The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-16
The Evening Story
In Love with an Actress.
CBy Donald AlIen.l

more dignity, saw in the papers that
the son of a man a great deal like
him had married an actress and there
by broken his mothers heart and
caused his father to hang his head in
shame. The actress was a chorus
girl on a salary of fourteen dollars
| per week, and she spent her money
| for chocolates and left her poor hus-
band to bear all the expenses of the
| flat his ten. When he could no
longer do so, having been disowned
by his father, the wife ran away with
a butcher who wouldn't give even his
best customer chunk of cat meat.
Mr.. Frayne didn't take on so very
much about this ATTAIN it being his
busy day, but when he read the same
sort of affair again three months
later, with the addition that the
ruined husband had hung himself to
a bedpost, he turned to his wife.
"And we've got a son growing up"
he said.
Yes, and he's now twelve years
| DID, was sighed.
do you think I had better speak
to him about it?'
81 would. You cannot begin with
a boy too early
And 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.
Dung man, would you marry an
actrss?"
But I never saw one, papa" was
the puzzled answer.
THAT makes no difference-would
your"
IT guess not"
IF you ever do, sir, I shall disown
you"
Then 1 won't"
No one in the Frayne household,
unless it was the cook who would have
m O n a an
her chances of being chopped up with
an axe the next week, ever attended
a theater. 1t therefore happened that
when young Harry had reached the
for Chicago to enter railroad office.
his father did not think it necessary
to post him on any more tragedies of
the theatrical profession.
81 shouldn't hang around the vesti-
bule of a theater if I 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.''
SIS Miss Barrymore dangerous
Il have said that they are all dan
gerous."
But why are they, father?"
BE careful, sir, or I shall think
you are taking an interest L will
is because they eat late suppers and
receive bouquets from brokers'. If
you do not care to read evenings,
there is the Y. NJ. C. Al
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 a theater. He en-
tered with fear and trembling. He
was rather surprised that at least six
actresses were not on hand to well
on the stage acted with just as much
propriety, and he quickly observed
that they were far better looking
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. II wonder what father and
mother. are SO down on actresses
for"
And for the next year. except when
his father visited Chicago, it was al
ways two nights a week at the theater
and sometimes three, and then the
out to him on the street or in res
but he thought them more
reserved than any other class. 1t was
months before he happend to be in
troduced 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 identified her.
Young Frayne had good society |
backing, and the more he talked with |
people of social standing about the |
atricaI people the more he wondered |
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 well acquainted.
1t was then that the young man
learned from her own lips that he
had made the acquaintance of an
-
nor did he find himself gasping for
breath. He found her not only win
some but broad-minded and well ed
ucated and well posted.
And ever since my boyhood have
been taught to dread Them" he said
to himself as he walked home that
night. +
vacation they should go away to-
gether, and one day in July found
them at a Lakeside hotel. A day or
TWO later brought Miss Bell, though
she had no idea that he was there.
There were guests that knew her,
md people were discussing her be-
presence. It came from his father !
and mother first.
Well" said the former as the :
rio sat by themselves, IT was given
to understand that this was a Sc
ect hotel
"'They seem very nice people, re-
piled Harry.
You don't mean that a lot of for
eigners have arrived ?'
st mean that at least one actress
mas arrived and the guests are
gathering around her like flies
about sugar. l.
Mercy mel"
ST believe that most Of the the
atrical people take a summer vaca-
ion,'' said Harry in voice he tried
But to come here" gasped the