The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1910-10-01

Mr.. Martin and / are mere &C
Understanding more,'' she said,
with an air of hnality. Then she con-
tinued, 81 shall go right on as l have
begun. l am not an actress and I
know it. but as long as the public
wants me it can have me.
Mr.. Goldsmith is very pleasant
for a foreigner hazarded Mrs. Cal
houn, because she did not agree with
her daughter in her low estimate OF
her histrionic ability and knew that
Angie was not in the mood to be COM
batted successfully.
Hes perfectly horrid!'' declared
the girl, with an emphasis that made
her mother shiver. They all are!"
Then why don't we go back to Ala
bama by the first train?" walled the
perplexed woman heIplessly.
AS If in immediate answer to her
question, Mr.. Godfrey Martin was an
nounced.
Are you going to see him?" Mrs
Calhoun asked in a whisper.
Certainly not. Say that we are at
breakfast"
Nobody ever breakfasts at this
hour in Talladega. He'll think it
mighty strange"
L don't see why we should be re-
sponsible for that He might have
avoided the difficulty by remaining in
Talladega."
You may be sure that it's some
thing unusual that's brought him to
New York." said Mrs. Calhoun, with a
puzzled look on her fair face.
oh, if you have the slightest curl
os1ty to know what brings him. bet
ter have him come up. That break
fast jacket of yours is altogether too
becoming not to have some one see it.
III disappear into my room. Tell him
I'm-well, dressing for rehearsal"
The girl rose and with few def
touches piled the breakfast things on
tray, her mother half protesting,
half acquiescing. Almost coincidental
with her exit, tray in hand, from one
door was the entrance of Mr.. Godfrey
Martin at another.
He was a favorite with Mrs. Cal
houn, and his reception was most cor
dial. The little woman made no at
tempt to conceal her delight at seeing
some one from home, and had SO many
questions to ask him concerning local
essayed courteously to answer them.
had little room for constraint. At the
first opportunity he asked after An
gela. Because she would have pre-
ferred to speak openly, and even more
especially because she knew that from
her room, only separated from them
by a drawn curtain, her daughter was
a more or less interested listener, Mrs.
Calhoun assured him that Angela was
as ever.
Il saw her last night-at the thea
tre," he said soberly, and II fan
cied-"
And you were there!" she inter
rupted eagerly. Tell me what you
thought of her. Isn't she splendid?"
He hesitated so long that she mis-
took his silence for disagreement. The
possibility almost angered her and
she drew herself up prepared to de-
fend her opinion to the very last.
"Oh, perhaps" she began loftily.
Pardon me, dear Mrs. Calhoun"
he interrupted hastily. "She is in
deed splendid. Under any circum-
stances whatever she is that That I
would have admitted before you left
Alabama. 1 saw her act last night
and now am ready to pronounce her
magnificent. Did she tell you that our
northumberland = disagreement
came from my absurd unbelief in her
dramatic ability? Think of it; l,
Geoffrey Martin, tried to convince her
that she could not act. Do you won
der that, she broke with me?'
Did she-just for that?'
How could she help it, dear little
grill" he went on, passionately. II
was an idiot and 1 shall never go back
to Tallodega until have the chance to
call myself an idiot in her presence.
have lost her. but l don't intend to
deny myself that final pleasure. When
shall have the opportunity"
Before Mrs. Calhoun could frame a
reply Angie emerged suddenly and
stood against the crimson background
of the curtain. Her face was flushed
and tear-stained, but she was smiling
radiantly.
You shall never have the opportu-
nifty If can prevent it." she said.
The bell interrupted noisily and
Mr.. Goldsmith was announced.
please attend to him, momsey,"
said Angie, with admirable presence
of mind, "and tell him there will be
] no contract"