Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-21

the man who deliberately makes map or
his life? The blue sky above Strongheart
House seemed unlocked. The trio speed
Ing up a 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 gibed at
him. made toy Of him. Loves lightning
shattered the confident mold of his life.
Tho 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 n
mans life. The mother that Clarke found
and adopted had a daughter She was
high spirited and rebclled 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 dislked her. So he
did at first. But the sky Of his content
was darkened by cloud. no larger than
me hem OF girls skirt. 1t spread. 1t
darkened From 1t shot forked lightning
Clarke's bachelorhood was shattered by
loves lightning. 1t 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? 1t was 10 be his
last season save one. For two seasons
longer WAS he to be rogue and vaga-
bond" Sag Harbor already called him
Squire" The mummer's life Of the road,
with an annual or biannual METROPOLITAN
run, wa3 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, supremely content.
i hate to so back to town, my dear" he
said to pretty Mrs. Bob. "Only two trips
this. Summer. and those two too many.
But III have to meet the applicants. So
I'm off to the offices tomorrow"
You'll be back early, dear?"
Tho first moment can get away"
And he rervently 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" Tho company. headed by the
actor-author, started on tour OF the
South. No one was aware of It., Robert
Edeson. devoted husband, good father, estl.
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 1t stood
1t was when he returned from the South
ern tour that the presence OF that cloud
was felt. Slowly. surely, II 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