The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-11-19

ing grasp which was full of affection,
even while 1t pushed Wentworth aside.
ALLOW me-" Then he laughed.
Good people, one and ALL who have
so long been friends of mine, this is
my confession, late in the! day, as my
friend Wentworth suggests. but it is
mine. He was simply breaking the
news to you that / wrote The House
of Esterbrook.'
He hesitated for q moment, then
Enoch touched his arm as If in pro-
test. Merry smiled and gently put
him aside. A whisper of startled sur
prise ran through the house, followed
by moment Of hush, then applause.
1t subsidized slowly. During the tu-
multi men and women who kept their
eyes upon the stage saw Wentworth
turn as If pleading vehemently. Merry
answered with few decisive words.
then he stepped down to the foot
lights.
I'VE have saved this confession.
ladies and gentlemen" he began grave
ly, mot to create a sensation or to
further advertise the play, but each
one Of you must realize how the pub
lie distrusts Observation-Disclosures. Many
of you doubted the ability of Merry
Andrew to touch human emotion ever
SO lightly. and came that first night
with eager curiosity to see him in the
character OF John Esterbrook' How
much more would you have hesitated
If you had known that this same Merry
Andrew was the author of the play?
Hence the secret, to deceive you until
an honest verdict had been rendered
Tonight | release my friend Enoch
Wentworth from the role he has car
ried for ten months. l also wish, be-
fore you, to acknowledge large in
/ debtedness to him. For years he has
been the truest friend a man ever
had. He has believed in me. encour-
aged me, and to his untiring labor you
are indebted for much of the perfect
detail which has carried The House
of EaStabroOk' TO success. He has
helped me in the dark hours when
success in my profession seemed to
be something could never achieve.
When l have been dragged down by
the devils of despair his was the hand
that lifted me up and with kindly
deeds and encouraging words has kept
me striving for the place which at last
seems to be not entirely out Of reach.
need not speak of his last great proof
of his friendship for me, you all know
! how he almost lost his life in saving
me from almost certain death. Good
people, I owe much to Enoch Went
worth, and it is a great pleasure to
acknowledge it in this public manner"
The audience saw Wentworth stare
as if in utter amazement when Merry
began his confession. Then his eyes
grew misty, and when the young actor
turned to him with an affectionate
smile, he gripped the hand held out
to him as a man does when he can
not put love or gratitude into words.
Across the footlights men and women
realized vaguely, through the strange
! human insight we call intuition, that
| mother drama was being played be-
fore their eyes; a life-and-blood drama.
| "hSAV eAC lS0tlUS0 VI SIAOA6 AACA WOAS
deeply stirred.
Good Lord!" said Singleton.
Oswald turned with a start as if he
had been aroused from sleep. The
newspaper man stood at his elbow
with look of blank establishment in
his eyes. 1t passed quickly, however;
ne was trained newspaper man, all
MS news instincts were aroused, he
was on the track of a story. Here was
something he must get to the bottom
OF. He scented mystery and was i'm
mediately on the alert for anything
that might give him clew to start on.
His paper must have this big story,
1t was big, he was sure of that. He
rurned suddenly to the man at his
side.
What's back of all that?' he asked.
i can understand that Merry wrote
the play. I've known Enoch Went
worth for years, and ! was never so
staggered in my life as the first night
when l saw The House of Ester
brook went to the Office afterwards
to write my stuff and | sat for ten
minutes-dumb. stupid trying to fig
ure out how Wentworth. the Enoch
! Wentworth / knew. could have writ