Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-06-17
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{ A Story of-=S s
! T1U0 Ambitions !
& By Clara Stein -=--===== -===

BY Clara Stein


raved about her? She is now in
Vienna. l will try to secure her SER
vices, | am sure we will be satisfied"
So, few weeks later, as Frances
and her aunt were sitting in their
sitting-room at the Grand Hotel, Nc
Farley was announced. "He wished
to see Miss Clayton alone," he said.
"Never mind" answered Frances,
whatever interests me, will also in
terest auntie."
The playwright was astonished,
surely this frank girl could not be
the Partisan star.
McFarley stated his business, stat
ed also how long they had been seek
ing for player for the role.
"But surely" said Frances laugh
ingly, "if all those have failed, no,
doubt but l shall also"
The playwright felt more at his
ease. He vowed that Mile. Clayton
was charming.
"What is the play?" she asked.
ga princess without a Title" re-
sponded McFarley.
"Oh, yes, we have read it. Haven't
we, auntie? We enjoyed it very
much. | read it over again, short
time ago. By William Darwin, is it
not ?"
Eyes, that's his assumed name"
"And the other" asked Frances.
"Lorimer Aldrich is his real name,
but he very seldom uses it. Are
you il?" he asked, as Frances sud-
denly paled and supported herself
against the table.
mo, the name just sounded a trif-
lie familiar. n-old-friend by
the name," stammered Frances.
"You will take it, will you not ?"
McFarley continued after a short si-
lence.
"In a month l will be in London"
said Frances, "by that time l will
have decided; l do not know now.
Then if choose to take it and you
still want me, will do so.
"Thank you, Mile. Clayton; we
shall engage no other" and McFar-
ley bowed himself out of the room.
"What old friend was that you
spoke Of, Frances" asked her aunt,
you seemed to have been much af-
fected."
"Then you have forgotten his name
altogether. Don't you remember,
when you lived in the country in that
dear old America, when | was lit
tie girl, and never dreamt of ever
being called Mile. Clayton, some peo-
pie were living there by the name of
Aldrich. Of course, you remember
the boy-c-could write good
compositions" said Frances.
"Oh, now l remember" said the
old lady, "that was the countrylad
who used to pay so much attention
to you and he went away to the city,
short time before we left to-I
believe to work in factory or some
thing"
"No auntie," suddenly burst forth
Frances, "you have that wrong. He
went away to study law; his uncle
who lived in Philadelphia was very
rich. Lorimer could write we'll too,
but l never dreamed that he and
William Darwin were one. That is
why | was so surprised. He had am
bition though, great ambition"
"Yes," said the elder lady, "and
that always leads on. 1t is your
ambition too, Frances, is it not, which
urges you on?"
During the succeeding days, Fran
ces thought much on the topic
Should she play the part of heroine
in his-his novel?". Often when she
had a few spare moments she would
take his book and read various parts
over again, sometimes twice and even
three times. The playwright had
also left a copy of the play. She
often thought, "if l do take it, what
pleasure it will be to me, for some
parts are exceedingly easy, so much
different from others / have played,
this seems SO natural and easy to me.
But, supposing he should be there,
what then? Perhaps, l won't be able
to play well at all then" Still an
other thought dominated this one,
"what need / care for him, when sue
cess is SO dear to me-"
In one place in his book, Lorimer
had said that first love is best, and
now Frances wondered if he really
did think so. Other paragraphs
! struck her forcibly, as if they were
meant to deal with herself. By the
time the month had expired, Frances
had fully decided that she would ac-
cept.
The next week she was in London
| and when she told McFarley of her dc