Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-08

~ - could not see the deep blush upon
her cheeks nor would he have
derstood IL had he done so. In
deed she was truthful so far as
the letter of the truth went. A
,,,st, 70 Richmond had been the excuse
which carried her from Melbourne Han
rrbree dreary days she had spent in prim
hcuse overlooking the Thames. The nome
OF the sklttish Aunt Anne. whose Sixty
wears did not forbid her still to look out
like Sister Mary. for an heroic Him upon
her horizon From Richmond. Evelyn mad
gone TO the Carlton Theater; and now, for
an instant, even here in her own home, the
Eta Romney could return TO delight IN her
adventure.
appearance from London? Safely guarded
I'm her 1ewel-case upstairs were cuttings
from the newspapers OF the days succeed
ing that mad flight. Be sure that the great
Charles lizard made the most of his misfor-
tune He had believed that Eta Romney
left him at the bidding of caprice and at
the voice OF caprice would return 20 MN
again His shrewd mind instantly per
ceived that the truth would best serve him
on this occasion; and though he was not
on very good terms with truth the quar-
rel was soon patched up. To all the re-
pCrters he told the full story of this cap
tlvating romance.
THE girl came to me from nowhere" he
said frankly and where she has gone
God knows. I gave her hearing because
she wrote me the Cleverest letter / nave
read for many long day. Her home was
in Derbyshire. and this was a Derbyshire
play. l saw her act one scene in my
theater and said that she was bully. She
had the best send-Or | can remember. Then
comes the night when 1 strung up on
my own hook. She expresses her trunks
and quits. About that ] know as much as
you do. Her traps We're left at st. Pan
cras station. and a letter says that she
has given up the theater. Well, l don t
believe 1t. A girl who can act like that
will never give up the theater. In one
month or six she'll be starring in my plays.
She cannot help herself; she's got to do
it."
Nothing whets the publlc's appetite so
surely curiosity; and all London had
grown curious about Eta Romney. Dis
corning men, who had but half-praised
her when she first appeared, fastened to
declare that her loss was irreparable. Less
responsible journals gave coherent accounts
of the whole business written in the back
office by gentlemen who knew nothing
whatever about 1t. The affair, at first but
a nine days wonder. became a standing
headline when the editor Of a popular
newspaper boldly offered a hundred guineas
for the discovery Of Eta Remney's where
abouts.
Eta read all about this in the brief days
that interviewed between her own return
and her fathers. While the woman in her
rejoiced at the success they spoke Of the
child failed to perceive the danger of tbs
undue publicity or to guard in any way
against il. It is true that she had been
very much alarmed upon the night she
fed from London; but as the weeks went
by and neither word nor message reached
her from Count Odin. or. indeed. from any
Of the friends she had made at the theater.
a new sense of security came to her and
compiled her 70 delight in what appeared
to be the final success of her escaDade.
Surely now her father would remain in
ignorance of it to the end, she argued
She believed that Il would be so though
whether the Eta Romney within her were
really dead she did not dare to say
The spirit OF her mad desire: the pas
sionate longing for liberty and triumph be-
fore the world; the knowledge of the rare
gifts she possessed and OF the future they
might win for her. were these to be for
ever shut behind the gates of her silent
house however beautiful that house might
be- She knew not The future alone could
tell her whittier the voice of her destiny
would call her