Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-02-23
Reunited By
the Stage
BY LULU LANGDON
10, 1921. Western Newspaper Union


suddenly called away, and, passing
homeward he had stopped and found
himself gazing with passing interest
at the poster representing Victoria
Green in 1.-The Romance"
Then he bought ticket and went
in, in bitter mood, in order to sheer.
He had devoted five years of his
life to play writing, and every effort
had come back to him with the barest
formality of a reply. So he had aban-
doned that field to reap fair success
as a story writer.
Yet when Victoria Green came on
and captivated the attention Of the au-
dience, when the plain, simple story
gradually began to make its way into
the hearts Of the audience, when sobs
punctuated the silence Stone found
himself gripped, enthralled, by the
writer's power, but ii was not until
the second act was half over that he
half Ieaped out of his seat and then
subsidized, very white. very determined.
and sick with the sudden upwelling of
memory. For this was his play, and
in it he had told the story of his own
tragedy.
1t was common enough story
that of the separation of the lovers. 1t
had happened to him three years be-
fore. when his fiancee, Julia Arnold.
and he had had their quarrel. But
both were proud and both were young;
and so the little quarrel had become
big one, and finally he had left her
in anger, to find when he was ready
to ask forgiveness that she had gone
away. He had found no trace of her
since that day, though he had sought
far and wide. Once she had had lit
erary aspirations. too; he had hoped
to hear of her in some of the maya
zine offices, but she had disappeared
completely from the knowledge of all
who had known her.
He watched the development of the
drama, the tragedy that set forth,
word by word, line by line, an indeli-
BILE picture that revived each single
memory and scared him to the heart.
1t was his! 1t was he who had writ
ten this and offered it to manager
the year before. hoping that in the
final stage reconciliation Julia would
read his own hopes and dreams; that
she would see it and remember their
love and come back to him. And the
play. rejected everywhere, had vet
been held long enough to enable some
manager to make a copy Of it and
steal 1t and have it produced.
There was no mistaking that. Skill
fully as it had been changed and re-
written though every word had been
put through the crucible of the man.
ayers mind, yet the play had emerged
the same. 1t was his plot! 1t was
his play. And he would have justice.
Suddenly at the height of the sec
ond act, when the most tense still
ness broOded over the darkened thea
ter Stone was impelled to glance
across the aisle. A woman sat there,
watching him. upon her mouth the
9antest veStige of smile. But there
might have been tears in her eyes
In ,Iulia'S eyes.
IL WIS Jullu. IlC hlltW litI lIulllCul-
atelv. She had changed but little,
though lines of suffering had come
about her mouth and her face was
more earnest. more mature, but not
less beautiful. Stone rose in his seat.
"Sit down! Silence" called some
enc angrily behind him.
He would go to her after the act
WAS over. He wanted her as he had
never wanted her before. For her
sake he would lay aside the last YES
tige of his pride, for her sake he
would confess his folly; and for his
own sake he would beg for the glory
of her love.
He could not see her face through
the misty curtain that tloated before
his own. He put his hand to his eyes
aid was surprised to find it wet. He
looked again. He could not see her
now.
The curtain fell; the lights went up.
But Julia was not there.
He looked up. Julia was standing
before the curtain, and her bow was
to the crowd; but her eyes We're on
his.
Then suddenly Stone understood.
She was the author; she had succeed
ed where he had failed, and she had
put all the sorrow and suffering Of
both of them into the story. And even
as he watched her she was gone, and
he stood still in the aisle among the
moving crowds.
The second seat was empty. Stone
slipped into it, and presently he saw
her coming down the aisle toward him.
Her head was very high, her cheeks
af'ame with happiness. And she sat
down at his side.
julia" he whispered, hardly dar-
ing to look into her eyes. ut was
you!"
"Yes." he heard her answer family.
Julia. I have sought you all this
time. Why didn't you let me know
Why couldn't you forgiven"
"But / have forgiven long ago." she