Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-18


4 deal more dignity. saw in the papers
q that the son of a man great deal
! like him had married an actress and
thereby broken his mothers heart
and caused his father to hang his
head in shame. The actress was
chorus girl on salary OF four
teen dollars per week, and she spent
X her money for chocolates ana lett
her poor husband to bear all the eX-
Il nenses of the fiat on his ten. When
he could no longer do SO, having
been disowned by his father. the wife
sss ran away with butcher VINO
wouldn't give even his best customer
u chunk of cat meat,
Mr.. Frayne didn't take on so very
much about this affair 1t being MS
busy day, but when he read the
n same sort Of affair again three
months later with the addition that
the ruined husband had hung HIM
self TO a bedpost, he turned to his
wife.
"And we've got son growing up"
\ he said.
Eyes, and he's now twelve years
old" was sighed.
$40 you think 1 had better speak
to him about it?
II would. You cannot pegln
with boy too early
And so young Harry Frayne was
called into the library and told
these two cases, and learned that
they were only two out of hundreds
of like ones, and then the question
was put to him with all parental
sternness.
young man, would you marry an
II actress?"
But never saw one, papa was
the puzzled answer.
"That makes no difference-would
4 you?"
I'll guess not
"If you ever do, sir, shall dlsoWn
YOU"
Then won't"
No one in the Frayne household,
unless it was the cook, who would
have married an actor right off and
taken her chances of being chopped
i'm with an ak, the next week, ever
attended a theater 1t therefore hap
pened that when young Harry had
reached the age of twenty-one and
was starting for Chicago to enter a
railroad office, his father did not
think it necessary to post him on any
Nnore tragedies Of the theatrical pro-
.fession.
Z 81 shouldn't hang around the vesti-
&bule of a theater if were you,' he
said by way of advice.
mo, sir"
Because an actress in front of the
house is just as dangerous as one on
THE stage
Even if you don't speak to herr"
Even So
"Is Miss Barrymore dangerous"
II have said that they are all dan
gerous.'
But why are they, father?'
BE careful, sir, or ! shall think
you are taking an interest. | will
4 answer this one question for you. 1t
l is because they eat late suppers and
receive bouquets from brokers. II
YOU do not care to read evenings,
there is the Y NJ. G.. A
A wooden-headed man would be
prepared for the natural sequence.
! The evening Of the young mans ar
rival was spent in his room The
next one found him at theater. He
\ entered with fear and trembling. He
was rather surprised that at least
six actresses were not on hand to
y welcome him. Such as were in the
play on the stage acted with just as
much propriety and he quickly OBJ
served that they were far better look
ing than those of the audience.
why, there are rich people here
and nice people!' said young Frayne
to himself as he looked the house
over 81 wonder what father and
mother are so down on actresses
for
And for the next year, except when !
y his father visited Chicago, it was
always two nights a week at the |
theater and sometimes three, and !
then the young man had an actress
pointed sout to him on the street or
in a restaurant, but he thought them
more reserved than any other class
It was months before he happened
to be introduced to one, and then by !
accident and not by her stage name.
They had a few minutes talk and
though her face and voice seemed
familiar, it was when he saw her on
the stage again that he fully 1den- |
tilted her.
Young Frayne had good society |
backing and the more he talked with
people of social standing about the !,
at the opinions held by his parents
1T was at a gathering of distinction |
that he again met Miss Bell. and they
sat together long enough to become
quite we'll acquainted.
It was then that the young man
learned from her own lips that he !,
had made the acquaintance OF an
actress and no chill ran over him, |
nor did he find himself gasping for
breath. He found her not only win
some but broad-minded and we'll edu- !
Gated and well posted.
"And ever since my boyhood |
have been taught to dread them
he said to himself as he walked |
home that night.
His father and mother arranged |
that when he had had his summer
Vacation they should go away to-
eether. and one day in July found
Them at a Lakeside hotel A day or