATH
: ly pale upon looking over the contents.
| felt that the coming difficulty between the
young giant Of the Odeon and its petty
p,gmy could not be withheld long. l had
recognized Robson's seal on the paper, and
guessed that he had taken advantage OF
some foolish word on the part of Mrs. Mar
! lowe to make an insulting proposal. This
| surmise became an assurance when my
! hostess began, after a few moments, tC
show signs CT hysteria, and begged me tc
go in search OF her husband She waved
| aside my fears for her health, neryously
and / set out. The comedian was readily
/ located. We met at the shop home of IA
miliar bookseller, and Marlowe took my
I information with such a compression of the
] lips that ] determined he could not have
been without his suspicious from the first
! After / had been left alcne this express
sion haunted me, and l became more and
more timcrous for my-brother? A combat
between himself and Robson, be 1t never SO
brief, could end in but one fashion. and
have for its epilogue either the assailant'
arrest or a direr and more underhand ven
geance from the fellow attacked This sur
ely l considered until l had convinced my
self that the wisest thing to do was to gel
Robson out of the way until Marlowe haC
become even 4 trifle cool. Accordingly, my
lone search was begun.
In due time Robson was found in COM
pany with Harry Truman at the York
! He was dining, but l entered the cafe with
out ceremony, told him that he had beer
found out, and warned him to leave-it
possible to catch the midnight ferryboai
for his home in Brooklyn. The heavy mar
received my grudging news with such {
buster that l was twice Obliged to insis
/ upon his lowering his voice out of respect
for those about him, but he was thoroughly
frightened and lost not five minutes il
slipping away.
Hardly had he gone when Marlowe ar
rived, angrier than anyone had ever seeI
him, and with a fire in his eye that nigh
have meant murder. He asked me If hat
met Robson, and l denied having com,
across him. In his madness and haste tn,
infuriated husband was about TO continu,
his quest when an idiotic waiter yoUchsafeC
the information that the quarry had started
for its hole, and the comedian rushed int
the street. | followed him but was bade
with scant courtesy. to go back to tn,
fiat and there attend Mrs. Marlowe, who
had been taken quite ill. This did, anC
spent weary two hours in the cozy apart.
ments-a two hours only interrupted by
the arrival of another white envelope
which intercepted and held for the absen
proprietor OF the place.
AT half-past one Marlowe himself cam
in. He was fearfully wrought up. and CAV,
way completely when he attempted to tel
me the story Of what had occurred A.
/ had thought the first letter from Robson
had been an insulting one. When the re
cipient had read 1t to her liege lord, an,
had added sundry other details concernini
an attempt that the ruffian had made t,
kiss her one night between the acts Of tn
play, and relating to a photograph he ha'
stolen. that turbulent individual had start
ed out to find the heavy man, and, afte
seeing me. had reached the pier in season
for the midnight ferry. According TO tn
narrative. he had been somewhat cooled b.
the chase. and when he found Robson Ian
ing against the chain at the front of tn
boat. had talked 10 him quietly but firmly
Marlowe claimed that he had not raise
his voice during the affair-that he hai
merely told his vis-a-vis, with whom b