The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1920-07-16

had three hundred dollars i'm currency
(this was to cover Elsie's bride money,
l conjectured), a handkerchief, a cigar
cite case, and a box Of matches. d.
rected that he be well fed and. given
all the reading matter he wanted, and
hurried on to catch my train.
took a room at the Thackeray club
and pondered carefully whether, in
spite of m misgivings, l hadn't better
see Terrence and tell him all that had
happened since his call on Mrs. Bash
ford. If there was any chance Of do
ing the wrong thing in any matter not
prescribed in the laws governing the
administration Of estates, he would
be sure to do it; but I was far from
satisfied with the results of my own
management of affairs at Barton. 1
finally called up the trust company
and learned that Terrence was in AL
bany attending the trial of a will case
and might not be in town for a couple
of days. His secretary said he had
instructions to wire my daily report to
Albany. l told him there had been no
developments at Barton. and went out
and walked. Inquiries at hotels large
AMI small occupied me until seven
o'clock. No one had heard of a Mrs.
Bashford or a Mrs. FarnswOrth. My
inspection Of the occupants of several
thousand automobiles proved equally
fruitless. l ate a lonely dinner at the
club and resumed my search. Hang.
ing about theater doors, staring at the
crowd, Is not a dignified occupation,
and by nine o'clock, having seen the
most belated theatergoers vanish, ]
was tired and footsore. The flaming
sign of Sear,es' "WhO Killed Cock
Rob;n!' over the door of the LAS You
Like 1t" caught my eye. l sought a
seattle last in the rack-and
squeezed into my place in the middle
of the last row.. AS l had seen the
piece at least a dozen times, its nov.
city was gone for me, but the laughter
of the delighted audience was cheer.
ing. The first act was reaching its
elimination, and l watched it with a
glow of pride in Searles and his skill.
full craftsmanship.
AS the curtain fell and the lights
went up amid murmurs OF pleasure
and expectancy, l glanced across the
rows of heads. The h%alf-turned face
of a man three rows in front of me
suddenly caught my attention. There
was something curiously familiar In
his outlines and the gesture with
which. at the moment, he was drawing
his handkerchief across his forehead.
It was Acknowledgment any question
Montani-and I instinctively shrank in
my seat and lifted my program as
he turned round and swiftly surveyed
the rows behind him.
l watched his black head intently
until l remembered. the superstition
that by staring at a person in a pub.
lie place you can make him look at
you. Montani knew a great many
things I wanted to know, but l must
have time to adjust myself, to the
shock Of his propinquity.
The house now took note of a stir.
ring IN the boxes. There was an ex-
cited buzz as the tall form and IN
mistakable features Of Cecil Arrow
smith. the English actor, were recog-
nized.. / had read that day Of his
arrival in New York. With him were
two women. My breath came hard and
l clutched he iron frame of the seat
in front Of me SO violently that its
occupant turned and glared.
The trio settled into their places
quickly. but not before 1 had satisfied
myself that ArrOwsmith's companions
were Alice and Mrs. F~arnswOrth. As
they fell into animated talk l saw that
Alice was in her gayest humOr. The
distinguished tragedian seemed greatly
amused by what she was saying to
him.
"Must he members of ArrOwsmith's
company" one Of my neighbors re-
marked. "They open in two weeks
in S~hakespearian repertoire"
Montani had half risen. the better
to focus an opera-glass on the box.
The gong solemnly announced the Sec
to face the stage. Once more Mon
tani scanned the party with his glass.
AS the lights faded Alice, with the
pretty languOrous gesture so well re-
membered, opened her fan-the fan
Of ostrich plumes, that became a blur
! Of white that held my eye through the
dusk after the curtain rose.
Alice. Montani, and the fan! To this
combination l had now to add the new
element introduced into the situation
by the apparent familiar acquaintance
of Alice and Mrs. FarnswOrth with
Cecil Arrowsmith. And yet, as the
play proceeded on its s~wift-movin9
c6urse, l reasoned that there was moth
ing extraordinary In their knowing the
eminent actor. He had long been
a parsonage in England and had late
ly been knighted. Their appearance
with him at the theater really dis
posed of the idea that they might be