The Washington times., 1913-03-20

Ices. But after several days OF earnest
investigation the detective confessed
| himself baffled.
If you ask me-" he commented at
| the conclusion Of his report. "the ans
wer Is: she means to be let alone until
she's quite ready to see you again, 1
don't pin any medals on myself for this
| demonstration of extraordinary pene-
tration; I merely point out the obvious
for your own good.
Contain yourself. my dear man-and
heavy man In a Third avenue meio-
drama. 1t won't do any good; your
| wife had promised to communicate with
you as soon as ner health Is restored.
And not only is sne woman who keeps
her promise, but 1t Is quite comprehen-
sible that she should have been shak-
en- UP by her extraordinary experience
to an extent we car hardly appre-
ciate who haven't the highly sensitive
doa Belize H. WhtskeI Ys ser faRed
| ''She-she loved me there on the island.
| She couldn't change so quickly, bring
| herself to treat me so cruelty. unless
some internal influence hat been
brought to bear upon her.
"Oh. don't mean that foolishness
| about her love being a mans death
warrant. That may have something TO
| do with ii. but-but--I conquered that
| arms-Id won her-she loved me: there
| wasn't any make-belicve about it If
| there were any foundation for that
popycock I'd be dead man now-in-
| stead of a man internally ill-used, No:
on her sympathies. 'naligned me-"
''Do you object to telling me whom
Won have in mind?'
THE man you suspect as well as L
the one man to whom her allegiance
means everything; the man you named
to me, the night We met for the first
time, as the one who'd profit the most
by keeping her from leaving the stage"
well, IL It's Max, you'll know in
light of his star under a bushel-he can
| only make money by displaying it."
"i'H know before long. As soon as
he gets back in town."
so you've been after hi,n"
''Wny not? But he's out on the Pa.
cific coast they tell me at the theater."
Ami expected back soon?"
Yes"
"Do you know when he ieft7'
About the middle Of July. they say
ut seems to me that lets him out"
| commented Ember.
But it's lie"
"Well-"
I've Just remembered: Max was at
| the Fiske place, urging her to return,
the night before you caught Drummond
at the Bungalow. / saw him walking
up and down with her in front OF the
cottage. arguing earnestly; could tell
by her bearing she was refusing her
assent to whatever he proposed. But !
didn't know her then, and, naturally l
never connected Max with the fellow
saw, his figure disguised in motor
coat and hat. Neither Of 'em had any
place in my thoughts that night"
Ember uttered thoughtful OH: and
then: Did you find out when Max Is
expected back?'
Two or three weeks from now. they
- t,asa I'M ftf ne
to get under way. AS matter OF fact
II looks to me as II he must be neglect
ing 'em strangely; it's my impression
that the late summer is producing
managers busiest time.
code, I'm afraid. The chances are he's
trying to raise money out on the Coast.
No money. no productions-in other
words"
But there may be something in what
you say-suspect. that is. II j agree to
keep an eye on him. will you promise to
give me a free hand?"
Meaning
Keep out Of Ma1's way; don't risk
wrangle with him. =!
why the deuce should 1 be afraid Of
Maxi"
7 know Of no reason-as yet But I
prefer to work things unhampered by
the indiscretions Of my principals"
"Oh-go ahead-to blazes. II you like!"
Thanks" Ember dryly wound up the
conference: but these Dassing firta-
tions with your present-day temper
leave me with no hankerinS for greater
warmth"
these into a month Nothing happened. |
Max did not return: the whispered ru
NOR played wild-fire in theatrical cir |
cles that the eccentric manager had en- |
countered financial difficulties insuper-
able
The biIlboards fankIng the entrance |
to the Theater Max continued to dis |
play posters announcing the reopaning /!
early in September with a musical |
comedy by lyman Dodd: put the come dy |
was not even in rehearsal by Septem-
Der Is.
Ember went darkly about his various |
taciturn-even a trace more |
than ever reserved In his communica-
ton with Whitaker-preoccupi but
constant in his endeavor to enhearten
the desponding husband. He refused 10
return of Max or the temperance OF
Mary Whitaker.
She made no sign. Now and then
Whitaker would lose patience. and
wrote to her-despite letters. fond and
endearing. passionate and insistent.
wistful and pleading. strung upon a sin
gle theme. Dispatched under the ad-
dress of her town house, they vanished
from his ken as mysteriously and COM
pletely as she herself had vanished He
got never a line in answer.
Day by day he made up his mind nm
ally and definitely to give 1t up. to make
an end OF waiting. TO accept the harsh
cruelty Of her treatment II him as an
absolute definition OF her wishes, to
sever his renewed ties with New York,
and return once and for all to the anti
podes.
And day by day he paltered doubtod,
and put of going to the steamship office
10 engage passage. The memory Of that
asst day on the lonely island would not
Down. Surely she dared not deny the