Evening journal., 1909-08-18
A Checkered Career.
[oririnal.l

had lost 1t and with 1t every cent he
possessed He died from the effects of
his misfortune. His wife was a deli.
cate woman, and none Of his children
except Lorine was grown. Unfortu.
nately there were no relatives on
whom the stricken family could call
for assistance, and they were thrown
into abject poverty.
Lorine when the blow came was
about to make her entrance into soci-
ETY., and she was capable OF making
an excellent match. But, the blow fall
ing when it did, her opportunities were
cut or on the eve of fulfillment Lang.
don Morehouse, a schoolmate year
older than herself, was a youthful
lover Of hers, but at the time of her
misfortune he was in college, working
his way through almost entirely by his
own exertions. None of the poor girls
associates could have kept up their ac-
quaintance with her except by visiting
her at a broken down cottage on the
outskirts of the city.
Lorine possessed a voice, and this
decided her to try for an engagement
in one of the many light operas in
which the bulk of theater going people
delight. But che had only begun to
cultivate her gift when the family mis-.
fortune came, and she was obliged to
accept a position in the chorus. She
saw nothing Of her theatrical associ-
ates except at rehearsal and during
performances, the rest Of her time be
ing taken up at home with the care Of
her mother and her brothers and sis
ters.
Butler Goodwin, the man who by
means of dexterous and unscrupulous
legal devices had ruined the head OF
the Whiting family, saw her on the
stage and was greatly struck with her.
He sent word to her asking for permits
sion to visit her and was refused. He
went to her home-if It could be called
a homeland offered assistance. This
was declined. He had just enough
conscience and amour propre to feel
the rebuff and resolved that he would
bring everything to his satisfaction by
winning her for his wife. He was a
contemporary with her father, thirty
years older than Lorine, who hated him
But she was placed In a position OF
great temptation. Her mother needed
medical attendance and medicines; her
brothers and sisters were in rags and
hungry. BY becoming the wife Of the
man who had produced all this misery
she would be mistress of a fortune and
could alleviate their distress. she con
sented to sacrifice herself.
On the day of her marriage ten min.
utes after the performance of the cere-
mony a note was handed her begging
her to sing the same evening an irnpor-
| tant part of singer who had been
suddenly taken I'll. Notwithstanding
the positive refusal of the consent OF
her husband she determined to accepf
the part and left him for the theater
The result was a decided hit. Wher
the curtain fell on the last act th'
manager saw her in the greenroon
and offered her good pay to take a sim
liar part in an opera be was about Il
put on the stage.
A tumult of thought coursed through
the girls mind. Presently she said:
II viii accept on one condition"
ut is granted. Name it."
my salary must commence from thi
moment"
1T shall commence from a week ag,
today"
Then and there she signed the con
! tract and left the theater with checl
for an amount ample to relieve tn
, present wants of herself and her fam
lily. But instead of going to her hus
band she went home to her mother
He never saw her again.
Lorlne from that time rose rapidly
Her income was sufficient to enabl
her to secure instruction. besides pre-
vlding for her mother and brother
and sisters. On her second contrac
her salary was doubled.
Ten years passed. Lorine was carr
, ing a fine income in regular opers
Her stage name was Nine. Monald
One evening Langdon Morehouse wen
: to the opera He had completely los
! sight Of his school love, and when SD
1 went upon the stage she concealed tn
$ fact so far as possible from her forme
associates. Her youthful FRESHNESS
was gone. but she was now a hand
some woman. Morehouse did not re,
ognixe her. But she saw him In tn
/ audiencs and noticed him. The resul
q was that E7 asked for an Introduction
a Lorine concealed her identity. He b'
came attentive to her. but told her q
= his youthful love which had been br,
e ken when he was at an age not to b
able to help the object Of it or eve
keep track of her. Year after year b
! had hoped TO be in a position to wa
j rant his seeking her He had been dii
I appointed in his endeavors and was b.
, ginning to think that his fancy ha
S better be remembered as a dream tina
e renewed as a reality.
e One evening when Morehouse wa
e with Lorine after an opera she hanl
q ed him a letter to read.
1t announced that Butler Goodwi
had died and left her all his property
He handed the letter back with
: sigh. She was richer than before an
: removed farther from him.
I II will accept this fortune only 0
one condition" she said-''that It got
Immediately to you"
Morehouse looked at her in astonisl
nent
"I am Lorine Whiting" she said
o explanation.
Goodwin's property was used