The Washington herald., 1916-07-02

and who perhaps would regard her as a
mere stage performer whose morals were
light and whose husband was a silly fiS-
urehead.
The agony of Prices long Illness had
been as nothing to the anguish Of niind
that was now his Yet by sheer self
control. he kept his torture to himself;
showing no hint of it to Laura, lest he
mar her almost infantile rapture over
the prospect of the tour.
Not until the minute of her departure
did he say anything that could hint at
the terror and pain of soul that were .on-
surning him. 1t was as he was bidding
her good-by and god-speed that he spoke.
Little sweetheart" he faltered, hold
ing her very close to him. Promise me
something. Something that means more
to me than I could make you Under
stand, even II wanted to. Promise me-"
why. darling" she answered in sur
prise at his ill-repressed vehemence, TN
promise you anything in the world. You
know that. What is it,
Promise you'll be true to me while
you're away-and forever and ever"
She drew back from him. and looked up
into his pain-haggard face with flush
of indignation.
''Why, Tom she exclaimed, do you
know you are insulting me? 1t Is an
insult for any man to doubt his wife 5
loyalty"
Forgive mew he begged, but you
know how foolishly jealous I am. and
how I shall be worrying. Make my mind
easier by promising"
She saw the piteous appeal in his eyes.
and her heart softened. AS though
speaking to a frightened child. she made
answer:
Il promise, Tom, promise, faithfully.
But-it's absurd of you to think for a
moment that I need such a promise to
keep me true to you"
II know" he said, humbly. II know,
dear But-you have made me very
happy. just the same. by giving me your
promise. For l know you never break
your word. I'll feel easier now"
You're a silly, silly boy" she chided,
but. somehow. I love You all the more
for It. And" she broke of, "wSFen
get back, you'll be all well and strong
again. lent that a wonderful thing to
look forward to?'
The most wonderful thing to look
forward to-" he said, kissing her. 'is
you
From the outset the concert tour scored
a genuine success. And the success piled
up as the tour continued and as its fame
preceded II from city to city.
The bulk of the honors went to the
hitherto unknown young lyric soprano,
Laura Price. Her beauty and her per-
sonal charm, almost as much as her
marvellous voice. carried her straight
onward to complete and unmistaka BILE
triumph.
Before the tour was half ended. she
was overwhelmed by offers from man
ayers and agents. Her name and fame
and fortune were made
= Owing to her personal success the tours
receipts swelled beyond Legrand's most
airy hopes. Lauras percentage OF the
profits assumed a size that dwarfed the
memory OF all the money she and Tom
had ever possessed. Her months salary
alone. apart from percentages. was more
than poor Tom Price had earned in q
year.
Throughout she did not let victory go
20 her brain or make her other than the
charmingly girlish and simple woman she
had always been. Her daily home letters
to Tom were full OF innocently vain ac-
counts of her triumphs but they were
also fun OF the almost maternal love she
bore the invalid. and Of her longing to
be with him once more.
One cloud alone-apart from absence
from Tom-marred the sunshine OF the
trip. From the outset Legrand had as
sumed toward her an air OF half-protec-
tive tenderness that was so subtle as to
render 1t difficult to prevent and still
more difficult to resent
He was always at Laura's side, under
some protcxt or other. always guarding
her welfare and looking out for her COM
fort. beyond that OF the other members
OF the troup.
Legra1d's manner toward her was
wholly deferential but It was proprietary.
81.
and the manager must certainly draw
erroneous conclusions from 1t. Yet she
could do or say nothing to deter her ad-
mlrer.
Legrand was shrewd student of wom-
ankind. and a postmaster in the art OF
lovemaking. He was far too clever to
wreck his supposed chances with Laura
by openly declaring his feelings toward
her so early in the action. Moreover. as
she was the backbone OF his tours sue
cess. he dared not risk offending her.
So instead of the "whirlwind cam
paign' which he preferred, he adroitly
advanced inch by inch. so imperceptibly
a s to make it impossible for her to check
him.
He said nothing-he did nothing-that
could give her cause for anger or for re-
proof. Yet always he wove about her a
subtle web of attentions that was daily
becoming stronger and less easy to es-
cape from.
Vaguely she felt this But she could
do nothing until some overt word or deed
should bring the man within reach OF her
scorn.
AS for writing a word Of all this to
Tom she was far too sensible to do such
fatal thing. She knew his jealousy
and that a mere hint was enough to fan
1t into murderous fame So sorely puz-
zled as to what she ought to do. she
kept her own counsel-and waited.
It's that chuckle-headed husband of
hers who keeps us apart" Legrand once
told his chum, the manager. 'If I could
get him to give her up she'd marry me
In minute. I know she would. I don't
believe she loves him. She can't. And
even though she doesn't show it. I can
tell she has learned to care for me. But
she's a good woman. And she feels
bound to stay true to HIM II he could
be made to drop her or divorce her she'd
marry me as fast as We could get a
minister to perform the ceremony"
The tour was nearing an end On the
morning after the first concert in Bos-
ton, Legrand sent for Laura and the con-
tralto to come to his suite Of rooms in
the hotel at which the company was
staying. He wished. he said, to 60 over
new songs with each of them
Did you see the papers?" he asked
them as they came into his stting-room.
They've given us the best notices we've
had vet. At this rate we'll carry New