Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1918-07-30

the destroying angel Of your III
starred destiny my dear"-he turned
to the woman-"ls exorcised-ban-
ished-proscribed-"
"Max-p Whitaker struck In explo-
sively.
lis on his way to the police sta
ton, well guarded" Ember affirmed
with a nod and grim smile. II have
his confession, roughly jotted down.
but signed, and attested by several
witnesses. I'm glad you were
out of the way; 1t was rather a pain
full scene, and disorderly; 1t wouldn't
have been pleasant for Mrs. Whitaker.
. We had the deuce of a time
clearing the theater: human curiosity
is a tremendously persistent and re-
sistant force. And then / 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
/ could depend on. And then I 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 mere
ly suspected, l broke down his de-
malls. 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
1t, as / 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 q 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. II mus
follow him now to the police station
/ shall see you both sooI
again."
The woman gave him both hel
hands. "There's no way to thank you,
she said-"our dear, dear friendp
mo way" Whitaker echoed regret
fully.
mo way?" Ember laughed quietly
holding her hands tightly clasped
'But l see you together-happy-
Oh, believe me, am fully thanked !"
Bowling, he touched his lips gentl,
to both hands, released them with I
little sigh that ended In contentet
chuckle, exchanged a short, firm grass
with Whitaker. and left them.
Whitaker, following almost immedi
ately to the gangway, found Embe
had already left the theater.
For some minutes he wandered t
and fro in the gangway. pausing nov
and again on the borders of the desert
ed stage. There were but few of III
house staff visible, and those few wer
methodically busy with preparation
to close up. Beyond the dismal quite
yawned cavernous and shadowy
peopled only by rows of chairs ghost
ly in their dust-cloths. The street en-
frances were already closed. locke,
and dark. On the stage a single clus
ter stand of electric bulbs made Wis
ible the vast, gloomy dome of the file
and the whitewashed walls agains
which sections of scenery were stacke,
like cards. An electrician in his stree
clothes lounged beside the doorkeep
er's cubicle, at the stage entrance
smoking q cigarette and comforting
with the doorman while subjectin
Whitaker to a curious and antagonis
tic stare. The muffled rumble of thei
voices was the only sound audible
aside from an occasional racket o
bootheels In the gangways as one acto
after another left his dressing room
and FASTENED to the street, keen-se
for the clash of gossiping tongues II
theatrical clubs and restaurants.
Gradually the building grew NOR
and more empty and silent, until a
length Whitaker was left alone witt
the shadows and the two employees
These last betrayed signs of impa
tience. He himself felt little sym
patty for their temper. Women Ger
tainly did take an unconscionable tim
to dress
At length he heard them hurryinl
along the lower gangway, and turne'
TO join his wife at the stage entrance
Elise passed on, burdened with tw,
heavy handbags, and disappeared int
the rain-washed alleyway. The cleo
i trician detached his shoulders from
the wall, ground his cigarette unde
heel and lounged over to the switch
board.
Mary Whitaker turned her face
shadowy and mystical, touched witt
her faint and inscrutable smile, up t
her husbands.
"Wait," she begged in a whisper