The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-01-23

The Scheming Of a Desperate
Woman For the Sake of a
Profligate Brother and the
Resulting Adventures Of
Winsome Virginie Ferrier.

never went out Of London because he
never could afford it. Hampstead he
called the country. 1t was his only
idea of country. poor dear. 1t was
mine. too, till you first came and we
began to go about together"
YES" said the great writer. as yet
unknown; I'VE have made pilgrimages
the pit Of the theater. do we not? We
have ventured on the river at Hamp-
ton-happy Hampton-we two togeth-
err. Courage. Elsie; life must not be
monotonous for you"
Then life ought to be honest" said
the girl ~passionately. "Why. l am a
common cheat and impostor."
Nay. nay!.' said her adviser. '1f
Miss Violet Lovelace is pleased with
your manner and work, surely that is
enough"
"She advertised for a perfect lady
for her boy. l answered the adver-
tisement. She was very good to me
and said at the beginning such kind
things about my you know,
that I did not dare to undeceive her.
My dear she said. I want a perfect
lady, because my boy will be a gentle
man. You may go on calling me Miss
Violet Lovelace if you like. because
that is my stage name, but l am a
married woman. and my husband is a
wretch. although he is a gentleman of
good family. l am separated from
him. AS for myself. I am not quite a
lady-off the stage. but l an getting
on. and when the boy grows up and
can make comparisons he shall not be
ashamed Of his mother.''
The word lady. Elsie" said Mr..
Percival, putting aside his manuscript.
covers an area about equal in extent
to that claimed for the word gentle
man."
IF l had told her that my father
vas nothing but a humble clerk in a
small house of business and that my
mother took in dodgers would she have
received me as her ~governess? You
know she wouldn't"
The question is, rather, If she knew
these facts O would she consider
you unfit for the post: Because, you
see. my child, she seems to like you"
Il am sure she likes me. Nobody
could be more affectionate to me or
| kinder, which makes the deception
worse. Miss Violet came home today
at half past Il in a very low way.
First she sat down and sighed as if
her heart was breaking. Then she
wished she had never been born. Aft
err that she kissed the boy and said
that if it was not for him she could
wish that she was dead"
Got q cold:' asked Perciyal.
"Oh, no. She never catches cold,
though the theater is full Of drafts.
She got up presently and went away
to her own room. Then Mr.. Perigal,
who had been signing with her, like a
/; pump, whispered to me that she had
seer her husband in the park"
This grows mysterious. Is her hus'
band generally invisible!"
Mr.. Perigal told me all about her
marriage. She married a gentleman
who was in love with her because she
was so beautiful and so clever. Mr..
Perigal was at the wedding, with he
father, who is a stage carpenter at
Drury Lane. Mr.. Periga! believes that
he was married under a false name
Anyhow, she won't say who or what
the mar is"
".Ah! Things might be made of this
said the aspiring novelist.
fortunately" Elsie went on, Ill
seems that he did not see her"
The park would be a fine stage fol
a recognition scene, 1T is-it is-ami(
the tears Of the sympathetic crowd
it is my long lost husband! Behold
that scar, inflicted in u happy, happy
days by your own hand and with the
kitchen poker! At last you find me-
You forget" said tn" young lady
without an imagination. that he mus
know where she ; and all about her
because her photograph is in I'll thu
windows"
ITO be sure. I forgot that"
ut seems cruel that she is so beau
tiful and so clever and so much &C
mired and might marry well if sh'
were free"
Eyes, it GEMS cruel. Still, she ha
the boy"
"Yes. The boy is to be sent to
public school, she says because hi
father was there. And he is to go t
Oxford afterward if he wishes. An
then he is to go into the army. S
, that we suppose his father was in tn
Amy too. AS for the stage, it is not t
be mentioned in his presence. And &c
! the child is a born actor, like hi
.~-AAea p1nk ol 1T E4~ III;