The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1920-05-13

NICNOLSON

| 40 In so vast company? / am very
happy here. Spring and summer fill
my hands with flowers and I'm winter
| lay my face to the wind that carries
sleet and snow. All this Is mine
Arms stretched out. You mustn't
make that Stiff-very good. Earth
and sky and forest belong to me. The
morning comes down the sky in
search of me and the tired day bids
me good night at the western gate.
You would change rags for silk You
turn your body and catch your skirt
In your hands, looking down. Yes
you are barefoot in this scene You'll
have to practice that turn Now
And yet i should lose my dominion !;
In that world you boast of l should
no more be. Lady Larkspur.'"
Alice had repeated these lines. test
ing and trying different modulutions.
! Sometimes a dozen repetitions hardly
/: sufticed to satisfy Mrs. Farnsworth,
{; who herself recited them and postured
i for Alice's instruction.
please read the whole of the sec
( ond act again." said Alice. seating
! herself on the boulder. / waited for
few minutes, enjoying the beautiful
flow of Mrs. FarnSwOrth's voice, then,
mystitied and awed, l crcpt down the
ladder and stole away IT'S Dick
Searles' play" | kept Whispering TO
myself. 1t was the Lady LarkSpur"
that he was holding back until he
could find the girl that had so en-
chantpd him in London and for whom
he had written this very comedy with
lis setting in the Virginia hills.
Hurrying to tho garage. snarlcd
Vt Flynn. who said Terrence had
been calling me all morning and had
finally left word that he would motor
to Barton at eight the next evening
To see me on urgent business. I'M
locked my trunk and dug out my copy
OF lady LarkSpur." Not even the
wizardry Of Alice and her friend
could have extracted the script. The
two women had in some WAY pos
ScSS"d Themselves of another copy. an
exact duplicate, even to its blue paper
cover; and ! sat down and began re-
calling everything SrarlcS had told
me about his efforts to find the ac-
treSS.
The t"irphun" on the table AT my ell
bow rang until Flynn came in timid-
ly to quiet it.
"If it's Mr.. Torrcncc-" began.
ITS the Barton station. tir.
There's Il telegram" ! snatched the
receiver spitefully. thinking 1t only
the mcthOdical Terrence confirming
the appointment made by telephone.
But the operator began reading:
Springfield, ohio. September 80, 1917.
Gable from I.nnIon agent says last
forwarding address for Violet Dewiny
was hotel in Seattle Please ask
Harkaway 4 stein ana anybody else
on Broadway who might know what
companies are on coast or headed
that way. ! find no clcw I'm theatrical
papers and don't want To mess things
by making inquiries direct II party
can he located. will start West im-
mediately. "Scarles."
The thought of Sear,cS was comfort
Ing, and ] reprOachcd myself for not
having f.mmoned him ut the begin
ming Of my perpl"XiIieS. iInmsdiataly
oicthtcu tnlB reply.
'"Take first train east and come 70
m" at Barr"u as Gu:cliIy as possible.
Hop" to have news for you"
then iotted down on scratch pad
this memorandum:
"The young woman representing her
self as Mrs. Bashfor,, and now eStab.
liShed In NV unclc's house is one or
all ~ no f,,II,uipu
81. Uncle Basins widow.
"2. An impoStor.
''3. y spy of some sort, pursued by
secret agents.
II. Violet Dcwing. an actress.
-. The most interesting and the
lovclicSt and most charming girl in
the world"
The following day nothing Of impOr.
tancc happened. though Alice and Mrs.
farnSworth again spent the morning
I'm the woodland, presumably studying
Scarles' play. My thoughts gallopcd
through my head I'm q definite formula
II she is not my aunt" eff she is
IN mpostor-" "If she is a spy playing
deep game III the SCcluS!on of Bar
ton" "If she Is the actress ScarlcS
is seeking" Al any rate. | would re-
spcct her wish TO play the game
through; the dangers Of carrying the
StorT-bOCk idea to one of half q dozen
! possible conclusions were rot incon.
siderable, but | was resolved that she
! should finish the tale in her own
fashion.
, If ] had expected Scarlcs and his
, play to be introduced into the table
talk, was doomed to disappointment
dozen times | smOthcrcd an impulse
To tell Alice and Mrs. FarnSworth
! had watched them In the Woodland
and of SearlcS' long search for the
ideal of his Lady Larkspur," but
was afraid to risk their diSplcasure
They enjoyed walking In the wood
they said, and when | charged then
with selfshness in not taking IN,
along, Alice Immediately suggested ,
tramp later In the afternoon.
I'll send you away after luncheon