The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-31

nevertheless, so long as snt pore
Fyfe's name, she did not feel free to
make herself a public figure there
without his sanction. SO she wrote
to him In some detail concerning the
offer and asked point blank II IL mat
tered to him.
His answer came with uncanny
promptness. as II every mail connec-
ton had been made on the minute.
IF It Is to your advantage to sing
here" he wrote, by all means ac-
cept. Why should II matter to met
I would even be glad TO come and
hear you sing II could do so with
out stirring up vain longings and
useless regrets. As for the other con-
siderations you mention. they are OF
no weight at all never wanted to
keep you In a glass case Even II
all were well between us. I wouldn't
have any feeling about your singing
In public other than pride in your
ability to command public favor with
your voice. It's n wonderful voice.
too big and fine thing to remain
obscurc.-Jack."
He added. evidently as an after
thought. q somewhat lengthy post
script:
II wish you would do something
next month. not as favor to me
particularly. but to ease things along
for Charlie and Linda. They arc
genuinely In love with each other. i
can see you turning up your little
nose Mt that. ! know you've held "A
rather biased opinion Of your bro
Their and his works since that unfor-
tunate winter. But II doesn't do to
be too self.righteous. Charlie. then.
was very little different from any
rather headlong. sclf-ccntered. red
FLOODED youngstcr. I'm afraid I'm cx-
pressing myself badly. What ! mean
is that while he was drifting then
into a piggy muddle. he had the
sense to take a brace before his
iapses became vices. Partly because
I've nattered myself talked to
him like Dutch uncle. and partly
because he's cast too much In the
same clcan-cut mold that you are. TO
let his natural passions run clean
away with him. He'll always be
more or less a profound egotst But
he'll be a good deal more Of man
than you. perhaps. think.
II never used to think much OF
these matters. I suppose my own
failure at thing In which / was
cocksure Of success has made me a
bit dubious about anybody I care for
~ = A ~ n =
marriage under any sort Of handicap.
/ do like Charlie Benton and Linda
Abbey. They are marrying In the
face Of her peoples earnest attempt
to break II up. The Abbeys are hope
iessiy conservative. Anything in the
nature Of our troubles aired In pub
lie would make IL pretty tough sled
ding for Linda. As IL stands. they
are consenting very ungracefully. but
as a matter Of family pride. intend
to give Linda big wedding.
Now. no one outside Of you and
me and-weil you and me-knows
that there Ii a rift In our lutte. !
haven't been quixzed--naturally. II
got about that you'd taken up voice
culture with an eye TO opera as a
countcracting influence to the grief
Of losing your baby. I fostered that
rumor.-simpiy to keep gossip down
until things shaped themselves posi-
lively. Once these two are married.
they have started-Abbey pere and
mere will then be unable to frown on
Linda's contemplated alliance with n
family that's produced = divorce case.
II do not suppose you win take
any legal steps until after those con-
certs. Until then. please keep up the
fiction that the house Of Fyfe stii
stands on . solid foundation myth
that you've taken no measures to
dispel since you left When II does
come, II win be a sort Of explosion.
and ia rather have II that way-one
amazed yelp from our friends and the
newspapers, and It's over.
Meantime, you will receive an In
vitation TO the wedding. hope you'll
accept You needn't have any com
FUNCTIONS about playing the game.
You win not encounter me, a. have
my hands full here. and I'm notori-
Gus In Vancouver for backing out OF
functions. anyway. II II not impera-
tive that you should do this. It's
merely q safeguard against q bomb
from the Abbey fortress.
Linda Is troubled by belief that
upon small pretext they would 10
very nasty. and she naturally doesn't