Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-10-19
The Third
Act
By ANTHONY REIMERT

thirty years diaV sue sang ufN3Aeiy.
There was a cry of encore
The elder clntched the younger by
the arm DO you know herY he
asked.
The other studied the programme.
Madame Elise. he read.
.'Yes, Elsie n, xbury, the famous
English beautyl Good heavens, why
diU she ccme here? You know her
storyY'
Something about that man Saun-
derson, the government official who
disappeared, isn't it?1
"Yes. There were two acts to that
drama. Saunderson was a well-knos,n
man in London He was engaged to q
charming girl. Lord Elfolth's daugh-
ter. He had everything in life to look
forward to-well-born, rich, talented.
''Then he met Elise Roxbury, and
for a while their lives were paradise.
That was act one. Lord Elforth's
daughter broke off the engagement.
That gave him his chance to hold up
his head. And nobody cared what the
relationship between him and Elise
was. People are tolerant.
"Then--there was a very ugly scan
dial. He seems to have. done some
thing queer about money. Elise had
extravagant tastes. 1t was hushed up.
bur it broke niIn He lad to leave
the government service. He had to
resign from his clubs. Doors that had
been open to him were slammed in his
face. That was bad enough, but a
second man appeared upon the scene,
a rich man. Elise threw Saunderson
over.
IF ever man was broken by a
woman, he was by Elise Roxbury. Act
two saw him a disgraced. discredited
fugitive over the face of the earth,
penniiess. Eventually Saunderson
came ont here, got a position with
mining company, retrieved himself.
Yes, this is the Land Of Second
Chances.
Elise Roxbury, of course, went the
way Of all such women. She disap-
peared from sight. | had forgotten
about her until saw her twenty
minutes ago. Yes, that's she She
always could sing. But
His grip frightened on the others
arm
''We mustn't let her meet Saunder-
son. He told her that she should
never ruin another mans life as she
had ruined his He went to her apart
Inent In London with a revolver before
he left England He fred at her
Wounded her. believe. That scandal
was hushed up too.
But If Saunderson sees Elise Rox-
bury here, he'll kill her. / know he
willard he comes in here generally
in the evenings. Now-whats to be
done?'
The singers voice rang out In the
song from II Trovatore:
"Ah, ] have Ionged to rest mo
Deep in the quiet grave,
Have longed to rest me-"
The elder mans face whitened
"Saunderson |" he whispered
A man had just entered by side
entrance, and was making his way
slowly down the aisle He was about
thirty-five years of age, prematurely
gray. His stern face was set rigidly;
there was movement of the fingers
in his coat pocket
The yclnger Of the pair saw that
the singer was staring at the man
coming down the aisle. She had just
finished her song. Plaudlts filed the
cafe.
There was no stage, no footlights.
Elise Roxbury was singing in the small
open space By the plano at the upper
end OF the cafe. There was no exit
there. II was impossible to flee, even
IL she wished to fee. And Saunderson
was coming on inexorably.
TOO late |" muttered the older man.
II was far too late. A few steps
more and the two would stand face to
face. No one In the audience had as
yet noticed anything queer. But the
two men at the table saw that the
singer seemed to have turned to stone.
She was staring eft the man approach
Ing her as IL fascinated, helpless.
She had never appeared so beauti-
full. The plaudits had hardly ceased.
There went up ringing cries again Of
encore !"
The singer paid no attention to
them. But 1t seemed to the two men
at the table across the cafe as il she
made an insignificant gesture. inviting
the revolver. as II her lips curved
proudly.
Then Elise Roxbury and the man
she had broken were standing face
to face.
For an instant they confronted each
other: ther OF a sudden he took her
by the hand, She placed her arm
through his, smiling up into his face.
The two men at the cafe saw him
leading her down the aisle. The audi
ence understood nothing.
"By Georgei" said the younger Of
the two men.
''That Is the third act" said the
elder. ut has the merits of surprise"