The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-02-18
WITH PHOTOGRAPHS
FROM SCENES IN THE PLAY

; the major. domo to his side as soon as
Bob had gone and whispered to him
that all glasses must be filled. With
the intense alacrity which the youthful
spendthrift's orders were everywhere
observed along Broadway, this was at
tended to, and he rose to his feet
with all the dignity he could command
Friends" he said, 81 want to tell
you something. I want to tell you oil
MY luck"
as it a hard luck story, Broadway?
someone asked.
"Er-yes," said he. 81 mean"
"Jackson!" said a soft voice (per'
haps a little cracked) close at his side
with something of reproach in it. >
For the lady" he hastily corrected
Hard luck for the lady. Tm-I'm 60
ing to be married"
The men shouted and there were
more than one among the ladies who
were seriously agitated, their number
being co-equivalent to the number who
themselves at one time or another had
had hopes of winning Broadway and
his millions for their very own.
Everywhere about him ose the
shout: who Is she, Broadway? Name!
Name!"
He swayed there on his feet, a some
what sickly smile upon his face, his
hand deliberately splitting champagne
on his shirt front, a fact Of which he
was in ignorance and which no one
noted for a time. It was Mrs. Gerard
| who called attention to it by elabo
rately dabbing at him with her hand
kerchief. ....
There were proprietary details even
Of movement Of her hands and some
shrewd wits suspected for an instant
even though they put the wild idea
from them as absurd before 1t gained
firm foothold in their minds. a.
who Is she, Broadway? Name!
Name! Name!" the shouts insisted.
"Guess!" said Broadway strangely.
He felt less worry than he would
have felt before he had imbibed the
last few glasses Of champagne. He
had been drinking very busily since
the dreadful thought had been put into
execution. He had been certain he
would need some artificial courage.
1t gathered in his soul and helped
him fashion an extraordinary smile
vacuous and tremulous, but none the
less a smile.
"viola?" hazarded a reckless you'll
across the table, and Viola (who was
present in the makeup which she hat
worn from the stage Of a near theater
where she had, that evening, actee
powerfully the part of a wronged ant
innocent maidenhood) hoped wildly fol
an instant, Perhaps Broadway, In hill
cups, had decided on this most unusua
way of asking her the fateful CUES
ton! She had had high hopes Of him
Perhaps"
NO" he answered thickly. "Guest
again. Three guesses. It's going tt
take some brains, 1 tell you that! In
~tellect's the only thing'll do it. Who
ever guesses right gets a cigar"
There was only n among thu
ladies present who was not favored
by some speculative mind, and tina
one was the right one.
Guesser after guesser named some
Of the young and vivid creatures o
that almost wholly young and vivid
feminine company, none guessed thu
only faded flower in the gay group
Broadway, never dreaming of the az
ony which filed the faded flower!
much powdered bosom because Of thu
omission of her name, feeling few emo
tions, really, other than the keen sen
sation of relief from his financial wor
ries, stood smiling somewhat vacantly
but, on the whole, without much pain
upon the puzzled party. ,
rGo on, guess with your BRAINS" hs
genially suggested. TITS mind, no
foot-work, that will win the prize"
But none guessed. q.
Realizing that in this was something
like reflection on her fitness for the
covetable position of consort to the
youth, Mrs. Gerard attracted every
ones attention, presently. by a won
derfully feigned embarrassment as she
rose and stood by B~roadway's side.
The party gasped, but rose to the &C
casion as soon as it could get its
breath again. 1t was incredible, and
there were those among the guests
who we're 80 sure Of this that they
believed a joke was hidden somewhere
In the episode, but the majority were
so we'll trained to B~roadway's genius
for producing mad extravaganza that
they simply charged this up as n Of
them.
A dancer who had been brought VI
from the cabaret below after one
o'clock and closing time had come
sprang lightly to a table, and, to the
destruction of the floral lobster and
some notably fine glassware, did a gay
pas-seul among the wrecks Of sangui
nary shells and emptied bottles. The
head waiter smiled, knowing that