Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1917-04-14

MAX W ullaher Struck IN e&Dl0-
sively.
is on his way to the police sta
ton. well guarded" Ember affirmed
with a nod and a grim smile. 81 have
his confession. roughly iotted down.
but signed, and attested by several
witnesses. I'm glad you were
cut of the way; 1t was rather pain
full scene. and disorderly; it wouldn't
have been pleasant for Mrs. Whitaker.
We had the deuce of time
clearing the theater; human curiosity
is a tremendously persistent and re-
Sistant force. And then l had some
trouble dealing with the misplaced
loyalty of the staff of the house.
However eventually / got Max to my
self-alOne. that is, with several men
l could depend on. And then heart
lesSly put him through the third de-
gree-fOrestalling my friends, the DO
lice. BY dint of asserting as truths
and personal discoveries what l mere
~ suspected, | broke down his de-
mails. He owned up doggedly enough,
and yet with that singular pride which
| have learned to associate with some
phases of hOmiCidal mania. /
won't distress you with details: the
truth is that Max was quite mad on
the subject of his luck he considered
it, as l suspected. indissolubly associ-
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 assassinating
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 ii
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
porarily insane with hate, chagrin and
jealousy"
Concluding, Ember rose. 81 must
follow him now to the police station.
. l shall see you both soon
again-Y'
The woman gave him both her
hands. "There's no way to thank you"
she said--"our dear, dear friendw
''No way" Whitaker echoed regret
fully.
mo way?" Ember laughed quietly,
holding her hands tightly clasped.
| But I see you togethe- happy
Oh, believe me, 1 am fully thanked"
/ Bowling, he touched his lips gently
to both hands. released them with
little sigh that ended in a contented
chuckle, exchanged a short, firm grasp
with Whitaker, and left them. &.
Whitaker, following almost immedl-
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
~ in their dust-clotbs. The street en-.
frances were already closed. locked
and dark. On the stage n single clus-
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.
er's cubice, at the stage entrance,
smoking & cigarette and comforting
with the doorman while subjecung
Whitaker to a curious and antagonis-
tic stare. The mufIied rumble Of their
voices was the only sound audible
aside from an occasional racket of
bootheels in the gangways as one acror
after another left his dressing room
and FASTENED 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-
tience. He himself felt a little sym
patty for their temper. Women cpr-
tainly did take an unconscionable time
to dress
AT length he heard them hurrying
along the lower gangway, and turned
to join his wife ut the stage entrance.
Elise passed on, burdened with two
heavy handbags, and disappeared into
the rain-waSbej alleyway, The cleo
trician detached his shoulders from
The wall, ground ms cigarette under
heel and lounged over to the switch
board.
Mary Whitaker turned her face.
shadowy and mystical, touched with
her faint and inscrutable smile. up to
/ her husbands.
"Wait," she begged in a whisper.
~ want to see"-her breath checked
tine end Of it ALL"
They heard hissings and clckings
at the switchboard The gangwoy
lights vanished ln q breath. The single