The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1920-05-01
CHAPTER III.
The Amazing Widow.

ne Amazing WIDOW
AS soon as Terrence left I returned
TO the garage, feeling that with Mrs.
Bashford on American soil my use of
the residence even as a 1oafing-place
was unbecoming. Mrs Bashford was
not only In America, but with motor
at her command she might reach
Barton at any hour. And the vigor-
Gus, dominating woman who had cap
tured my uncle Bash, buried him in
a far country, and then effected hop,
skip, and jump from Bangkok to
Seattle, was likely to be a prodfgal
spender of gasoline. Her propensity
for travelling encouraged the hope
that she would quickly weary of Barton
and pine for lands where the elephant
and jinrickisha flourish.
had brought with me the manu-
script of Searles' play, and I fell upon
1t irritabiy and began reading the first
act. The dialogue moved briskly, and
1 read on as though EMBODIED in the
air of crisp spring morning. My
crouch over the upsetting of my plans
yielded under the spell of his humor.
LADY Larkspur" was the name
assumed by the daughter of recluse
naturalist in the valley of Virginia.
She had known no life but that Of
the open country, where she ran wild
all summer, aiding her father in col
lecting plants and butterflies. He
had educated the girl in such a man.
ner that only the cheer and joy of
life were known to her. Hating man
kind, he had encouraged her in ma
ture- worship. She knew no literature
except the classics; all history, even
the history of the stored valley in
which she lived, was a sealed book
to her.
The girls curiosity is reused by the
sudden appearance Of strangers from
the unknown world beyond, whom
she mystif1es by her quaint old-world-'
ishness. Searles had taken an old
theme and given a novel twist to it.
The solution of the mystery Of the
fathers exile and an amusing COM
plication of lovers afforded a sus-
pensive interest well sustained to the
end. In the last act the girl appears
at a ball at a country house in sophis-
the key of mirth in which it began.
1t was a delightful blending and
modernization of Diana, ATLANTA,
Cinderella, and Rosalini; but even in
the typewriter page it was amaz-
ingly alive and well calculated to
evoke tears and laughter. That a
play SO enthralling should be buried
in a safety-vault was not to be
thought of, and sat down and wrote
Searles a long letter demanding that
he at once forget the lost star for
costing the names of several we'll
known actresses thought worth con-
sidering for the difficult leading role.
Not satisfied with this, telephoned
a telegram to the agent at Barton
for transmission to Searles at the Ohio
address he had given me.
The next day passed without Incl
dent, and on the second. hearing
nothing from Terrence. I began to
doubt Mrs. Bashford's proximity.
On the third, still hearing nothing, I
hardened to an invitation from friends
a. New London and drove in the
FUndDOuC II "dS
when I got back, and when / reached
the gates several men dashed out of
the lodge and halted me.
ashes come. SIR" announced
Antoine, emerging from the darkness.
and speaking under stress of deep
emotion; madame the widow has
arrived, sir"
"Why not Cleopatra or the Queen
of Sheba?" exclaimed testify to
cover my annoyance that my aunt had
effected her descent in my absence.
swell, she was expected; the house is
hers; what do you want me to do about
itr' I ended with affected POPULARITY.
eve received her the sest we could:
but 1t was most unfortunate, your not
being here, SIR"
els that your idea. Antoine. or do