Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-03-13
N Kate Elmore. Leading Lady "
X Chapter from the Life Of Famous Actress -
CONTINUED FROM LAST MovTH

sorts were in the habit of having their mail
sent.
The next morning Miss Elmore was
much better. Rose watched her till she
slept and had then gone to lie down on the
sofa in the sitting room.
She was so much better that towards the
middle of the day, when the doctor came
he allowed her to get up.
Then she and Rose talked the situation
over. and little by little the young actress
told her story.
She had been playing with company in
America when she first met Wilson, who
was then taking to the stage. He was not
good actor. but he was gentleman and
made himself agreeable, and people liked
him. They saw good deal Of each other
and they fell In love. He asked her to be
his wife and she consented and they were
married. Soon afterwards she heard that
her mother was seriously i'll In England.
and she wanted to return and see her. At
first her husband objected. but at last up
on thinking 1t over, he consented, but she
noticed that he seemed very nervous as
soon as they landed upon English soil.
She returned to find her mother dead. All
thei funds had been exhausted by the
journey and she proposed that they should
get engagements in England. At last she
succeeded in obtaining one with travel
ing company for herself and her husband.
One night, in little town near London. a
message was brought to her husband that
a gentleman named Marlborough wanted to
see him. He was terribly agitated. and
I thought after all these years / was for
gotten"
That night he told her his story. He
confessed that some years before he had
been in an office in London and had been
accused of embezzlement. He assured her
that he was innocent, but could not prove
Ii. and that II he were taken he would be
sent to prison for years. She was terrified.
to London. Jack after that rarely went
out. He seemed In constant terror of being
recognized. They sere very poor, and she
had had to pawn. to pay their rent Then
they saw the advertisement for an actor
and an actress to go to the Cape with a
company. Her husband said that would be
the best thing for them, and he had sent
her to try and get the engagement Rose
knew the rest.
ESQ., thought Rose to herself. "he has
deceived this poor girl, and she really be-
lieves that she is his wife! What am to
say to her? What will she do when she
A great pity welled up In the heart of
Rose Smedley for this poor girl who had
been so loyal to the man she loved. She
ceased to regard her as rival and looked
upon her only as fellow victim.
But now more than ever she felt bitter
against her husband. and determined to let
him see that his baseness was known to
heE Then he might go to the Cape IL he
liked. She would not raise finger to stop
him. But no mercy she might show him
would enable him to atone for the wrong
The doctor had still forbidden Kate to
leave the house under any circumstances.
Leaving her at home, Rose went out. She
was determined in some way to see John
to make sure that the house was not
watched and saw the detective at the top
of the street. He had resumed his watch.
But as she came out his back turned
for a moment A few doors below was
corner CT the street-round this Mrs. Smed-
ley darted. Then she stopped well out of
sight and waited. II the detective had seen
her he would come after her at once.
She waited few minutes and he did not
come. Then she was sure that he had not
seen her leave the house. but was still
watching 1t.
She was safe now She went up the side
street TO the top and took a short cut and
made her way into Holborn: there she took
cab and drove to the address given by
1t was a poor, mean. little house, with
dirty blinds and general appearance of
being let of in lodgings to people who
were not too particular.
She knocked at the door and the land
lady. an untidy person with an untidy baby
in her arms and small untidy child cling
ing to her skirts skirt opened S,, the DOOR t
sage for her husband. Is he at homer"
mo. he amt, ma'am. He's gone away"
Gone away" exclaimed Rose, in as
Eyes. he paid me my rent and went away
last night. He left a letter for Mrs. VIII
SON, which was to be given her when she
came in"
"she is staying with me. I'll take the
letter to her"
Certainly, ma'am. and welcome"
The landlady went upstairs and fetched
the letter and gave II to Rose She looked
at It. and a chill feeling erept over her
heart.
The last. doubt was removed. IT was her
husbands writing. She had always be-
lieyed that Wilson was her husband, but
the certainty was a shock to her, none the
less
She took the letter home. She was bound
TO give It to Kate. 1t might contain some
thing that 1t was necessary she should
know at once.
Kate opened II. read 1t, and then let ii
fall with cry OF anguish. The next
moment she buried her face In her hands
and burst into tears. Read it, she
sobbed.