El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-14
The Herald's
Daily Short Story
Why Leading Lady Disappeared

Then came the summons of the call
boy.
Mrs. Arlington's not here. Run away
and find her quick"
The orchestra had finished the over
ature and were waiting to play the
opening act.
Distinguished members of the audi
ence began to consult their watches
The management had earnestly re-
quested them TO be in their places
punctually at SIS p. m, as the inter-
est commenced with the rise of the cur
tain
The conductor left his seat and dis
appeared under the stage.
Occupants of boxes, stalls and dress
circle fidgeted in their seats, and look
ed meaningly at one another
Good heavens" cried the manager.
What in the world are we to do?"
There was only one thing to be done,
and he did it He must go before the
curtain and announce that owing to
Mrs Arlington's sudden indisposition,
the performance must be postponed.
Money-where it had been paid-would
be returned, or tickets allotted for an
other night.
THE woman has suddenly gone off
her head" was the explanation he
gave to himself.
The room in which Eleanor Arlington
had left her husband was in darkness.
It was $3.50 p. m.
Suddenly there sounded on the silent
air the miniature whirlwind which
swiftly moving taxicab creates. It
drew UP at the house; there came the
grating of the brakes, then the opening
of the door, muttered thanks from
the driver, and the vehicle moved away.
christening the front door with her
latch key, Eleanor entered the house,
and passed to the still and silent room.
Then the sense of inertness and dir
illness passed. She crossed the room.
dropped on her knees beside the couch
and CROPPED for her husbands body,
fearing to find that life had passed out
of it.
He was breathing peacefully.
Eleanor burst into flood of tears
They fell on the sleeping mans face
and suddenly awOke him.
Good heavens, what is it,?
Tell me quick, deari have you taken
any of the bottle left?"
"'Bottle2 Oh, by Jove, no! Must have
dropped asleep the moment you went
away, and-good gracious, what's the
natter"
s'Oh. thank God-thank God!''
He sat up in establishment.
What's wrong, Nell? You're un-
strung. Is the play a failure? Did
those bounderS-
NO. Maurice, it's not that. Let me
switch on the light. I want to see
that you're all right-and I'll tell
you.
Directly the electric light flashed
forth, his eyes fell on the clock.
What's that? Twenty to nine. That
clock must have stopped"
NO, it's quite right"
Then the play cant be-Nell, have
you thrown up your part? Tell me
you've not done that, have you? I
was a cursed brute to you today, but 1
never thought
tOh, no, not that I expect they'll let
me play the part tomorrow God be
thanked, Maurice, something awful has
just been averted. You see this bottle
on the table-the one 1 left you to
drink? It's not toothache mixture at
all"
Then what?"
st bought two little bottles at the
chemists tonight, one with the mixture
for you, the other with some poison
poison for mice that are infesting my
dressing room at the World. And then
on, heaven, now ala manage 10 90
so careless a thing?-I left by accident
the wrong bottle for you to drink.
Here's the other. you see. I opened 1t
at the theater just before was going
on. 1t was a fearful moment, I was
quite alarmed. 1 flew straight back
here to you without seeing or speaking
to soul! Thank heaven, I'm not too
later
The mans face turned white as he re-
allied the narrowness of his escape. All.
if he had awakened and taken the
deadly draught. He shivered as with
cold
Then the emotion of the moment
maybe not an emotion for that moment
on1y-took him in its grasp. He had
come face to face for the first time
with the only certain thing about life
death! Never before had he priced life
so much. His eyes grew misty. Two
things only he seemed to grasp-his
marvellous escape, and the fact that Ell
eanor now shedding tears of joy, had
rushed back to save him, thinking of
nothing else. He. held out his arms
and took her to- his breast
Nell, old girl, it's good to be alive.
It's good to be able to hold you close"