The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1916-03-16


and had drifted into the opera
house, where the manager over
whelmed him with attentions. As
he watched the girl work he nodded
his head.
'1'd like to steal your leading wo-
man," Benjamin said to Quinlin. 81
can place her in a road company for
a year under one of my good stage
directors and then bring her into
New York"
eco ahead and STEAL" invited
Quinlin- "She's a nice little wo-
man, and If you can place her the
contract she made with me won't
hold her back. I'll tell her to write
to you"
The big manager nodded his
thanks, looked at his watch and
hurried of to make his train.
Maggie only nodded careessly,
when Quinlin hurried back with
word that the way to Broadway was
open to her at last.
She could not think Of business
when Tom was out there in the
darkened auditorium watching her.
She needed to give all of her atten-
ton to her performance, and she
played the last act with a rich sim
cerity that won the audience CON-
pleteH.
Not until the curtain had fallen
and the other players crowded
around to congratulate her upon
the opportunity she had earned did
she seem to realize what it all
meant, and then she accepted list
lessly what the other women of her
profession would have given years
Of their life to attain.
She slipped from the stage door
alone to 60 to the hotel, but as she
emerged Tom stepped forward with
outstretched hands.
II had to come to see you" he
said brokenly. "At first I vowed
that I would stay out of town while
you were here, but had to come
back, and Pm glad I did.
81 thought that you would be
tough and common, Maggie, like
the rest, but you can't be that and
play as you did tonight. That wasn't
acting, and when I saw you as you
really are, and not as I thought
that you would be, I wanted to get
up and shout to you to come right
to me and we'd get married, as we
used to plan when we were chill
dren. Will you come and marry
me, Maggie? I've got fine farm
now, and you'll never regret it,
dear"
'I don't think l will regret it, %
agreed Maggie happily, "but I didn't
think you'd want me, Tom.
"You know what they think about
actresses here" hs reminded her. T
guess I thought pretty much the
same, but you-well, when l saw
you come on the stage looking just
as you used to do I, knew you were
my Maggie still%
He clasped her hands, unable to
say more, but Maggie understood.
To the Melrose minds all player
folk were followers of the devil.
Perhaps the ingenious role she had
played had won Tom. He wanted
for his wife the woman she had
played. And she knew it would be
easy to continue in that role with
Tom as opposite.
She felt that she could continue
her success in that part, and 80 she
let him kiss her before she pushed
him gently from her with a whis-
pered command to come to the hotel
in the morning. Together they
would see Quinlin and secure the
release from her contract.
As she entered the hotel the man
ager was waiting for her. He had
taken from his trunk her contract
for the season, and this he handed
to her.
"This sets you free, my girl. You
can 60 to Benjamin and Broadway"
he said smilingly. 'T'm glad that at
last the Metropolitans have contrib
uted real star to Broadway"
'T'm not going to Benjamin" re-
piled Maggie. '1'll play the season
out for you if you want me to, but
| made a real human hit in the part
tonight, and Pm going to keep on
playing it for Tom here in Mel
rose"