The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-03-09

4
! Except she burn of her white fire,
The worlds disaster, the worlds desire.
Nora Hopper in Butterfly.
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i A LITTLE COMEDY !
4 That ENDED Well )
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1t was gala night at the little up town
theater, and all Harvard had turned out
in honor of the annual benefit Of Nella
Ward, the reigning idol of the town, the
daintiest laughing blond that ever grac-
ed the boards. The boxes rained flowers,
and enthusiasm was at its height. Dur
ing a temporary lull in the performance
Robert Winthrop found his way behind
the scenes and secured a fleeting tete-a-
tete with the heroine Of the hour. The
girl was flushed and radiant, her rare
loneliness heightened by the unwonted
excitement Of the occasion, yet there was
a moody fash in his eye as he regarded
her.
"Nell, was the promise you made me
one day a myth or an honest pledge for
the future? On such a night as this
doubt and wonder was dreaming"
Robert Winthrop"-and for an in
slant the laughing blue eyes lightened
| with anger-"do you begrudge me my lit
4 tie hour of triumph? / have earned 1t,
believe me, and what is more feeting than
fame such as this? Or is 1t q simple at
tack of jealousy"
"Nell, l am in earnest. Matters are
| coming to climax at home, and 1t is on
i ly q question of time when l break loose
from family authority. Though forfeit
| q fortune, ! will be my own master, and
for your dear sake what sacrifice would
| not make? But first of oil must know
| your mind"
"You may know it and welcome" and
she turned on him in a spirited fashion.
"Once for all do not come to open rup-
ture with your people on my account. I
will enter no home unwelcomed."
And your promise?" bitterly. "Ah,
| Nell, might have known the end Of it
| all-dreams and decisions"
Il did not promise to marry you under
| the rose, and on no account will / en-
broi you with your family"
"Yet you have led me on from day to
| day with fair smiles and fairer promises"
| Rob, Rob''-and she laid her little
hand on his arm an instant-"are you
seeking a quarrel with me tonight, when
l am so happy? Wait, wait, and time
will untangle the coil. Summer is COM
ing. Go on yachting trip with some
| friends and forget it ALL"
"Forget" impetuously. "Nell, you
have never known love il you could sug-
gest such thing"
"No" and a strange smile fitted across
her fowerlike face; then at a burst of
music from the orchestra she pushed him
from her and ran on to the stage with
laughing goodnight" and moment lat
er he heard the storm Of applause that
greeted her entrance.
But his box remained vacant the rest
Of the evening.
1t was the loveliest hour Of the "a, the
meeting of sunset and moonrise. The
lapsing tide still glowed and palpitated
with rose and violet tints, while the
young moon, like a drawn scimiter,
cleaned bright above the shimmering
sea. Mrs. Winthrop sat on the balcony
of her summer villa and watched the
chain of lights kindling along the dark
ened coast and then turned with sigh to
her girlish companion.
"Dear madam, what troubles your
"Lucie, l was thinking of Robert, my
son. When will he come back to me
again? Two months he has been sailing
about in his yacht. with never a word or
sign. We parted in anger, but will not
permit the boy to wreck his life while
opu cbou, ~ tt horitv ic loft f0 mo
"Strange child, how l have given my
confidence since first you came to me this
summer but my heart was full, and you
are sympathetic beyond any one 1 have
ever known. Lucic, will he ever outlive
this mad infatuation? | know well that
opposition is a perilous element in love
affair, but l could not countenance mis-
take Of that sort. An actress"-in &C
cents of horror. Conceive Of it, my
dear. Never has a Winthrop SO far de-
scended in the social SCALE"
"Have you ever seen the grip falter-
ingly.
Never. I do not frequent theaters.
Robert has strange bohemian tastes, and
they have led him into dangerous ways.
No doubt she is a siren, as they all are"
"Dear madam, you should not condemn
the poor girl unbeard. She probably
plays for a livelihood. We cannot all be
born to the purple of idleness."
"Lucie, you mistake. 1t Is not that.
Were she merely poor as you, my child,
l should not feel the same, but an &C.
tress"-
IAN actress may have heart"
"Lucie," with emphasis, II trust not.
There lies my hope, and / confess it.
Marriage with Winthrop must prove a
temptation to a girl of that class, but
when once she realizes that it means pow.
erty and social ostracism she will throw
him over without u pang. Better few
months of heartbreak for the poor boy
than the mistake Of a lifetime"
Silence rcigncd for few moments;
then hurrying footsteps came up the
stairs on to the balcony. Mrs. Winthrop
sprang up, crying, My son!" Lucie slip
ped from the hammock with q startled
air, and for space all was confusion.
Roberts moody restlessness Of the past
year seemed to have slipped from him,
and his mothers heart beat high with
hope when he announced his intention of
staying at the villa the remainder of the
season.
At the earliest opportunity Lucic had
passed into the house, leaving mother
and son alone. But later on, when Mrs.
Winthrop had retired for the night, she
stepped out for a moment in search Of q
missing shawl, caught the glow Of cigar
In the dusk, hesitated and then yielded
to the situation.
Nell, what comedy Is this you are
playing here in my house? What does II
all mean"
FLUSH, Robert" beseechingly. "You
will betray ALL"
81 will indeed. Where have you been
hiding away all summer? / sought for
you vainly at the close of the season."
"Robert, l have been here in your
home for the last two months-your
mothers companion"
"a companion-youw scornfully. "What
would the world say? 1t shall not last
another day."
Rob, Rob-" and she put out an implor
ing hand, promise me that you will keep
silence for time. 1 had u motive in
coming. Don't ruin all and place me in
the light of an impostor."
"Nell, l will make no promises, but
shall remain on the spot the rest of the
summer and act as seems to me right and
fitting to the OCCASION"
True to his word, he fingers on through
out the season. Mrs. Winthrop accepts
the situation with inward joy and out.
ward calm. With rare diplomacy she
leaves the young couple to themselves
from day to day and trusts to time and
| propinquity and the moving charm OF
summer to DO the rest. Never before has
cbo hcon sr,,ilty of mo trin,nnial Snhapninu