The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1917-03-08
The DESTROYING ANGEL

It's simplicity itself: I'm going to buy
him."
"Buy Maxi"
"Body-artistic soul-and breeches,"
Whitaker affirmed confidently.
Impossible I"
you forget how well fixed / am.
What's the use of my owning half the
gold in New Guinea If it won't buy
me what 1 already own by every moral
| and legal rightT'
HE won't listen to you; you don't
know Max"
I'm willing to lay you a small bet
that there will be no first performance
at the Theater Max tomorrow night"
you'll never persuade him"
I'll buy the show outright and my
wife's freedom to boot-or else Max
will begin to accumulate the local
color of a hospital ward"
Ember smiled grimly. you're be-
ginning to convince even me. When,
may 1 ask. do you propose to pull of
this sporting proposition?"
do you know where Max can be
found tonight?"
'At the theater@"
"Then the matter will be arranged
at the theater between this hour and
midnight"
Il doubt If you succeed in getting
the ear Of the great man before mid
night; however, I'm not disposed to
bubble about a few hours"
"But why shouldn't II"
Because Max is going to be the
busiest young person in town tonight,
! And that is why I've been looking for
you. Conforming to his GUS
tom, he's been giving an advance
glimpse of the production to the crit
les and a few friends in the form OF
n final grand dress rehearsal tonight.
Again, in conformance with his GUS
tom, he has honOred me with a bid.
I've been chasing you all day to lind
out If you cared to 60"
"Eight o'clock and a bit after"
Whitaker interrupted brisl1ly, consul
ting his watch. Here, boy" he hailed
a passage page; "call a taxicab for
me-" And then, rising alertly: "Come
along; I've got to hustle home; and
make myself look respectable enough
for the occasion; but at that, with
luck, fancy wen be there before the
first curtain"
This mood of faith, of self-reliance
and assured optimism held unrufIled
throughout the dash homeward, his
hurried change of clothing and the
ride to the theater. Nothing that EN-
ber, purposely pessimistic, could say
or do availed to diminish the high
buoyancy of his humor. He main.
tanned a serene faith in his star a
spirited temper that refused to recog.
nize obstacles in the way of his de-
sire.
In the taxicab, en- route to the Thea
ter Max, he contrived even to distil a
good omen from the driving autumnaI
downpour itself.
"On such day as this" he told his
doubling friend, II won her first on
such day shall win her anew, final
ly and for all time"
From Broadway to Sixth avenue,
FOrty-sixth street was bright with the
yellow glare of the huge sign in front
of the Theater Max. But this night,
unlike that other night when he had
approached the stage of his wife's tri.
umphs, there was no crawling rank OF
cabs, no eager and curious press OF
people in the street; but few vehicles
disputed their way; otherwise the rain
and the hurrying, rain-coated wayfar-
ers had the thoroughfare to them
themselves. And even this he
chose to consider a favorable omen
there was not now a public to come
between him and his iOve-Only Max
and her frightened fancies.
The man at the door recognized EN-
Der with a cheerful nod; Whitaker he
did not know.
"Just in time, Mr.. Ember; curtains
been up about ten minutes" .