Evening journal., 1907-03-11
Copyright 1906. BY Thomas II. Mckee.

" XCEPTING for Mellish and the two women
waiting ahead of him at the ticket window,
the lobby of the theatre was deserted 1t
lacked only twenty minutes to three, when he
glanced once impauenty at his watch.
Behind the drawn curtains Of the auditorium ripples
of laughter scattering voleys OF applause tod that
4he usual Saturday matinee audience getting its
usual enjoyment ont of the latest popular play, still
running TO full houses when other theatres had al
ready begun TO close for the summer The man IN the
box-oice at the telephone. the irritating de6er-
alton of his being plainly audible from with
out He had nothing left for tonight nearer than the
nineteenth row. No, nor Tor next tuesday either.
"Wednesday. the house practically sold out two
large theatre parties Thursday lie might do better
5or Thursday Hold the wire, please.
Il seemed to Melsh hardly worth his while to wait
He knew from experience that il unwise 10 offer
Mora tickets for the nineteenth row. she would rather
never see the play at all The women ahead OF him
evidently shared his disbursement lhe younger one
was bewaing the necessity OF exchanging her tickets
for some evening next week. m place OF tongnI ouen
good tickets tool IL was so like Harry to forget ana
make an appointment with a business friend MY dear,
during business hours Harry simply doesn't remember
Nellish sighed invountariiy and careworn lines
Vcaled themselves on his thin face lie wished that he
shared the ability of this unknown Harry me aoiny
Of the average unimaenatve tranquil husband TO shut
domestic behind him when he stepped ont over
his threshold in the morning. lie wished that Just
for one busy harassed day he might forget that there
such q person as Nora IN existence re knew tnai
It would be better for his peace of mind better for
his business interests II Noras lace did not hover SO
often between him and the letters he wrote the sales
he made the contracts that demanded undivided
thoueht-Nora with her small, red, mutinous mouth,
her aureoc of hair like spun copper her chldhke ap-
peal her wide gray eyes, avdious of admiration lie
Wondered vaguely whether other men, outwardly hap
PLY married. had their JOY cankcred by gnawiug sus-
picions intangible doubts. nsdious as microbes that
found lodgmen in the brain, and thrived and bred
q fever of unrest
The wife OF the abseni-minded Harry having at last
won attention from the box office and accepted under
protest exchange for he third row in the balcony
made way for Mcish With The spasmodic brusque-
ness Of natural timdity he demanded The tickets She
had just surrendered and somewhat to his surprise,
obtained them They splendid seats, nine rows
from the STAGE the middle asle the sort Of seats
that Nora always expected him 70 get IL was oharac-
tristic OF Nora always TO expect the best Of every
thing and usually TO end by getting It, Equally char
actcristic her pretty mperiousncss which for a
time had almost blinded him TO her inborn sclhshness
From the theatre Mellish turned down Madison
Avenue TO Twenty-sixth Street and thence westward
along the northern boundary of Madison Square, not
because il was shorter way TO his home, but IN obe-
dience to a sudden unreasonng impulse TO pass the
restaurant where his wife had told him she would be
lunchng AT this late hour it was quite possible that
he had missed her. yet Nora was one who loved to
linger over a lunch table forgetfu Of the flight OF
time There still a chance that he might catch
. glimpse Of her through the windows on the Fifth
Avenue side or even have the luck 10 meet her just
coming out, in all the pride of her new raiment HS
knew already how extremely well It became her. II
had come home from the dressmakers only the night
before and rad put her in a gracious mood for the
whole evening. She had even donned it for his pr'