The Washington herald., 1913-12-21

embfttered retort.
He was apparently finding relief in the
champagne.
Then tell me what the trouble is"
said.
He still shook his head Then he sud
''How long have you known Harriet
Walter?' he asked.
From the time" 1 told him after a
moments thought, when she first ap-
peared for the Fresh Air Fund at the
Plaza. That was about two years ago
when she first'went with Frohman."
1--we known her twenty years. was
ton. I'VE grew up together. out West"
Where out West?'' asked
'1n Medicine Hat-that's q Canadian
prairie town."
But she's younger than your
Only two years. She's twenty-five; I'm
twenty-four. She changed her name from
Wilson to Walter when she went on the
stage"
Then you are close friends?" asked.
for could see the wine had loosened his
reticent young tongue
"Friends!' he scoffed. I'm the man she
promised to marry!"
Here, ! told myself. was a pretty ket-
tie of fish. / knew the man before me
was not Adams. Yet 1t was several weeks
now since Harriet Walters engagement
to young Adams had been officially an
nounced. And there was nothing unstable
or predaceous about the Harriet Walter I
had known.
Would you mind telling me Just when
she promised to marry your / asked.
Remember, this is net prying. I'm only
trying TO get behind that cobwebr'
She promised me over two years ago"
he answered me, quite openly.
"DefnitelyT' 1 Insisted.
"As definitely as pen and ink could
make II. Even before she gave in, be-
fore she gave the promise, we'd had a
sort OF understanding. That was before
i made my British Columbia strike out
West She'd come East to study for the
stage. She always said she would make
a great actress We all tried to keep her
from II, but she felt 1t was her career.
Shed been having a hard time Of IL then,
those first six months. So came through
to New York and wanted to--take her
back, to get her out of all that sort of
thing. But she put me on. She wouldn't
give in to being defeated in her work.
She gave me her promise, but asked for
a years time When that was up. she'd
made her hit. Then, of course, she asked
for one year more. And in the meantime
/ made my own hit-in timber limits"
But hasn't she justified the time you've
given herr" 1 inquired. remembering the
sudden fame that had come to her. the
name in electrics over the Broadway
theater. the Autographs in the shop win
dows, the interviews in the Sunday pa
pers-
.'Justifed?" cried the young man across
the table from me. After I'd waited two
years, after she'd given me her promise,
she's turned around and promised to
marry this man Adams"
And has she never explained?'
Explained? She won't even see me-
She had me put out of her hotel She
went OF to Narragansett. She pretends
she doesn't even know me-"
This sounded very unlike the Harriet
Walter had known. There had seemed
little that was deliberately venai or
treacherous in that artIess-eyed young
lady's nature.
And what did you do?" I asked.
What could 1 do? / waited and tried
again. / felt that IL could only see her,
face to face, she'd be able to explain,
to make the whole thing seem less like
insanity"
''And she wouldn't even see you. meet
your
Not once. Something's changed her.
She never used to be that sort-never."
And you insist all this Is without
rhyme or reason?'
Without one jot of reason That's
what made it so hopeless. And last
night, when 1 heard of this accident, I
put my pride in my pocket and tried still
again. 1t v IS the same thing over again.
They seemeu to take me for a crank, a
paranoiac Of some kind, up there at the
hospital And then l gave up. felt I'd
about reached the end of my rope. I
thought it all over, quite calmly. and de-
cided to kill myself. 1 walked the streets
half the night; then 1 sat down and de-
cided to blow my brains out. But 1
couldn't do It l was too much of a cow
ard. I hadn't the courageI'
That would have been very foolish"
was my inadequate reply, for at bound
my thoughts went back to the night be-
fore and the scene in the square.
We'll, what would you have done?" was
the prompt and bitter challenge of the un-
happy youth facing me.
I thought for moment before answer
ing him.
why" temporized. I'D have tried
to get down to the root Of the mystery"
Again I heard him NIT his listless
little scoff of misery.
There's no root" he declared.
There must be-" l maintained.
Then show me where or what it is"
he challenged.
81 will.'' I said with sudden conviction
He studied my face with his tired and
young eyes, as / sat there trying
to fit the edges Of the two broken stories
together.
And how will you find it OUT" he was
listlessly inquiring.
Instead of answering him, looked up
and fixed my eyes on him, and asked an
other question.
Tell me this: II there is reason, do
you still care for her?''
He resented the question. as was
afraid he would.
What concern is that of yours?''
IF all this things a mistake. it's going
to be some concern of yours 1 told him.
I've always cared for her" he said
and / knew what his answer was going
les all over. There's not even q mis-
lake about it."
There must be. And I'm going to find
out where and what It is
"And how are you going to find that
putt" he reiterated.
l was already cropping and probing |
along my new line of procedure.
Come along with me-" I cried. little |
presumptuously, a little excitedly. land |
by 10 O'Clock tonight I'll have your rea-
sons for your
My fiash-in-the-pan enthusiasm was
than I had expected. The |
tingling and winelike warmth soon dis |
appeared A reaction set in once we
we're out in the cool night air. And in |
hat reaction I began to see difficulties, |
20 marshal doubts and misgivings
There was still the mystery OF the girl /
n the Twenty-fourth Street rooming /
house. There was still the enigma of /
.wo neraons .clair.ir4u IN he EIar,iat yval