Cleveland County herald., 1919-09-04
CHAPTER XXI.
The End in Sight.


 Barnes, soaring beyond all previous heights of exaltation, ranged dizzily between "front" and "back" at the Grand opera house that evening. He was in the "wings" with her, whisper ing in her delighted ear; in the dress ing-room, listening to her soft words of encouragement to the excited lead ing lady, on the narrow stairs leading up to the stage, assisting her to mount them; and all the time he was dread ing the moment when he would awake and find it all a dream.
 There was an annoying fly in his ointment, however q love you" she had said simply. q want more than anything else in all the world to be your wife. But cannot promise now. l must have time to think, time to-"
 Why should you require more time than IT" he persisted "What is time to us? Why make wanton waste of it?"
 q know that cannot find happiness except with you" she replied. No matter what happens to me, I shall always love you, I shall never forget the joy of this. But-I cannot prom ise now" she finished gently and kissed him.
 Between the second and third acts Tommy Gray rushed back with the box-office statement. The gross was $359. The instant that fact became known to MT. Rushcroft he informed Barnes that they had knockout" a gold mine, and that never in all his career had he known season to start off so auspiciously as this one.
 Three days later Barnes and Miss Jones" said farewell to the strollers and boarded day train for New York city. They left the company in a con- dition of prosperity. The show was averaging two hundred dollars nightly and MT. Rushcroft was already book ing return engagements for the early fall. He was looking forward to a tour of Europe at the close of the war.
 Barnes sister, Mrs. Courtney, met them at the Grand Central terminal.
 Its now quarter to five," said Barnes after the greeting and presen- tation. "Drop me at the Fifth Avenue bank, Edith. I want to leave some thing in my safety box downstairs. Sha'n't be more than five minutes"
 He got down from the automobile at Forty-fourth street and shot across the sidewalk into the bank, casting quick, apprehensive glances through the five o'clock crowd on the avenue as he sprinted. In his hand he lugged the heavy, weatherbeaten pack. His sister and the countess stared after him in amaZement.
 Presently he emerged from the bank, still carrying the bag. He was beam ing A certain worried, haggard ex- pression had vanished from his face, and for the first time in eight hours he treated his travelling wardrobe with scorn and indifference.
 "Thank God, they're off my mind 1 at last" he cried. "rhat is the first good, long breath I've had in week. No, not now. It's long story and can't tell it in Fifth avenue. It would be extremely annoying to have both of you die of heart failure with all these people looking on"
 He felt her hand on his arm, and knew that she was looking at him with wide, incredulous eyes, but he faced straight ahead. He was ter ribly afraid thaf the girl beside him was preparing to shed tears of joy and relief. He could feel her search ing in her jacket picket for a hand kerchief.
 Mrs. Courtney was not only curl- ous but apprehensive. She hadn't the faintest idea who Miss Cameron was, nor where her brother had picked her 1 up. But she saw at glance that she was lovely, and her soul was filled with strange misgivings. She was like all sisters who have pet bachelor brothers. She hoped that poor Tom hadn't gone and made a fool of him. self.
 had with the stranger only served to increase her alarm. Miss Cameron's voice and smile-and her eyes were positively alluring.
 She had had night letter from Tom that morning in which he said that he was bringing young lady friend down from the north-and would she meet them at the station and put her up for couple of days? That was all she knew of the dazzling stranger up to the moment she saw her. Immedi- ately after that she knew by intuition @ great deal more about her than Tom