Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-10-26


Ladies ana :" he shouted,
sweat beading his perturbed forehead
regret impossible to
continue money box
Office
An angry howl drowned him out. He
retreated at accelerated discretion.
Whitaker, slipping through the stage
door behind the boxes, ran into the
stage manager standing beside the first
entrance, heatedly explaining to any
one who would listen the utter futility
of Offering box-office prices in return
for seat checks which in the majority
of instances had cost their holders top
notch Spectator prices.
They'll wreck the theater," he
shouted excitedly, hopping his brow
with his coat sleeve, what t'ell'd she
Wana pull a raw one like this fOrY'
Whitaker caught his arm in a grasp
compelling attention.
where's Miss Law?" he asked.
Il dunno-gO ask Max"
where is hep
you can search me; last I saw Of
room up by the roots"
Whitaker hurried on just in time to
see Max disappearing in the direction
of the stage door, at which point he
caught up with him, and from the
managers disjointed catechism of the
doOrkeeper garnered the information
that the star had hurried out of the
building while Max was making his
announcement before the curtain.
Max swung angrily upon Whitaker.
"Oh. it's you, is it? Perhaps you can
explain what this means? She was
looking straight at you when she dried
up! | saw her"
perhaps you'd better find Miss Law
and ask her." Whitaker interrupted.
"Have you any Idea where she's
gomez
Home, probably" Max snapped in
return
Come on, then" Passing his arm
through the managers, Whitaker drew
him out into the alley. wen get
taxi before this mob"
but, look here-what business'ye
you got mixing in?"
ASK Miss Law" said Whitaker,
shortly. 1t had been on the tip of his
tongue to tell the man fatty: I'm her
husband" But he retained wit enough
to deny himself the satisfaction of this
shattering rejoinder. Il know her." he
added; that's enough for the pres
emit"
At the entrance to the alley Max
paused to listen to the uproar within
his well-beloved theater.
I'D give five thousand gold dollars
IL / hadn't met you this afternoon p
he groaned. Il always knew that wOm-
an was Jonah !"
You were calling her your mascot
two hours ago"
She'll be the death of me, yet" the
little man insisted gloomily. He
stopped short, jerking his arm free.
''LOok here, I'm not going. I've got nay
work cut out for me back herewith
jerk of his head toward the theater.
Whitaker hesitated then without re-
greet decided to lose him. 1t would be
as we'll to get over the impending in
tervieW without a third factor.
Very WELL" he said, reckoning
taxicab III to the curb. whats the
address?'
Max gave it sullenly.
$50 long" he added mOrosely as
Whitaker opened the cab door; ''sOrry
l ever laid eyes on you"
Whitaker settled back in the cab
and, obliyious to the lights of Broad
way streaming past, tried to think. 1t
suddenly presented itself to his reason,
with shocking force, that his attitude
must be humbly and wholly apologize.
1t was a singular case: he had come
home TO find his wife on the point of
marrying another man-and she was
the one entitled to feel aggrieved /!
Strange twist of the eternal triangle!
Far too soon the machine swerved
into Fifty-seventh street, slipped half
way down the block, described wide
arc to the northern curb and pulled
up, trembling, before modest modern
residence between Sixth and Seventh
avenues.
Reluctantly Whitaker got out and,
on suspicion, told the chauffeur to
wait. Then, with all the aIacrlty of
condemned man ascending the scat
fold, he ran up the steps to the front
door.
A man-servant answered his ring
without undue delay.
Was Miss Law at home? He would
see.
This indicated that she was at home
Whitaker rendered a card with his sur
name penciled after that of Mr.. Hugh
Morton in engraved script.
He stared round him with pardon
able wonder. If this were truly the
home Of Mary Ladislas Whitaker-her
property-he had builded far better
than he could possibly have fOreseen
with that investment of five hundred
dollars six years since. Soft, shaded
lights, rare furnishings, the rich yet
delicate atmosphere of exquisite taste,
the hush and orderly perfection Of a
home made and maintained with con
summate art: these furnished him with
dim, provoking intimatiOns of an indi-
yiduality to which he was a stranger
less than stranger-nOthing
Almost Immediately he became
aware Of feminine footsteps on the