The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-11-06

mas tHdIgtd Tie WnDIe lace Oh IilI0gS.
She laughed softly and meaningly as
she closed her fan. $50 good of you to
come. Jack she added. Let me in
troduce you to Miss Esseltyn. 1 don't
think you two have met This is Mr.
Chilcote, Mary-the great, new Mr.
Chilcote." Again she laughed.
Loder bowed and moved to the front
of the box, noddins to Kaine as he
passed.
ITS only for an hour" he explained
to Lillian. Il have an appointment for
IL"
only an hour, Oh, how unkind,
How should / punish him, Lennie?''
Lillian looked round at Kaine with a
lingering, caressing glance.
He bent toward her in quick re-
Spouse and answered in whisper.
She laughed and replied in an equally
low tone.
Loder, to whom both remarks had
been inaudible, dropped into the vacant
seat beside Mary Esseltyn. He had
the unsettled feeling that things were
not falling out exactly as he had calcu-
lated
what is the play likeT he hazarded
as he looked toward his companion At
all times social trivialities bored him.
Tonight they were intolerable. He had
come to fight, but all at once it seemed
that there was no opponent. Lillian's
attitude disturbed him; her careless
graciousness, her evident ignoring of
him for Kaine, might mean nothing,
but also it might mean much
at is q good play" she responded. 81
like it better than the book. You've
read the book, of course?"
No" Loder tried hard to fix his
thoughts.
Its amusing, but far fetched"
"Indeed?" He picked up the pro-
gramme lying on the edge of the box
His ears were strained to catch the
tone of Lillian's voice as she laughed
and whispered with Kaine.
Yes: men exchanging identities, you
know"
He Looked IN and caught the girls
self possessed glance. 'Oh?" he said.
"Indeed?" Then again he looked away.
1t was intolerable, this feeling of be-
ing Gagged up! A sense of anger crept
through his mind. 1t almost seemed
that Lillian had brought him there to
prove that she had finished with him, had
cast him aside, having used him for the
days excitement as she had used her
poodles, her Persian cats, her crystal
gazing All at once the impotency and
Of his position goaded him.
Turning swiftly in his seat, he glanced
back to where she sat slowly swaying
her fan, her pale, golden hair and her
L. fol- CT
q gainst the background of the box.
whats your idea of the play, Lii
lian?" he said abruptly. To his own
ears there was a note Of challenge in
bis voice.
She looked around languidly. "Oh
it's quite amusing" she said. ut
makes a delicious farce-absolutely
French"
"French?"
"Quite. Don't you think SO, Lennie?'
"Oh. quite" Kaine agreed.
"They mean that it's SO very light
and yet SO very subtle. Mr.. Chilcote."
Mary Esseltyn explained.
"Indeed?' he said. "Then my i'm
agination was at fault. I thought the
piece was serious"
kocEIOuS. 1-lli1Sa Slli1Cd dSdAhs
why, where's your sense of humor?
The motive of the play debars all seri-
BUSINESS"
Loder looked down at the pro-
gramme still between his hands.
What is the motive:" he asked.
Lillian waved her fan once or twice,
then closed it softly. Love is the
she said.
Now, the balancing--the adjusting of
and inspiration-is, of all
processes in life. the most delicately
fine. The simple sound of the word
love" coming at that precise juncture
changed the whole current OF Loder's
.hought. 1t fell like a seed, and like
/ seed in ultraproductive soil, it bore
,ruit with amazing rapidity.
The word itself was small and the
manner in which it was spoken trivial, |
,ut Loders mind was attracted and |
held by it. The last time it had met |
lis ears his environment had been |
lastly different, and this echo of it in |
IN uncongenial atmosphere stung him |
% resentment. The vision of Eve, |
he thought of Eve, became suddenly |
dominant.
Love- he repeated coldly. $50 |
owe is the motives'
Yes" This time it was kaine who /
in his methodical, contented |
-oice. THE motive of the play is |
owe, as Lillian says. And when was
owe ever serious in a three act COM
dy-on or off the stage?" He leaned |
Onward in his seat, screwed in his |
and lazily scanned the stalls. |
The orchestra was playing a Hun
'arian dance, its erratic harmonies
nd wild alterations of expression
alling abruptly across the pinks and
'lues, the gliding and lights of the
retty, conventional theater. Some
hing in the suggestion of unfitness
TO Loder- 1t was the force
f the real as opposed to the ideal.
With new expression on his face,
e turned again to Kaine.
And how does it work. he said.
This treatment that you find So
rrench?"
His voice as well as his expression
ad changed. He still spoke quietly.