Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-10-13
AFTER THE PLAY.
By ANNIE a. CARTER.

rhe play was over and the playgo-
ers with retrospective Eyes and faces
attuned to the climax they had wit
messed. surged forth from the several
exits. Phantom vehicles emerging from
the gloom glided noiselessly away with
the occupants of boxes and stalls and Inc
street settled into silence.
rs that you, Jack?" an anxious
voice demanded, p%antingly, as a ira
grant odor diffused itself into the
murky atmosphere and a glowing point
of light advanced slowly toward the
speaker. :,
1T is not-Jack, Sue" the owner OF
the cigar said, quietly. Have you los'
your party?"
You, Edward? How very lucky. |
ran hack for nv fan and didn't inc 1t
llsI at once. Jack must have thought
| was in the other carriage and natur-
ely they concluded he was waiting for
me"
Naturally"
"Wha are we to do in this appalling
d~arkness?" she asked. shivering.
could we get somewhere for tea?"
Il will try to unearth a conveyance
if you will remain here until come.
Don't move away or | may miss YOU.
AS he strobe off into the fog she
drew her garments more closely about
her. Despite the chill atmosphere, the
general discomfort, she fell into a
reverie as she leaned idly against the
theater door waiting. and when the
waiting was over it was to the upper
most thought of those that had pos
sessed her that she presently gave ut
terance.
How quaint for you and me to be
driving about together in a hansom!"
"Very'-dryly. 1--WE conform most
~scrupulously to the dictates of the
fashionable world. We neither go out
together nor stay in together; we see
are a model couple"
ut might be-better-if we were
NOT"
There was something unwonted in
her tone.
lie looked at her c%uriously.
Ibid you enjoy the piece?"
'The piece? Oh, yes, as well as most
pieces" Her voice was weary. 81 did
noe see you there?"
NO, | stood most of the time-al-
most under your box. Do you think in
the long run the heroine came to love
the fussy photographer with whom she
conscled herself?"
mo. He was a refuge, that was all.
She spoke of him as a good little
man."
"Well-I don't quite see"
"Sle wouldn't even have thought of
his stature if she had loved him"
Wouldn't she?" inquired the man,
whose six feet two of length but i'll ac-
~commodated in the half of a hanson
cab, and a faint smile fitted across his
face.
mo. and she certainly would not
have troubled to correct herself If she
had CHANGED to refer to him in such
terms"
Il don't follow YOU argument. Sue"
"She would be so sure of herself, OF
his dignity, and her own recognition
of ii under all circumstances hat she
would not be always on guard against
forgetting Railways jealous lest some
outsider should ignore it."
And" her companion pursued with
SOW deliberation. do you-since you
are such a student of human nature
suppose she conided entirely in her
good little man. told him how rear
she had come to wrecking her life?"
"Possibly-probably. If so it is Ger.
tain he wept over her woes and quite
tailed to see she had been wrong. be.
cause. of course, in his eyes it was I'M
thinkahle she could be. Had he not
Leen little
"Well--had he not-?"
1T would have depended on The
measure Of his greatness whether she
tolG him or not"
"Sue'-he turned on her with an
abrupt change Of subject-"why did
you marry me?"
"Why--?"
Let me have the reason, once fol
al, be the consequences what they
hay. The question ONE between me-
and my work, between me Inc every
thing, and | can lind no answer to it.
fou don't spend your money like other
women OF Jour Glasgow care moth
Ing, apparently, for the Injuries is
places within our reach"
You think it was for your wealth!
You think that!"
But what then? What else, since ii
is certain you do not and never did
love me?"
And if it were true! Did you not
neeo my title-my connections-to-
tc 2"
"Burnish my plebeian gold and cloak
my obscure origin?" he concluded as
she broke off sobbingly. "Is that what
you would say? Has the result iusti.
fed the accusation, Sue? Have I made
use of these things, altered my life in
any way?"
ssT,ho,, co;l -