Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-03-19

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men in the audiences, clapping, yelling,
snarling, crOwding, writhing, gloating-
like lot of wild beasts, with their eyes
fixed on you. ready to eat you up if you
come In reach of their claws. Oh, how
hate EN-!
We'll, I'm not telling you much about
Il had 5000 saved up, and I cut the
stage the first of the summer. I went
over on Long Island and found the sweet
est little village that ever was, called
Southport, right on the water. I was
going to spend the summer there, and
study up on elocution, and try to gee
class in the fall. There was an old widow
lady with cottage near the beach who
sometimes rented room or two just
for company, and she took me In. She
mad another hOarder, too-the Rev. Ar
thur Lyle.
Yes, he was the headliner. You're on,
Lynn. I'll tell you all of it in a min
Ute It's only one-act play.
THE first time he walked On, Lynn, I
felt myself going the first lines he spoke
he had me. He was different from the
men in audiences. He was tall and slim,
and you never heard him come in the
room, but you felt him: He had a face
like picture of a knight-like one of
that Round Table bunch-and a voice
like cello solo. And his manners!
Lynn, If you'd take John Drew in his
best drawing room scene and compare the
two, you'd have John arrested for dis
turbing the peace.
TN spare you the particulars; but in
less than month Arthur and I were en-
gagged. He preached at a little one
night stand of a Methodist Church. There
was to be a parsonage the size of
lunch wagon, and hens and honeysuckles
when he were married Arthur used to
preach to me a good deal about Heaven,
but he never could get my mind quite
of those honeysuckles and hens
No; | didn't tell him I'd been on the
stage. hated the business and all that
went with it, I'd cut It out forever, and
didn't see any use of stirring things up.
| was good girl and I didn't have any
thing TO confess, except being an elocu-
ZIONIST ard that was about all the strain
my conscience would stand
"Oh, l tell you, Lynn, I was so happy
I sang in the choir and attended the
sewing society, and recited that Annie
Laurie thing with the whistllngf stunt
In it, in manner bordering upon the
professional as the weekly village paper
reported 1t. And Arthur and l went
rowing, and walking in the woods and
claiming, and that poky little village
seemed to me the best place in the world
I'd have been happy to live there always,
too, if
But one morning old Mrs. Gurley, the
widow lady, got gossipy while l was
helping her string beans on the back
porch and began to gush information, as
folks who rent out their rooms usually
90. Mr.. Lyle was her idea of saint on
earth-as he was mine, too. She went
over all his virtues and graces and
wound up by telling me that Arthur had
had an extremely romantic love affair
not long before, that had ended unhap-
PLY. She didn't seem to be on to the
details. but she knew that he had been
bit pretty hard. He was paler and thin
ner. she said, and he had some kind OF
remembrance or keepsake OF the lady
In little rosewood box that he kept
locked In his desk drawer in his study.
several times, says she, I've seen
him gloomerin' over that box Of evenings.
and he always locks It up right away II
anybody comes into the room
Wei, you can imagine how long Il
was before | got Arthur by the wrist
and led him down stage and Missed in his
ear
That same afternoon we were laying
around in boat among the water lilies
at the edge OF the bay.
Arthur says /, you never told me
youd had another love affair. But Mrs.
Guriey DID, | went on, to let him know
l knew. hate to hear a man lie
Before you came, says he looking
me frankly in the eye, there was a pre-
vious anection-a strong one. Since you
know OF 1t. 1 viii be perfectly candid
with you
d" I am waiting saysI.
- -
My dear Ida says Arthur-of course
went by my real name, while l was In
Soundport-this former affection was a
spiritual one, IN fact Although the lady
aroused my deepest sentiments, and was
as l thought my ideal woman. l never
met her. and never spoke to her 1t was
an ideal love. My love for you, whlla
no less ideal. Is different. You wouldn't
let that come between us
WAS she pretty2' I asked
she was very beautiful said Arthur.
" Did you see her often?' asked.
Something like a dozen times says
he.
Always from a distance? p sayg 1
he.
AND you loved herr asked.
She seemed my ideal of beauty and
grace-and SOUL says Arthur
ana this keepsake thar you keep IN
der ioek and key, and moon over at
times. Is that a remembrance from her.?
"A memento,' says Arthur, that /
have treasured
"'Did she send It to you?'
" It came to me from her says he.
In a roundabout way?' asked.
somewhat roundabout says he. and
yet rather direct
why didn't you ever meet herY
asked Were your positions In life so
she was far above me- SAYS Arthur
Now, Ida he goes on. this Is all of the
past: You're not going to be jealous, are
youT
Jealous" says I. why. man, what
are you talking about? II makes me
think ten times as much of you as | did
before l knew about it,
And it did, Lynn-if you can under
stand IT. That ideal love was a new one
on me, but 1t struck me as being the
most beautiful and glorious thing I'd ever
heard OF. Think Of a man loving a