Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-11-06
.|RMA INTERPRETERS
What Happened When a Young
Wife Decided to Go on
the Stage.
BY MOLLY McMASTER.

In his heart John Craig longed for
the day when the footlights would
cease to be an attraction for his
wife. He was too big and too broad
in his love for her to demand that
she leave the stage and live quiet,
domestic life at his side. He had
fallen in love with her as star.
wooed and won her as such and now
as wife and mother Sybel Craig still
shone, q respondent star In the the
atrical armament.
John Junior was scant three
months old when his mother began
rehearsal for her new play. 1t had
been a shock to Craig. He had some
how counted on the arrival Of John
Junior as q barrier to Sybel's pro-
longed stage career. but she had
laughingly told him that she could
act the better now that she had q
son to be proud Of her.
you would grow frightfully tired
Of me. anyway" she added. III I was
about the house all evening"
II grow tired OF not having you,
DEAR" Craig had told her. and was
not quite aware of the extent Of his
WEAKNESS. He only knew that his
evenings alone In the house while his
wife was playing to crowded theaters
were beginning to bore him.
John Junior was four months old
when the new nurse arrived. She,
Irma Newton, was lovely to look upon.
beautiful as to character and endowed
with womanly charm that entered the
appreciation Of John Junior. his
mother and his father. She was one
of those fortunate women who under
stand all human wants and woes and
administer according to needs.
John Junior loved her instinctively
Sybel loved her because she possessed
all the domestic and sterling virtues
that Sybel herself lacked And John
Craig? But he did not know that he
loved her. He only knew that eve.
nings OF complete boredom were q
thing Of the past and that his wife's
career was no longer 80 severe a
thorn prick in his happiness.
Had sybel loved her husband in q
more unselfsh way she would have
seen that Irma's position in the
household was nothing but tempta.
ton flung in the path OF two per
sons. But Sybel felt secure in her
husbands love, and 1t did not for q
second occur to her that he would
turn his affections in another direc
ton.
Craig, however, was only human
He had married because he wanted q
home and . wife to tread the path OF
life beside him. He had regretted
that love had come to him across the
footlights. but she would love him
more than her audience and applause
The time seemed long in coming. In
the meantime Irma Newton entered
the Craig household and discomfort
turned slowly into a most delightful
feeling Of peace.
When Irma had been in the house
six weeks Craig knew that his con
tentment would vanish II she were tt
leave. He knew also that his wife's
career was seldom in his mind ant
that his evenings we're not marret
by her absence. Neither did the fac
that 1rma was bending over Johr
Junior, when 1t should have been Sy
bel, annoy him. In fact Craig found
himself approaching the light OF
golden hair and finding 1t more love
ly than on black. Sybel's hair wal
raven black. Also he knew that hi
was beginning to study Irma's eyes
for an expression he wanted to SCI
there.
The situation was so completely
harmonious for all concerned that II
was not until the serpent was al
ready in the grass beneath their fee
that 1rma awake to the full signifl
canoe OF 1t. She had been sitting be
side the fire with John Junior in hel
arms when Craig had come quietly
into the room. He had not spoken
but his eyes had revealed the whole
truth even as II his lips had spoken
1t. Irma knew then that the serpent
had stirred. She wondered how lonf
the serpent bad been there and how
deeply Cratg's happiness was affect
ed. She was more grieved thar
stunned when the truth dawned or
her. 1rma spent q night in grave
thought. She knew that Craig coult
not long remain silent and she shranl
from the scene that must assuredly
follow. She recoiled from the knowl
edge that she had robbed another
woman OF her husbands love, limo
cent though her own action In tn
matter had been.
There must be some way out O
IT," she told herself over and owe!
again. John Craig is far too fin,
a man to wreck his matrimonial Graf
on the rocks, and hts wife is to.
thoughtless to put out beacon ligh
for him. wonder-I wonder how
can save him." lrma felt that Sybe
Craig was more to blame than he
husband. and that he would have re
NAMED faithful In his love had sh'
made the very slightest attempt t,
hold him.
"She must make that attempt.
Irma told herself. II shall tell he
exactly how matters stand"
1t was q brave decision to come to
but Irme was no coward. Besidel
she realized that should Sybel Grail
display the same pride in her per
sonal life as she did In her public
life she would strive to maintain he
position ~ John Crsigs wife. Sh'
would not, lrma reasoned, like to
see herself as q deserted woman.
Svhel WAS having her II O'clOcl