The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-04-06
HALF A ROGUE
By HAROLD MAC GRATH
of the Man on the Box, The Puppet Crown, Hearts and Masks Etc
Copyright Bobbs-MerriI Co, Indianapolis Z
By HAROLD VAC GRATH
This seemed to satisfy her.

Il was
This seemed to satisfy her.
We'll, first l learned where you wer
IN the habi of dining. All day long
messenger has beea following you. ]
telephone brought me to the restau
rant. The rest you know. 1t was sim
pie.
Very simple" laconicaIly.
you listened n believed. 1 hav,
been watching you. You believed ev
erything l have told you. You hav,
even been calculating how this seen,
might go in a play. Have I convinced
you that | have the ability TO act?"
You have fooled me completely
that ought TO be sufficient
dation. Miss Challoner, 1 apologize 70,
this letter. [ do more than that.
promise not to leave this house till yo,
agree to call at the theater at 10 to.
morrow morning" He was smiling
and Warrington had a pleasant smile
He had an idea besides. Good fortune
put it into my head to follow you here
l. see 1t all now, quite plainly. I am ir
2 peculiar difficulty, and / honestly be-
lieve that you can help me out of it
How long would 1t take you to learn a
leading part? In fact. the ~principa.
part?"
"A week"
Have you had any e~xperience?"
- SiAoAl ottlSSl Jul est II IL SIOCR
company"
Good"
And I love work"
DO not build any great hopes" he
warned. for you chance depends upon
the whim cf another woman But you
have my word and my good offices that
something shah be put in your way"
Many months passed after the
episode previously related. Warning
ton sat in his apartment. He laid down
his pen, brushed his smarting eyes,
lighted his pipe, and tilted back his
chair. The scenario was done; the vii
lain had lighted his last cigaret, the
hero put his arms protectingly around
the heroine, ana the irascible rich I'M
Gle had been brought to terms.
Warrington was IS now. The grey
hair at the temples and the freshness
of his complexion gave him a singu-
larly youthful appearance. His mouth
even-lipped and rather pleasure
loving, which. without the balance of
a strong pose, would have appealed to
as effeminate. Warrington's was
what the wise phrenologists call the
lighting nose; not pugnacious, but the
nose OF a mar who will fight for what
believes to be right, fight bitterly
n fearlessly. Today he was famous.
a leading American dramatist, but only
Yesterday he had been fighting, retreat
ing, throwing up this redoubt, digging
this trench; fighting, fighting. Poverty,
ignorance II contempt he fought:
fought dishonesty, and vice, and treach-
cry, and encouragement.
Presently he leaned toward the desk
and picked up a letter. He read 1t
thoughtfully, and his brows drew to-
gether:
Richard Warrington-You will smile.
| know, when you read this letter.
you day by day. You will toss 1t into
the waste basket, too, as it deserves to
be. But 1t had to be written. How
ever, l feel that / am not writing to a
mere stranger, but to a friend whom /
know well. Three times you have en-
tered into my life, n on each occa-
sae.:= Sge. have come by a different ave-
I was i'll at school when you first
appeared to me. 1t was a poem In a
magazine. 1t was so full Of the spirit
of joyousness, so full of kindness, SO
rich in faith and hope, that l cried over
1t, cut 1t out and treasured 1t, and re-
1t often in the lonely hours when
things discouraged MEETINGS which
mean SO little to ome but so much
to girls. Two years went by, and then
that brave book! 1t was like COM
ing across a half-forgotten friend. 1
actually ran home with 1t, and sat up
all night to complete it. It was splen-
lid. 1t was the poem matured, broad
ened, rounded. And finally your first
play! How I istened to every word,
every move! / wrote you a
that night, but tore 1t up, not
having the courage to send II ta &c:
How versatile you must be; a poem, a
book, a. playi I have seen all your
plays these five years, plays merry
md gay, sad and grave. How many
you have mysteriously old ne
% be brave! / envy and admire you.
What an exquisite thing 1t must be to
ones thoughts spoken across the
Please do 10 laugh. 1t
hurt me to know that you could
augh at my honest admiration. You
Won't laugh, will you? / am sure you
will value this letter for It's honesty
'ather than for it's literary quality. /
often wondered what o were
Ike. But after all, that can not mat
since you are good and kind and
wise: for you can not be else, and
write the lofty things you do"
Warrington put the letter away.
it carefully among the few
:hings he held of value. 1t would not
De true to say that it left him unaf-
,eCtSu. ItcEe WAS aH iatlOeen barb In
his girlish admiration, and 1t pierced
he quick Of all that was good in him.
Good and kind and WISE" he mused.
If only the child knew! Heigh-ho! I
m kind, sometimes I've been good. and
,ften wise. Well, I can't disiliusion the
,hild. happily; she has given me no adj
ress..
He rose, wheeled his chair to a win
facing the street, and opened it.
rhe cool. fresh April air rushed in,
the room of its opalescent
cleansing his brain of the fever
hat beset 1t. He leaned with his elbow
IN the sill and breathed noisily, CRATE