The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-12-27
Married Life
the Third Year
eY MABEL HERBERT URNER.

en- as the curtain went down amid an
uproarious applause. People don't like
that"
Mr. Travis laughed. "Of course not.
You don't expect stage dialogue to be
what people say in real life, do you?"
But the program says "A Realistic
Drama Ct Everyday Life"
Hum we'd all have nervous pros
tration in a week If we lived our every
day life like that. They take the most
artifcially and far-fetched plays now
a-days and stamp them plays of every
day life "
What are you two people complain
ing about" demanded Mrs. Stevens
who had been scrutinizing through her
opera glasses some people in the OPP
posite box.
ooh, we've been discussing the I'M
realities of the realistic play" laughed
Mr.. Travis.
ooh who wants to see realism on
the stage? The less like real life
play is the more pleasant it'll be"
That's a nice cheerful thought" OBJ
served Mrs. Stevens.
well, isn't true that we come to
the theatre for amusement and dtstrac-
tion-not to have the sordid common
places of our own lives faithfully pho
tographed'"
I'm not so sure about that" ans
wered Mr.. Travis. ut seems to me
there's a certain grim satisfaction IN
knowing that other peoples lives are
as sordid and unpleasant as your own.
THOUGHTLESS REMARK.
But just now ! don't feel that life
is sordid or unpleasant. Helen regret
ted this statement as soon as she had
made it, for Mrs. Stevens laughed tr1-
umphantly.
ooh you don't! Why dear, you're
improving thought Mr.. Travis and
could drag you out Of your shell"
Helen flushed and nervously opened
and shut the little white fan she car
red She resented the "Mr. Travis and
ing to throw her with Mrs. Travis?
Was this why she arranged the box
party?"
But here the curtain rose on the
third act and He1en's thoughts were
turned to the stage Curiously enough
the play dealt with the love of man
for a married woman whose husband
did not love her. There were a number
of scenes in which he urged her to get
her freedom, but for her child's sake
she refused.
"
In this play to her own life, yet Helen
felt sure that Mrs. Stevens was draw
ing some comparison. Mrs. Stevens
had never liked Warren. She had hap
pened to call one day and found Helen
crying after one of Warren's irritable
outbursts, and had started then to say
what she thought of him-but Helen
had Indignantly silenced her.
And now had Helen not felt that
Mrs. Stevens was making some COM
parison between the play and her own
life, she would have enjoyed the even
ing immensely. She had only been in
the box once or twice before, and it
was keenly interesting though some
what disillusonizing to be near enough
to see the makeup Of the actors and
to get occasional glimpses of stage
mechanism in the wings.
AS she turned to look over the
crowded house, all in darkness save
for the red lights at the exist, she was
stirred with some of the same impress
sions that must thrill the actors. A
great sea of white faces filled the Or
chestra, balcony and gallery, and the
breathless silence and nervous tension
Of many people seemed to charge the
air
There never was woman who did
not at some time long for the glamour
and thrill of the foot-lights, and who
did not secretly believe she had in her
the elements of great actress, and
now for a moment Helen was foolish
enough to feel vaguely some such long
ing.
1T isn't as alluring as it seems, y
whispered Mr.. Travis, who had been
keenly watching her face.
MENTAL TELEPATHY.
Helen started and looked at him in
amaZement. How had he known? He
smiled at the question in her eyes.
"Oh. I can read your thoughts some
times"
When the curtain fell on the last act
the play had worked itself out to the
stereotyped happy end" The husband
had conveniently shot himself in a fit
of dependency brought on by large
gambling losses and week of dissi-
patton. And the wife was left free to
marry the good and loyal" man who
loved her.
AS they left the theatre Mr.. Travis
insisted that they all go somewhere
for supper, but Helenfirmly refused.
Il don't like tot break up the party,
she apologiZed, "Rut | must get home