Norwich bulletin., 1912-06-18
THE BULLETINS SHORT STORY.
HIS WIFE


She stood before him in all the glory
of her dominant womanhood, smiling
in the interception of a sudden light
of admiration in her husbands eyes.
Dear old Dick" she whispered. i
really believe YOU still think there Is
nobody like me. You are the eighth
wonder of the world to do that-after
three years marriage; and-havent
you had enough Of writing for one
day? Don't you know it is my birth
DAY? | want TO enjoy myself tonight,
dear"
Temple laughed again
"A fact which accounts for the even
ing Dress said he, rising Where's
it to be, then? Funds will allow Of no
going beyond the first row of a dress
circle, you know
Il am going to have a box. You
know | would not ask for one had we
to pay for it, l am really dead set on
seeing the premiere of The Slave Of
Circumstance, and-Dick, l have had
a box given me for the Charing Cross
I'd sooner cut my right hand off
than pass over the threshold of any
theater belonging to O'Dowd. Helen,
have you forgotten what he wrote
when he returned Gerards Wife? No,
I'm hanged if I'll go to the Charing
Cross. Anywhere but there"
But Dick, dear, it is my birthday,
and You have never, never yet refused
me anything l have asked you to do
on it. | would like to go to the Charing
Cross above everything else, dear Be
sides, dear, don't you think it is silly
to be angry with O'Dowd? After all,
he said that Gerard's Wife was very
cleVer. 1t only lacked a human note of
interest and the obligatory happy end.
If you had met him on these points
believe your play would have been
staged at the Charing Cross"
Very well, We'll CO." said he quietly.
7 wanted the money badly enough at
lthe time O'Dowd returned my play
still | couldn't ruin it to suit his fan
cy. Well, 1t came in handy to light the
| fire with, didn't it?"
Eyes, it came in quite handy, and
you'll get ready quickly-at once?'
| The last bars Of the overture were
ringing in loud diapason out over a
crowded house when Temple entered
( the stage box at his wife's disposal.
| Synchronizing with his arrival the
| lights in the theater's vast auditorium
were lowered the curtain rising ere he
| indeed had time to take his seat.
| Who's the author?" he queried list
lessly as picking up a programme ly-
/ ing on the velvet ledge before him, he
scanned its heading. "Rodger Temple
| ton. Never heard of the beggar. New
man, I suppose?"
| Helen nodded.
Wonder O'Dowd touched him, them
| wish one could smoke and Hal
| loal"
| Helen heard words Kissed out grinly
from between her husbands trembling
4 III H.
ed features she stared out across the
garish footlights at the actors tripping
/ their speeches in manner peculiar to
the hummer when he knows his lines
are. good and his part possesses the
requisite action to carry them off with
an effect that will reach his audience
Brilliant as was the cast, Helen
however, possessed but deaf ears for
the wit and sparkle of their dialogue
Her every thought lay with the vary
ing moods Of the crowded auditorium
She listened only to the ripples Of
laughter greeting the sallies of pungent
humor. The audience was in a gooC
mood. 1t was Witnessing a clever play
and voiced its approval in so decided
manner at the acts close as to produce
a triple curtain.
In all that crowded house there wer,
but two people who did not lend theil
hands to swell the general paean O
| applause-Helen and Richard Temple
The latter, leaning back in his chair
faced his wife, drawn and ashen- huet
of feature in the theater's eIectrit
glare.
Do you recognize this-this origina
play, dear?' he asked thiclly. address
ing the woman resting her slender fin
gers on his knee. DO YOU? MY play
By heaven, child! It's my play, ana
|. ODowd has stolen it from me- No
only the plot, but its dialogue as well
He's flched the whole thing and pre-
sented it to the public with a few al
terations of his own, the precious hui
man touch he prated to me so mucl
about; but I'll be even with him owe
the deal. It's copyrighted.
In silence Helen listened to her hus
, bands mutterings. Had it not been 70
, the gentle affection of her finger
touch on Temples knee it might in
deed have appeared as though hi
fevering words fell on deaf ears In hi
rage the angry man ignored alike tn
contact of Helen's hand on his kne
and the pleading of her eyes as he lis