The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-07-21

the man who deliberately makes a map Of
his life? The blue sky above Strongheart
House seemed unlocked. The trio speed
ing up country road in their high power
automobile. with Mr.. and Mrs. Edeson al
ternately at the wheel and Roberta tucked
between them, were pointed at as 'the
happiest family on Long Island
What happened to Bob Clarke and his
bachelorhood in the play? Fate gfbed at
him. made a toy Of him. Loves lightning
shattered the confident mold of his life.
The thunderbolt crashed and laughed at
him.
1t came in the form of a girl Just a
girl, smiling, so harmless to all outward
appearance, yet so subtly fraught with
possibilities of change, of revolution. in a
mans life. The mother that Clarke found
and adopted had a daughter. She was
high spirited and rebelled against the
adoption Of her parent by a man that
she didn't like anyway" She made war
upon Clarke. She hurled epithets at him.
big bully" and worse.
Clarke should have disliked her. So he
did, at first. But the sky of his content
was darkened by a cloud, no larger than
the hem of a girls skirt. II spread. II
darkened. From'it shot forked lightning.
Carkes bachelOrhOOd was shattered by
loves lightning. It struck him hard. 1t
did damage. certainly, to his heart. He
begged the girl to mend it. Begged as
abjectly as any boy in his first passion.
And Bob" Edeson? It was to be his
last season save one. For two seasons
longer was he to be a rogue and vaga-
bond" Sag HarbOr already called him
Squire" The mummers life Of the road,
with an annual or bi-annual metropolitan
run, was nearly over. A life of country
calm and uninterrupted peaceful domes-
ITCHY stretched out before him. He could
almost put forth his hand and reach it.
Bob" Edeson was, among all the men
he knew, supremacy content.
81 hate to go back to town, my dear he
said to pretty Mrs. Bob. "Only two trips
this Summer. and those two too many
But I'll have to meet the applicants So
I'm off to the offices tomorrow"
You'll be back early, dear?"
THE first moment | can get away"
And he fervently kissed her goOdby.
Among those who wished to join the
supporting company Mr.. EdesOn found
waiting Miss Mary de Wolfe Newcombe
Experience? She had had none. but her
determination to go on the stage was
greater than that lack of experience. It
was not new to her to face audiences. Up
State where she came from. she had adj
dressed audiences for woman suffrage
Just girl Not even an actress. But
although Robert Edeson hesitated he en-
gagged her for his play, "His Brothers
Keeper" The company, headed by the
aCtor-author, started on a tour of the
South. No one was aware of 1t, Robert
Edesun devoted husband, good father, esti-
mable citizen of Bar Harbor, least OF all,
but slight cloud had begun to darken the
sky above Strongheart House and the sim
pie joys for which II stood
II was when he returned from the South
ern tour that the presence of that cloud
was felt. Slowly, surely, it became per-
ceptible to his wife. to his friends, to him
self. Loves lightning had struck him. The
one ungOvernable human passion, love, had
possessed him.
Squire" Edeson was distract. His face
was seldom seen behind the desk at