Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-08
CHAPTER w. Continued. J

I am sorry, Ralston. but it was Mrs.
Van Dusen about the Babies Outings.
Z We have been given-but l will tell
you later. Go on, dear"
Ralston brought down his eyes,
which had been seeking patience on
the ceiling. The scene was dark with
coming disaster, but Mrs. Gage still
smiled to herself over good news. At
its close Sabra made swift, scratchy
note. 1t sounded like criticism and
Ralston paused with politely inQuiring
eyebrows. but she only nodded.
go on. We will talk about it after
ward" she said.
Ralston finished his first act and by
pause invited comment, but no one
spoke. Chloe, though still reverent,
was looking puzzled: Mrs Gage s
hands had mechanically taken up her
darning He went on. but his voice
grew Nat, strained. He offered the
speeches badly, too proud to curry Ia
yor by clothing them with expression;
Mrs. Gage occasionally lost woro
and asked to have it repeated, not
I dreaming how that exasperated.
When Billys kitten came into the
room and Chloe held out beckonlng
fingers to it, Ralston made colo
pause as though to say, When your
attention is quite free" But Chloe'
knowing little of authors, did not catch
the rebuke. and seized the moment to
sather ,up the kitten into her lap
Ralston resignedly went on. and trled
not to see that her fingers played with
the little beast. He was coming 10
MS bie scene and in spite Of obstacles
the emotional suspense was rising IKE
4 tide when Sabra's cool. eficlent
voice broke in:
"One minute, Ralston. Do you in
tend there to convey the elect
The manuscript was slammed shut.
"Oh. good lord!" he burst out. III you
don't get the effect without explana-
ton. what is the sense of reading 1t
to your
But II an intelligent listener is not
certain of your intention. wouldn't IT
be well to make it little clearer!
Sabra argued with perfect good tenn
rer. "However, we can talk OF that
i.ter realize that should not have
Interrupted
go on. dear. must know Wnat
she Does his mother urged, and Raj
eton, with sigh for lost insplratlon'
drearily finished the act.
THAT is enough for tonight ne
said. 81 am too tired to read the last
act"
II am sure it is very powerful and
unusual" said Mrs. Gage. And when
you get real people doing 1t and all
II seems to me every bit as good as
the Henry Arthur Jones play we went
70 together"
Raiston slightly shivered. oh
JONES'" he murmured.
at is unusual Sabra decided.
"Your motive is strong and dramatic.
and your man is well done" Sabra
never offered an opinion: she stated
truth. The softening, 81 may be
wrong or, 1T seems to me- did not
accord with her mental processes.
"Eut your woman is not sound. In
the scene where was inconsiderate
enough to interrupt, she would not
have taken just that attitude. That is
a mans idea of woman, not real
woman. A man always"
IF she didn't take that attitude,
there would be no play said Raiston
rising. THANK you all for listening.
You have been most patient He
was too depressed, body and oul. to
be sarcastic very successfully. and his
mother answered with simple literal.
ness.
ut has been great pleasure. dear
boy. And have got whole pile of
dull mending done. You couldn't let
me take theSlast act? shall be won
dering all night if il has happy end
ing"
The phrase was unlucky. Ralston
raised protesting hands to the god of
pure art "Oh. happy ending-happy
ending! Shall we never be rid of that
,bogy? Why should it end happily? Life
doesn't. Nobody dies, is that is what
you mean. It leaves them going on as
best they can. as MANNED people must"
He gave her the typewriter sheets
Read It if you like. but for PHYS
sake don't talk to me about it, he
said. and went heavily to bed Mrs.
Gage was depressed.
at is hard to say just the right
thing" she admitted humbly.