The Washington herald., 1913-09-28

'"Wiley?"
'You here%
"You saw the Journal tonight?"
mo" He shrugged toward the stage
"Of her"
Harlan motioned enigmatically
Come with me. want TO show you
Although, don't know why should
Curran followed to the cafe. The!
took table. Harlan waved the waiter
aside. It's this" He drew the
paper from his pocket. why | came
here. By God, TO save her, Wiley, ii
it's truep
The news article announced the sup
posed engagement of Aurelie Lind
strom, of the Cohan & Snitz combina-
ton, to a young man whom all the
West knew for his plunging on the
Board of Trade, his motor racing, his
divorce proceedings, and his affair
with women of the underworld
Il presume you know who Benhan
Curran's voice came in a whisper
HE lies All, God, its not sop'
He dares publish it as so. And
came to see. came to save her, and
yOu-tO amuse yourself p
The older man stared at him. His
hand came from his pocket. Il came
to give her this. Her little rosaryr
Harlan's eyes were on it. 1t had
lain upon her neck all those nights OF
name" he muttered on, given as 4
former chorus girl-and coupled with
Joe Benham's It's horribler
Its lie"
Harlan sat back coolly. His gray
eyes beckoned the waiter. 'I'll see" He
was writing on a tab. Then, to ths
waiter: Ring for a messenger. I1
send for her. To meet us here aftei
the performance"
Curran watched him silently. Harlad
had become the man. The touch OF
the Viking in his blond strength, which
Wiley had always admired, was up
young, triumphing. primally ruthless
Curran would not have dared send that
message-curt, direct, demanding that
she come. He was conscious now oi
fighting an obeSsion of the youngei
mans victoriousness. He would stoI
short of the gamblers chance, th'
stalking OF his all on his confidence il
his own power.
And in fifteen minutes the boy can't
back. She had written nothing, she hat
merely told him she would come. Ther
they waited an intolerable hour, talk
ing vainly on matters of the town, pol
iticS, and business, law and newspaper
ing. Wiley hgeted: Harlan was imper
turbably serene The cafe filled with
a crush of after-theater feeders. the
hum and motion became livelier al
midnight drew on And then. wher
they were still trying to entertain eact
other with commonplace and con-
strained confidence. none of that olt
joy of intercourse between them, there
was a stir behind their table and Azure.
lie was there.
They were both on their feet. Hef
amazement was delightful She had
hand to each of them, crying out dis
traction; she was provoked at themI
why hadn't they come like gentlemen
to await her at the stage door instead
of sending for her? She felt as if she
had been arrested. Harlan looked al
Wiley. and Wiley at him. She wa.
puzzled-but she had come!
Already the cafe people were looking
at them. Aurelie was colorful, agloW
with small poses and careless gracesi
she smiled ingenuously on them with
phrases of her barbarous French
which. she had not been slow to learn
added to her distinction.
I'm alone. l declined everybody fol
YOU" And for their lives neither man
knew at which she was--fooking-ii
must be both
You had an engagement, Aurelie?'
Wiley asked her.
oh, just a little one-not enough Ia
matter, like the Paris lady's baby! III
make them all wait-for you. You
know these chappy chaps I've got &c.
quainted with don't bother me much
Wiley ;ooked at Harlan. Plainly Joe
Benham'S millions and motors hadn't
dazzled Aurelie.
It's fine TO see you-all." She per.
sisted in ''you-alls," and Il reckons,'
and "aint's" when she felt like them
Just fine l did feel hurt because none
of my old friends ever looked me up
in Chicago. And me a real lady now
Mr.. Levy says they're going to reor.
ganize the New York production and
give me a chance on Broadway-little
old New York where Ada Norman and
| nearly starved to death'-she picked
an olive from the dish: "Oh, tell me
how is Uncle Michigan and the baby?H
Harlan didn't know. "Finel" re.
torted Wiley. And Knute says there
never were so many rabbits up on
Eagle Point. He's waiting for yo1
to come back and he's training old
NellieS pups TO trail EN-"
She was filled with laughter She had
a pup that could beat Nellie'sI Yes
sir! And how is your old shop, Mn
Curran, and Aunt Abby and her Ban
bury tarts; and which drunk printef
have you got now-Jim Minis or thu
Dutch one% She played her part be-
fore her school-day lover; not foI
worlds would she have noticed his si-
lent stubbornness. DO you-all really
want me to come back and play in tho
tin opera house? How big and grand
it used to seem! l never went except
way up in the gallery with Knute, and
| used to see you boys-Mr. Currau
in a front seat, for he didn't have ia
pay anything; and Harlan always there
with some of the high-school girls
She sighed demurely That was beI
fore l went to school"
"Aurelie," put in Harlan, gravelH
you've not changed a bit"
I'm not going to change. I'm moi
gone greatly on these cities. Wheu
all these managers and stage directors
get on their high horse with me saw
oh, you go to the devil-you don't in,4
press me a bitp And then they threat,