The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-03-14
THE ADVERTISERS
DAILY SHORT STORY

him. rich voice enthralling him-Maud!
Then days of infatuation, nights of
sweet reveiry. promises. pledges and the
quiet ceremony; Then the awakening;
tender embraces; his demand that she
leave the stage. as she had promised
her angry refusal; the morning he had
walked to find her gone. with the note
pinend to his dressing table: the two weeks
OF angry silence; the news OF the awful
holocaust in the city where her troupe
was playing; the doleful Journey. the
grim certainty OF her dreadful fate: the
dismal search, then thing dug from
the charred ruins-Maud!
And she had been alive all this time
and had never written? Had taken up
her life and been silent. Now, like an
avenglng Nemesis she was appearing
from the hated past to wreck all that
he held dear.
Yet in a way he had loved her. He
could almost hear her singing The Old
Kentucky Home" in her rich voice and
the sweep of her banjo with the pink
ribbons A faint perfume chung to- her
letter. 1t brought back a torrent OF old
recollections. She was his wife after all,
and they had passed many happy hours
together. What in Gods name should
he do?
Who was the woman he had buried
had wept over? He remembered how he
had turned from that grave with vow
for better hfe-a PRAYER for manly
After that came Chicago and his Won
derfui winnings on the Board of Trade
a few feverish weeks-then he drew out,
rich man. Milwaukee. and more finan-
cial success. then evervbody's hand. soci-
ETY.. Isabel Canning. Isabel!
The man rose YEARLY from the chair
and paced UP and down the richly fur
nished rooms. He took revolver from
its case on the mantel. looked at 1t long:
put it back. No. not that. He emptied
a very little of a white powder from a
small bottle into glass. added little
water and, placed it near his bed. Yet.
he must have sleep. Tomorrow would
be Friday
In the gray of the early morning Hal.
loway arose. His head was heavy and
ached DULY from the morphine. but he
had slept. The day had come-how would
1t end? He was rich-perhaps he could
buy Maud off-money would do much.
He would tell her all-arrange for di-
vorce in Louisiana. She would have her
price. If she would not agree the heavily
loaded weapon in his pocket now might
All day long the man sat in his office
waiting. She would probably send
message from her hotel She might come
to him direct No one ever knew what
she would do. Oh. If he only knew her
train.
At 6 o'clock that evening he was still
waiting. His bookkeeper came into his
private office. IN. Mr. Hailoway?" ne
NO. Joe. not i'll exactly" answered the
broker, but not feeling quite right"
Sorry" said the clerk politely. Here
an evening paper-terrible railroad wreck.
1t says Southern express went through
the trestie at Cordinia. Seventeen killed.
The Maxey troupe was on the train.
Some of the girls dead. That's awful.
isn't It? Here's a list
Let me take it," cried Holloway.
reaching out a trembling hand. Where
where's the list?'' The bookkeeper
pointed it out.
Jack glanced at it and fell back in his
chair. Call cab. quick!' he cried.
I've a friend among those poor people.
I'm going down there
The astonished clerk ran downstairs.
Maud Hudson-ki1led!' murmured
Holloway with dry lips. That's her
stage name. Poor-little-Maud. IL she's
really gone FIN" he stopped, repealed
at himself. Its better So" he thought,
at might have been both Of us before We
got through
Isabel looked anxlously for her be-
trothed for the next three days. 1t was
cruel for Jack to go away and leave no
word. When he returned he was very
pale. very tender with her.
IT lost an old friend in that fearful
wreck at Cordinia. my darlingn' he said
huskily please do not ask me about it
Il shall never be able to speak N II"
And Isabel has never asked, and in her
happy married life has forgotten.