The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-03-24
THE
HARVEST
MOON
A NovelizatiOn of the Drama
of
AUGUSTUS THOMAS
BY GEORGE HENRY PAYNE
Copyright. 1909. by Augustus Thomas

Il think" she said. pulling herself
together. that there is no need of ouI
continuing this conversation If what
you say is true-and. God help me, ]
believe 1t is. for even you couldn't in
vent a lie like that-there is no need
of our remaining in the same room
longer than is necessary, want to be
alone. Please go to your own room.
And now you can marry your actor
If you like" was the parting shot as
Dora held the door open for her.
For three hours the girl sat with her
hands casped over her knees staring
about the room The first food of
tears that had come when she felt
that what Cornelia Fullerton had told
her was true she now regretted.
There was nothing to weep over, she
argued to herself. Her emotions were
not of the kind that could find com
fort in so usual, so childish a way
Had Vavin seen her then he would
have said indeed that she had a Napo-
leonic courage. the strong jaw and the
clear eye. On this of all nights. when
world was opening up TO her new
realms of content and freedom-on this
night she had to learn that the mother
whom she had grown to love through
the oft decried faults had borne her in
disgrace-that she was an outcast
without even name. That was sure
~ too remarkable a thing to be let
down with tears.
She must first see her father-her
father! She threw back her head and
laughed. Her father! Who was this
man who had disgraced her mother?
She would like to see him.
But first she must see Professor Full
lerton. She must have him tell her If
this was true. And then-what then?
The idea of suicide came to her. and
the girl gritted her teeth and dismiss
ed it almost as the suggestion arose
But Holcomb- No; she wouldn't mar
ry him. He was too fine-too good. 1t
wouldn't make any difference to him
that, of course she knew-but it would
make a difference to her. 1t would
make a difference to her children, If
little gulp In her throat. and she al
most gave way to tears that might
have been better outlet than this
fierce cogitation
If Fullerton told her it was true she
would go away from New York. She
would go somewhere out west-join
some stock company.
No. that yuouldn,t do II was tha
theater that had ruined her mother.
Oh. the merciless truth of it all! Aunt
Cornelia had been right all the time.
She would take up some other business
and earn her living. She would make
money enough to pay back Professor
Fullerton for her education. She start
ed planning Immediately. What bust
ness could she get in? Two or three
of her companions at college were
writing for magazines and newspa-
pers. She would do that. She would
do anything. She would show them
that if her mother had make a mis-
take her mothers daughter would vim
dictate them both,
1t was dawn before she knew it.
1t was Graham who first remarked
that Dora was sleeping unusually late.
as she had always been punctual at
breakfast.
Miss Fullerton" answered the wait
ing maid. has not been in her room
since ! got up"
Not in her room," repeated Mrs.
Winthrop. and she rose hurriedly from
the breakfast table and entered Dora's
room. The bed was undisturbed and
most of her small belongings had evil
IDENTIFY been removed in a travelling
case. On the dresser was note ad-
dressed to her hostess:
Dear Mrs. Winthrop-A million thanks
for all your kindness. Forgive me. Good
by. DORA.
What can 1t meanv she exclaimed
as she laid the note before Cornelia
and her son.
Just another one of her pranks,"
was the kindly suggestion of her sup
posed relative.
ut can't be that she has began
young Winthrop. who still loved the
girl and who would rather have faced
the prospect of never seeing her again
than to know that she had done any
thing to hurt herself or her reputation.
II am going TO wire my brother,
said Miss Fullerton.
Before you do that" suggested
Graham, his mind working slowly. but
sanely. 81 think 1t would be a good
thing to telephone Judge Elliott and
let him go after Vavin and Holcomh.
as | believe the latter will probably
know something"
Elliott listened to what by this time
had become a more extended narrative
of Dora's disappearance. The night
elevator man had been found. and he
had said that he had taken Miss Full
lerton down in the elevator at O'Clock
and had called cab for her. She had
told the cabman to take her to the
Forty-second street station and had
tipped him, the elevator man, a dollar.
He was perfectly ready to testify that
she seemed thoroughly sane.