The evening world., 1914-04-20
By Caroline Lockhart
AUthor OF "MC. 9MITN." Gto.

~
Emporium air a poplar place" -
RESPONDED hospitality.
AIRY opery -houso here7
Think you're strikin' q one horoo
town" Inquired Mr.. Poth with -.
perity.
"we-all are q troups"-he sssmeA
to force bravado into his boytsh vosoo
and were all right people, 10.
We belong to Frohman's company
over at New York. but the seaso3s
closed and we're doIn' this for ouP
health"
"'Twon't be good for your healeA
IL you're as bum as the last F'rohman
troupe what showed here" responded
Mr.. Poth candidiy. Air you COMEDY
or tragedy7"
we runs the samut."
"Oh, acrobats! Well. they talnDD
pretty we'll here. I leases the op'yy.
house: so you can come around a61
SEQ me AFTER you make camp"
Az the boy lifted the lines Q hoo1tW
cough came from the interior e ~
wagon and q look OF disaDoCUVD1
came over tho landlords face.
"Lunger." he said laconically.
Tho turn Of the wagon diooaoooI
through the opening in the rear . IL
young man. gaunt to emaciati1A
while. lying in the bottom, sosso4
asleep with her head on . bag a eoga,
stained and sunburut face wore Q Do01s
OF utter WEAKNESS.
DO you reckon that's violeP Ara
In there?" Mr.. Poth's voice he'd 3
sarcastic edge. He added confidsutlnS,
~: IF this hero gammut they aimO -
run aint all they crack Il up 70 -
they're takin long chances showtuf =
Hopedale. Tue towns still coGo1k
tolsrable pseved over the six ~
they was buncoed out Of By the ~
An-star Troupe. Julia Marlowe enc
but l got Lillian Russells trunkc
they wasn't anything In II only I've
bricks wrapped up IN . petticoaG I
orter made EN- pay In advance"
But the audience wouldn't Sooaly
DO anything TO these p00plo RI r
didn't like them. would itfs
Don't know a. Il would -
en-" admitted Poth. ''anl1 aioR go
spilled ones. 10 too scarcs 70 w1aeN
but they's turniU and tbs OOWa
never were stingy With the v0GUeoSlD
onct Il set out to break up Q SSSVS
II was again Saturday, an1 every
saturday was . gala day. a. Men kaA
learned. ana ~ vas evidenced ~ tAo
clean eh1re0 and lncroaSed buG1nGn
~ the bar.
An incident Of the afternoon v>s
the arrival Of Q four wheeled ooe0
which pounded up the serest drown
by two galloptng ponisa The 0an
who held the hnss piled . long switch
ceassaessiy ana then pulled 49,
sharply to their hasnchss In treat q
He called peremptoriiy to a'Mex1sra
to come and stand at their heads, I'd
MN noted that the Mexican scranhSo6
TO his feet With an alacrity which WaS
noteworthy. 40 -
The dryer ,eprang lightly over .the
wheel and .wolkel past her into The
hotel without 70 much a. q Rlance. nj
this too obvious iAck Of curiosity modo
Nan think that he was more conscious
of her presence than had he stared
at her With tho frank interest," 70
which she was becoming sccustomed
HIS indtnerence was too marked to
. be real. ana Nan had Q fseling TIA:
not only had he seen her without
seeming 70 0se. but also that he had
heard Of her and knew all Of her that
much persistent Questioning he'd b0an
nblo to extract. which she nattsee1
herself was little.
She was not surprised when ~
came out again shortly. accompanied
strained. purposeful look which foeo-
told some social effort on is'part
Lake to make you acquatnta6
Miss 0albraith. with the boGo a -
J.. X. Outht. shake hands with -
Hon. Hank r. Spiser."
Nan found herself looh1n6 Int .
pair OF hazel eyes curiously shot ~
strcaks OF green. the pupils g 49,
were like tiny spscks Of pepper. Hls
thin. upper lip lifted frs0uently uaAle
O short, sttff mustschs. TO 01on1aO
two rows OF strong. yellow teeth.
The conspicuous cleft In ha0 oQuAyA
hard chin seemed at variance W5v4
the rest OF hts face. which 6Ats01
denoted arrogance.
In the cart he had seemed . ID
much greatsr than NaA'S own. h
was Of stocky build and ineiinsA -
corpulency: also he had . peculiar
rolling Nalk not unlike Q sailors.
Now. a. he acknowledged the laaa-
lords Introduction In . sweeping b0Ws
the removal Of his hat displaye6 Q
rather bald head upon which . ~
lengthy hairs were used to the greoe-
eat advantage.
.poth tells me you've coma 70 No.
n little stay In our country. dad -
for you--anything At all you waaE
femme know" His manner Of speech
was abrupt. authoritative. wholly N
dicative Of . man accustomed -
= obedience.
you are very kind" Nan murmursd
formally.
Now. don't hesitate" he urOsd.
We're rough out here. and Sty1e
amt our long suit. but We aim 20
treat strangers right. Amt that "a.
Poth?"
Sure" with heartiness whieh
seemed forced.
As he sprang into the cart and
lifted the limos over the backs OF the
dripping horses he turned and asked:
You'll be at the show Tonight I
SUPPOSE"
Mrs. Poth has invited me-" Some
thing In his eyes. his voice. his
manner subtly conveyed tho impress
sion that his appearance there was
contingent upon her own.
Nan was not sure that she liked
Mr. HANK Spiser. boss Of the Z. x.
oMit, What was II he disseminated
an Impression OF sincerity beneath
his hluff hnanit aIity NJ an indAfinA ~ q