The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1916-12-08
CHAPTER V-Continued.

CHAPT TX V-SOnLl0uCu.
3
Whitaker laughed quietly and turnec
the conversation. accepting the haha
gers pseudo-confidences at their race
value-that is, as pure bluff. quite con
sistent with the managerial pose.
They rose presently and made theli
way out into the crowded. blatant nlSh'
of Broadway.
"WeIl walk, If you don't mind Max
suggested. 'It isn't far. and Ia ike
to get a line on the house as IT goes
in." He sighed affectedly. Heaven
knows WHEN I'll see another swell au'
dience mobbing one of my attractions!
They pushed forward slowly through
the eddying tides. elbowed by q mattn'
less motley of humanity. deafened py
its thousand tongues. dazzled to bilnd'
ness by walls of living light. Whitaker
experienced a sensation of parucipat'
ing in a royal progress: Max was PLAIN
ly q man of mark he left wake OF
rippling interest. At every third step
somebody hailed him. as a rule by nis
FIRST name; generally he responded oy
curt nod and a tightening OF MS
teeth upon his cigar.
They turned east through Forty
sixth street. Shouldered by denSer
rabble whose faces. all turned IN one
direction, shone livid with the glare OF
a gigantic electric sign. midway down
the block:
THEATER MAX
SARA LAWS FAREWELL.
1t was nearly half-past eight; the
house had been open since seven; and
still a queue ran from the gallery doors
to Broadway. The lobby itself was
crowded to suffocation with an occi-
dental durbar of barbaric magnificence
the city's supreme manifestation OF
it's religion. the ultimate rite in the
worship of the pomps of the flesh.
Look at that" Max grumbled
through his cigar. "Ain't it shame?'
"What?' Whitaker had to lift his
voice to make it carry above the buz,
zng of the throng.
'The money I'm losing" returned
the manager, vividly disgusted. Il
could've filled the Metropolitan opera
house three times over!"
He swung on his heel and began to
push his way out of the lobby. "Come
along-no use trying to get in this
way"
Whitaker followed, to be led down a
blind alley between the theater and
the adjoining hotel. An Illuminated
sign advertised the stage door, through
which. via a brief hallway, they en-
tered the postscenium and-Max drag
ging him by the arm-passed through
small door into the gangway behind
the boxes.
Curtains just up," Max told him
"Sara doesn't come on till near the
middle of the act. Make yourself com
Portable; I'll be back before long,"
He drew aside a curtain and ushered
his guest into the right-hand stage-boX
then vanished. The few empty stalls
were rapidly filling up. There was g
fluent movement through the aisles. A
subdued hum and rustic rose from thai
portion of the audience which was al
ready seated. The business going or
upon the stage was receiving little at
tention-from Whitaker as little a:
from anyone. The opening scene il
the development of the drama inter
ested the gathering little or not at all
it was hanging in suspense upon tht
unfolding of some extraordinary devel
opment. something unprecedented ant
extraneous. foreign to the play.
Max slipped quietly into the box ant
handed his guest program. "Bettel
get over here" he suggested in :
hoarse whisper, indicating chair nea
the rail- "You may never have an
other chance to see the greatest livin.
actress. Wonderful house." he whis
pered, sitting down behind Whitaker
"Drummond hasn't shown up yet
though"
THAT SOP" Whitaker returned owe
his shoulder.
"Yes; it's funny; never knew him t.
be so late. He always has the aisl
seat, fourth row, center. But he'll b.
along presently"
differently absorbing the information
that Jules Max has the honor to pre-
sent Miss Sara Law in her first ant
greatest success entitled Joan Thurs
day-a play in three acts"
The audience stirred expectantly; :
movement ran through it like th'
movement of waters, murmurous, up
on a shore. Whitaker's gaze wa
drawn to the stage as if by an i'm
pIacable force Max shifted on th'
q chair behind him and said somethin,
indistinguishable, in an unnatural tone
A woman had come upon the stage
suddenly and tempestuously, bangin!
door behind her. The audience go
the barest glimpse of her profile as
pausing momentarily, she eyed tn
other actors. Then, without speaking
she turned and walked up-stage, he
back TO the footlights.
Applause broke out like q thunder
clap, peaIing heavily through the bi;
auditorium, but the actress showed N
consciousness of it. She was standin;
before a cheap nsirror, removing he
hat, arranging her hair with tn
typical unconscious gestures of
weary shopgirl; size was acting-Iivini
the scene, with no time to waste il
pandering to her popularity by bow
and set smiles; she remained befor
the glass. prolonging the business, un
til the applause subsided.
Whitaker received an impression a
of a tremendous force at work acros
the footlights. The woman diffused al
effect is of terrible and boundles
energy under positive control. Sh
was not merely al actress, not evel
merely q great actress; she was tn
very soul of the drama of today.
Beyond this he knew in his hear
+bn+ Sho was his wife Sara Law ya