The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1917-03-15
N THE 0|
| DESTROYING
\ ANGEL V|
- By -
LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
CHAPTER xx-cOnsInued.

pant OF the stage was Sara Law. She
sat on a stone bench with her profile
60 the audience. her back 20 the right
Of the proscenium arch; so that she
could not. without turning. have no.
ticcd the entrance OF Ember and her
husband. A shy. light. deathlessly
youthful figure I'm pale and flowing
garments that nodded themselves flu
emily TO her sweet and girlish body,
On a posture OF pensive meditation:
she was nothing less than adorable.
whitaker could not take his eyes from
Der. for sheer wonder and delight.
He was only vaguely conscious that
Max. at length satisfied. barked word
O. that effect TO an unseen electrician
or 10 the left. and waving his hand
with a gesture indelibly associated
with his personality. dragged a light
cane-seated chair TO the left OF the
proscenium and sat himself down.
"AlI readyg" hedemanded I'm q sharp
and irritable voice.
The woman on the marble step nod
+ ded imperceptibly.
Go ahead" snapped the manager.
An actor advanced from the wings,
.
woman. His lines were brief. She
iIfted her head with a startled air.
listening. He ceased 20 speak. and
her voice Of golden velvet filed the
house with the flowing beauty OF it's
unfoTgettably sweet mOdulatiOns. Be
yond the footlights a handful OF So
phisticntei and skeptical habitues OF
the theatcr forgot for the moment
their ingraiRed incredulity and thrilled
4 IN sympathy with the wonderful rap
ture OF that voice OF eternal Youth.
Whitaker himself for the time forgot
that he was the husband OF this wOm-
an and her lover; she moved before
his vision In the guise OF some divine
creature. divineiy unattainable,
II dream woman divorced utterly from
any semblance OF reality.
That opening scene was one perhaps
s unique IN the history OF the stage.
Fl composed by Max IN some mad, poet
heal moment OF inspired plagiarism, Il
not only owned a poignant and en-
Il fhraiilng beauty OF Imagery. but Il
moved with an almost Grecian certi-
tude. with a significance extraOrdina-
rily direct and devoid OF circumlocu-
tion. seeming TO lay bare the living
ussue Of Immortal drama.
But with the appearance OF other
characters there came O change the
rare atmosphere Of the opening began
20 disslpate perceptbly. The action
clonded and grew vague. The auditors
B oeenn 20 feel the flutterings Of uncer-
tainty In the air. Something was fail
Ing % cross the footllghts. The sweep
Ing and assured gesture of the accom-
81 piished playwright faitered; n clumsy
biz % construction was damningiy ex-
81 posed faults ~ characterization mul-
q tpiied depressingly. Sara Law her
SER lost an indeanhhle proportion OF
her rare aud proy0siug charm the
tranSeness ~ failing 90 hoid her au-
'Aenfe in ab lneluciabie grasp seemed
et once 20 uefflo aud distress her.
Max himself seemed suddenly 90 wake
% tha amazing fact that there was
something faormousiy and irremedi-
9'F Hrougi he bacan with e1nspcratinr
frequency 10 halt the action. 10 inter
& rupf scenes eith advice and demands
b ior repetition. fie found h Impossible
to - stiil 70 kceD his seat or c0ntroi
ihs rhsplng. Irritable voice subord-
rare characters on the stage iost their
leads end either forgot Cd act or
eGeraeted And fhen-~infoierable cn-
'AaA .-.of suGdeu somebody in fhe
,ftiies'fn chairs laughed iu outright
sion ip she midtIe az a passage
nt go he tepderlF emotional
The voice ~ Sara Law broke ana
fenf Mex. without n word turned
81 DIS heel and swung our 81 srht .nfo
N' WINGS fogf other sectors ou fhe
fe oslde from sara Law. hoatato.i
Na drew together On doubt end BE-
..1efmcnt Abd thea. abruptly with
nruinE whofeVor fhe Illusion 90
n in ihe auditorium nud monnI ehf
tNe npatreenium was rent sway tF
Ftore ~ ihc f8H complement of
Ife hents inEaiied in lhe houaa
q thnHeih later while sHu an were
NAlnf osd EnarIHg uifh aarrr.n.
Ht sif01e info riau fuat hah|nI ihe
rn Hhit uail,nr b. auar H. rr
al on0tnr with an omlloas anl
flcaont stare.
- quickly Was tnis startling change
NIlA Naf whitaker bed na
N'fe than time to realize the resp
Afance Of tho manager before LIZ
llfht DIE wraihfuI and fenmasr
uce Fixed to DIS oua heauf.fai
re. Aud sumoihiur in the LIGHT mat
'hefed wildly behind MaKs eyes re
inded h.m 30 strongly of % similar
Heslon De bad remarked ln nn
Of Drummond. ihc uieht fht af-
DAD been captured bg Embrr nnf
'n fat ihoi in alarm be- haIf ra.r
r1m hIs sent
a'maliancousiy be- saw Sex snnar
'NHfd Che box with distorted aad
inG couniennneo. He unr ine
at something in Dis pocket It
foI
INSTANTLY Whitaker was rnuraf ana
''pped BY Emhef and sent spfaNunf