The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-04-27
The Strange Case OF
Mary Page
Continued from Monday's Banner

she turned to the judge and said:
lt''I don't know what am supposed
to do. your Honor, but want to tell
you right here, that Mary Page is the
best and the bravest and the truest
girl in the whole wide world
For the first time the judge smiled;
then he leaned forward and said
kindly:
1.-The Court appreciates your admira.
ton for the prisoner, but you must
confine your remarks, while on the
stand, to the answers TO questions
which win he asked YOU"
"Oh. yes, | was told that" she an
swered readily but forgot" Then
turning TO I.angdon she added cheerily,
Fire away Mr.. l.angdon, I'm all
ready"
A little gust OF laughter rippled
through the court. Then Langdon.
coming close to the witness stand, said
quietly;
o'i"Missl Barton, you know the defend
ant, Mary Page, do you?"
why. Of course do. you goat.'' she
answered with a bubbling laugh that
| found an echo in the room But Lang
don frowned, and his voice was more
harsh as he said. please answer yes,
| or no, and remember that If you want
to aid Miss Page, you must make your
answers short and to the point. Now
4 will wa tAlaacn tnlI hA ftteN
| when and how you first met Miss
1 Page"
1T was some years ago, and she and
| her mother came to our apartment
with a note from Cousin Alice Cowes,
who lived In New Town. Cousin Alice
had sent them to us because she knew.
we had an extra room We wanted TO
rent, and she thought that could help
| Mary land job
What sort of-er--positionF
"In the merry mcTy-that is, on the
stage. Id been across the foots my
self for couple Of seasons and Cousin
Alice said Mary wanted TO become an
actress and thought | could show her
how to make the rounds. It's a tough
proposition getting job in New York
with no friends and no pull
"Will you tell the court, please, Miss
Barton, about the first position secured
by Miss Page and of the events that
led up to IL"
We'll, it Just happened that the day
Mary hit the big town L,had a date
with Webster. the real boss OF the mu-
steal comedies. or course he isn't the
sort that you'd want to send your lit
tie sister from the country to see but
too much hedging don't 20 in the show
business worth a whoop. You've got TO
trust to sharp tongue and hat-pin
till you show them where they get off,
and once they're wise, they treat you
all right. Webster was like that but
if he promises YOU part he plays fair,
so l never was atraid TO buck his Of
fice-boy even on u busy day. So off
we went
81 had an appointment with the old
man. but he was scrapping with one
OF his 'romantic'leads'-you could hear
them clear out TO the front ball--and 1t
was long tine before ! could per
suade his llttls cerberus to 20 In and
tell him waS waiting At any rate.
he came outht last blowing blasts of
red fire after the actor-and then he
saw Mary. Talk about lions and lambs
Why. he pared when he saw her and
he was so sweet to me | almost got Il
leading laly's contract out Of him be-
fore he woke up, and began to ask me
questions about Mary. Then he tried
to kiss her and put IN inch or so of
my hat pin in his arm just above the
elbow Mary and | beat it while The
going was good, and Mary was so up
set we decided to go right home In
, | stead OF calling on any Of the other
managers. That was how we happen
ed to run into Jim Pollock"
Where did you meet Mr.. Pollock
"0b, he was OH the job at the apart
ment when we got home. Playing the
humble but persistent swain-wanted
to, lay his fortune at her feet and give
her life of gilded ease. He PLEADED
| all'that sort of Soft-music stuff, an(
told her she didn't realize how crue
the world was to a girl men Away:
say that and how she would suffer Il
| see her mother growing old and lack
ing the comforts she could not earn
| for her Then he pulls out his walle
u and taps 1t, saying, All that | have i
! yours, Mary, even if you don't MARI,
I me- Business of soft muster
Ia Were you in the room while thi
XII was going on"
I'll NO she answered, winning gal
1 Of laughter from the courtroom, blu
I | You can't brush your teeth In New
b York apartment without the people ii
the next door fat hearing you, and CIV
I erything that Mary said or Jim Poi
lock said, might rs well have bee
shouted through megaphone."
. Did Miss Page seem touched by MI
Pollock's offeri" said Langdon; repress
ng smile with difficulty.
mo, she stood up to him spunkil
and told him fiat where he got OF
I'm going 20 get work she said, 'bu
If didn't my mother and woul
never accept any help from you
have only one thing to ask, and that
that you leave here at once and don't
come again He came out in the ha
whore had the door all nicely opene
for him. told him swectly that l.