Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1921-12-01
Engaged TO
Be Married
By FREDERICK CLARKE.

Copyright. 1924. Western Newspaper Union.
"Lucia, dear, have some news for
you" said little Miss Brett, taking her
by both hands in her dressing room in
the Imperial theater. II am going to
leave the stage"
You, my dearl Why-why Prescott
told me himself that he means to give
you the star part next month. You
can't mean it, you who have won fame
in a night"
but that doesn't mean anything to
me now" answered the girl, smiling.
you see," she added in a lower voice,
Il am engaged to be married"
Lucia Clay kissed her warmly and
chatted for quite five minutes, which
was a big slice out of a busy wOman's
life. Then she watched her go down
the draughty corridor and sank back
into her chair and wept bitterly.
There must have been big expert
ences in Miss Clay's life" said an old
critic to his friend once.
There had been, the biggest Of all
experiences, because the most univer-
sal. She had been carried and her
honeymoon had lasted II days.
They had been days of delirious
happiness both for herself and for the
young painter, Lawrence Murdoch. She
had played the ingenue's part in
one or two productions creditably, and
they possessed $500 between them. On
the strength Of this they we're mar
ried.
1t was an old, eighteenth century
cottage in which they had elected to
spend their honeymoon. And their
happlnes had been intense for IL days.
Then Lawrence went away. After a
day and a night Of agonized search
ing she discovered that he was stay
ing at the house Of a friend Of his.
She went there, fearless in her hui
millty Of love. The man refused her
admittance. Lucia saw Lawrence at
the window; their eyes met and he
turned away. Then Lucia went home.
It was long afterward that she
learned the cause of her husbands
abandonment. He had followed her to
the theater, with the intention Of
meeting her and taking her to lunch.
He had seen her In another mans
arms. The other man was old Colonel
Brett, a lifelong friend, Of whom she
had not told Lawrence, during their
three weeks engagement.
1.-THE curtains up, Miss Clay" an
nounced the colored woman who as
sisted with the wardrobe. Miss Clay
put the final touches to her makeup
and joined the little group in the
wings.
Lucia walked on the stage. She
heard the applause Of the audience as
an accustomed thing, she glanced in
differently into the packed masses and
bowed; and then she saw Lawrence's
face, and he might have been her sole
auditor, for everybody else was but a
blur in the. darkened auditorium.
She had never seen him since they
parted. Now he sat in the third row
of the parquet watching her. And
LAGll, luz lAlC uLSb L4AuC III 4lC4 CApCAA-
ence, Lucia Clay forgot her lines.
How she stumbled through her part
she never knew. But when the cur
tain fell the last thing she saw was
Lawrence's eyes looking into her own,
and the old spell was on her, and she
hurried to her dressing room, avoiding
the anxious questions Of her friends.
She found him at the stage door,
and because there was nothing to be
said she took him by the arm and led
him back upon the daFkSned stage.
'Mr. Prescott, have sems news for
you" said Miss Clay that evening. II
am going to leave the stage"
Yea, Miss Clay Why-why, you
can't mean 1t, you WhO have won a
national reputation. We have locked
forward to still greater triumphs for
you"
'But that doesn't mean anything to
me now" answered Miss Clay, smiling.
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