Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-09-22
A Shattered
Romance
BY WILLIAM FALL
@ 1921. western Newspaper UniOs-)

Why the story told by this simple
country girl in the Pullman brought
tears to Miss Agnes Dare's eyes the
latter could not imagine. 1t was only
after she knew how deeply she was
moved that she discovered the reason.
1t was her girlhood story over again.
1t was because Miss Dare is so well
known that / have called her by this
nom de plume. Her married life has
been presented TO the attention Of
scandal-loving readers on the front
pages of the most popular Journals
nct once or twice, but at least ten
times.
just now she was travelling alone
across the continent to open in Los
Angeles, thankful enough for the brief
respite from popularity which enabled
her to assume her real name. But
for us she is still Miss Dare.
And this simple country girl had got
on with some man whose face Miss
Dare had not seen at Fort Tyson, and
she was travelling to Denver. Miss
Dare, seeing that she was distressed,
had sat beside her and the girl had 1T
tile by little told her the whole story,
She was rancher's daughter. and 1t
was the old tale of monotonous farm
life with no distraction, and the bril-
liant actor, Charles Montford, whose
fancy she had caught while his troupe
played two nights at the county cap
ital. And they were to be married at
mancei
Clarence had met some friends
of his and he had told her to sit still
and not to speak to anyone, and she
knew that she was doing very wrong
to disobey him and talk as she was
talking now. But Clarence had some
important business affairs to settle In
the end car. he said. And when, after
an hours obedience the girl had gone
timidly back to the end car to look
for Clarence, she found him drinking.
Then Miss Dare found that there
were tears I'M her eyes, too. Her mind
went back for nearly 20 years to q
little farm house in Iowa, and an old
father and mother, and a travelling
troupe, and a man. Well, she
had discovered about his marriage
long afterward. And 1t was years since
he had crossed her life. He must be
forty now.
She took the girls hand between
her own and began to talk to her.
"But my father would never let me
marry an actor" exclaimed the girl.
you know, we folks have strange
ideas out on the ranches" And Clar-
ence had been the first to explain to
her the impossibility Of that.
Then Miss Dare began explaining
her views until she saw the scared
look that came in the girls face;
then she tried to console her. And Just
then, happening to look up, she saw
somebody at the end Of the car, walk
ing rather indirectly, and hastily she
excused herself and hurried toward
him.
The man looked down. "Helloi"
he said, smiling stupidity. "Hellol
Why! Whyl-" Suddenly his face
blanched and he sat down heavily
upon seat.
Miss Dare did not let go his arm for
an instant.
Listen to me, you" she could not
find a suitable term Of address. lis
ten to me-" she said. "You know me,
don't you? Well, you are going to
that little girl in No. 5, and you are
going to tell her that you have made
mistake. Do you understand And
then--we shall be at Dry Lake in
FIVE minutes. You get Off at Dry
Lake."
He swore at her. "What has II to
do with your he sneered.
"You-go-now," she whispered
hoarsely. you know the abduction
laws of Colorado? Yes, you gol"
She watched him pass along the
aisle and saw him bend over the girl
and speak. She saw the girl start up,
cliDging to the velvet cushions of the
Pullman. Then the train slowed down,
and the train was pulling into Dry
Lake. The girl was going to scream.
Miss Agnes Dare got there In time,
and moment later she was knocking
Clarence Montford all over the car.
That was the latest Of the Dare
scandals, and Miss Agnes photograph
was prominently displayed as usuakon
the front pages Of the newspapers.
from New York to San Francisco.
Miss Agnes read Il and smiled. Life
has its compensatfons, and there Is
letter in her handbag which she
reads sometimes when things have
gone badly with her. 1t Is from a girl
In Tyson; and she reflects that II she
has ruined her own life she may have
sovad another