The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-03-30
'haScS of homicidal maaia

phases OF nbIi!tcltlul tiSi.iii.
won't distress you with details: lie
truth is that Max was quite mad on
the subject of his luck he considered
1t, as | suspected indissGlubly asseci-
ated with Sara Law. When poor Gus
ter committed suicide, he saved Max
from ruin and innocently showed him
the way to save himself thereafter,
when he felt in peril, by assassinatng
Hamilton and, later, Thurston. Drum
mond only cheated a like fate, and
you"-turning to Whitaker-"escaped
by the narrowest shave. Max hadn't
meant to run the risk of putting you
out of the way unless he thought 1t
absolutely necessary, but the failure
Of his silly play in rehearsal tonight,
coupled with the discovery that you
were in the theater drove him tenn
porariIy insane with hate, chagrin and
jealousy"
Concluding, Ember rose. II must
follow him now to the police station.
1 shall see you both soon
again."
The woman gave him both her
hands. There's no way to thank you"
she said-"our dear, dear friendi"
"No way" Whitaker echoed regret
fully.
mo way?" Ember laughed quietly.
holding her hands tightly clasped.
"But l see you together-happy-
Oh, believe me, l am fully thanked!"
Bowing, he touched his lips gently
to both hands, released them with a
little sigh that ended in a eontented
chuckle, exchanged a short, trm grasp
with Whitaker. and left them. {.
Whitaker. following almost immedi-
ately to the gangway, found Ember
had already left the theater.
For some minutes he wandered to
and fro in the gangway pausing now
and again on the borders of the desert
ed stage There were but few of the
house staff visible, and those few were
methodicaIly busy with preparations
to close up. Beyond the dismal gutter
of the footlights the auditorium
yawned cavernous and shadoWy,
peopled only by rows of chairs ghost
ly in their dust-cloths. The street en-
frances were already closed, locked
and dark. On the stage single clns-
ter stand of electric bulbs made WIS.,
ible the vast, gloomy dome of the flies
and the whitewashed walls against
which sections of scenery were stacked
like cards. An electrician in his street
clothes lounged beside the doorkeep-
erS cubicle, at the stage entrance,
smoking a cigarette and comforting
with the doorman while subjecting
Whitaker to q curious and antagonis-
tic stare. The muffied rumble of their
voices was the only sound audible,
aside from an occasional racket OF
bootheels in the gangways as one actor
after another left his dressing room
and hastened to the street, keen-set
for the clash of gossiping tongues in
theatrical clubs and restaurants.
Gradually the building grew more
and more empty and silent, until at
length Whitaker was left alone with
the shadows and the two employees.
These last betrayed signs of impa-
pathy for their temper. Women Ger
tainly did take an unconscionable time
At length he heard them hurrying
along the lower gangway, and turned
to join his wife at the stage entrance.
Elise passed on, burdened with two
heavy handbags, and disappeared into
the rain-washed alleyway. The cleo
trician detached his shoulders from
the wall, ground his cigarette under
heel and lounged over to. the switch
board.
Mary Whitaker turned her fsce,
shadowy and mystical, touched with
her faint and inscrutable smile, up to
her husbands.
"Wait," she begged in a whisper.
81 want to see"-her breath checked
'the end of it ALL"
They heard hissings and clickings
at the switchboard. The gangway
lights vanished in breath. The single
cluster stand ON the stage disappeared
and the house was blotted out utter
ly with it's extinguishment. There re-
mained alight only the single dull bulb
in the doorman's cubicle.
Whitaker slipped an arm round his
wife. She trembled within his en-
brace.
"Black out" she said in a gentle
and regretful voice: "the last exit: (:
Curtain-End of the Play!"
NO he said in a voice of sublime
confidence-"no; it's only the pro-
logue curtain. Now for the play, dear
heart the real play E.
life lovS
THE END.