The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-02-13
,cen,,nuea trom Ye..sraayl


Fay threw her head against the
back OF the chair and closed her eyes
"Oh. Porter she sighed. how | wish
sometimes that you could understand
me; that you were not always 40 hne'
and strong, and hard-iusi niue hu'
man for once in your lite
With her eyes still closed she SLOW
ly stretched ont her arms toward MIN
and pressed her fingernails hard INTO
the soft palms OF her white hands
kiss me. Porter she cried, KISS
me, Just once on the lips
Fielding drew himself TO his fuu
height. and with a slight shrug OF his
broad shoulders. crossed the room 10
the telephone.
mo, Fay." ne said, mot tonight.
Don't be foolish"
She pulled herself slowly from the
chair. and without looking ~ Field
ing. pushed her feet farther into the
big bath slippers. and then, with no
more words. shuffied back into the
bedroom. BY the time that she had
dressed herself again in her own
clothes the taxicab had arrived, and
Fielding led the way In silence down
the two long flights of stairs. He
opened the cab door and helped her
in.
You're quite sure that you don't
want me 10 go home with your" he
asked.
Fsy shook her head. no. thank
YOU, Porter. think I'd rather 20
back alone"
Good night, then he said. You re
sure you have the fare?
For answer Fay nodded and YEARLY
rested her head against the cushions
OF the open cab. Good night" she
called, but her words scarcely rose
above whisper, and were lost In the
whirring noise of the machine, as,
with sudden jolt, IL started on Its
way.
At an early hour the following
morning Fay was awakened BY Mrs.
IYorke, who brought her a box OF
flowers that had been sent by mes
,senger. For few moments the older
woman fingered about the room, IN
the hope that Fay would open the
box and tell her from whom the How
fere came. But as Fay showed no IN
oQination TO do anything OF the kind,
with profuse apologies for her intru-
sion, Mrs. Yorke reluctantly took her
leave. The moment the door had
c1osed Fay cut the strings from the
< bbx. and opening the lid. found "A
sealed note lying on a bunch of scar
let roses. With trembling fingers she
tore open the envelope and az the
first glance recognized the card as
I Tfeiding's His message she read over
and over again. There was only one
line scrubbed in pencil-"I forgive
4 y6tt--Porter" For a few moments
( Fay did not seem to understand Just
4 What the message meant, and then
HE hot blood surged into her face,
Ind tearing the card into small pieces,
! the threw them out OF the open win
low,
81 NE forgives me-" she repeated
kgain and again. Porter forgives
he
IN With both hands she raised the
1pen box of long-stemmed roses high
3bove her head and was about to- hurl
III. too through the window. And then
}omething seemed to hold back her
kfms. and with a sudden change OF
Movement. she buried her hot burn
hg lace in the bunch OF damp frag-
liant flowers. After ALL" she wills
xerUd flercely, "he did send me rosot
tnd It's the first time In his life he
\ AVER did that--and | love him for it
Tea. I do. love him for it.
IN Later that morning Fay went TO re-
kearsal, depressed aud very unhappy.
bhe was lstless in her work and not
lure OF herself, and for the first time
\ Ens sharply reprimanded by the stage
manager. During the long intervals,
khen her set OF girls was not on the
ktage. she sat alone in the back OF
Me dark gloomy auditorium and sui
/ nenly brooded over her troubles
In the morbid condition OF her mind
Il seemed as IL Lusk, the Claytons
md even Fielding had all turned ir-
&evocably against her. and for the
nrst time she seriously doubted the
Wisdom OF her choice in coming TO
New York. But. TO her great sorrow,
khe realized fully that the time had
kome when IL was too late TO turn
back. Even her bridges al Pleasant.
lille had been burned away and she
thoroughly appreciated that the stage
tAreer, which she had formerly re-
karded as an experiment, had now be-
kome an absolute necessity as her
B bnIy means OF livelihood. AS far as
tsusk was concerned she had always
barred but little for him, and her only
Gear was that he would use his infHu-
Dnce with the management again ST
her.
But II was very different in the
fase OF Porter Fielding. His friend.
fhip and the hours they spent almost
ally together we're the hest mart ~