The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1925-07-02

boy.
Mrs. Arlington's not here. Run
away and find her quickl"
The orchestra had finished the over
ture and were waiting to play the
opening act"
Distinguished members of the audi
ence began to consult their watch.
The management had earnestly re
| quested them to be in their places
punctually at S15 P. NJ, as the in
| terest commenced with the rise of the
curtain
The conductor left his seat and dis
appeared under the stage.
Occupants of boxes, stalls, and
dress circle fidgeted in their seats and
looked meaningly at one another.
Good heavens!" crled the manager.
~What in the world are we to do?"
There was only one thing to be
done, and he did it. He must go before
the curtain and annuonce that, owing
TO Mrs. Arlington's sudden indisposi-
/ ton, the performance must be post
poned Money-where it had been
paid-would be returned, or tickets
allotted for another night
''The woman has suddenly gone off
her head" was the explanation he
gave to himself.
The room in which Eleanor Airing
ton had left her husband was in dark
ness 1t was $50 P. M.
Suddenly there sounded ON the
! silent air the miniature whirlwind
which swiftly moving taxicab
creates. 1t drew up at the house;
4 there came the grating of the brakes,
1 then the opening of the door, mutt
tered thanks from the driver and the
vehicle moved away.
christening the front door with
her latch-key, Eleanor entered the
house and passed to the still and
silent room.
She crossed the room, dropped on
her knees beside the couch and CROP
! ed for her husbands body fearing to
find that life had passed out of it.
He was breathing peacefully.
Eleanor burst into a flood of tears.
! They fell on the sleeping mans face,
and suddenly awoke him.
"Good heavens, what is it?'
"Tell me quick, dear? Have you
taken any of the bottle left?'
bottle? Oh, by Jove, mo- Must
have dropped asleep the moment you
went away, and goodness gracious,
what is the matter?"
"Oh, thank God-thank God"
He sat up in establishment
whats wrong Nell? You're I'M
strung. Is the play a failure?"
| mo, Maurice, it's not that. Let me
switch on the light. I want to see
that you're all right-and I'll tell you. !"
Directly the electric light flashed
j forth his eyes fell on the clock.
whats that? Twenty to nine.
That clock must have stopped
"Then the play can't be-Nell, have
you thrown up your part?" Tell me
you've not done that, have you? l
was cursed brute to you to-day, but
! / never thought"
ooh, no. not that! / expect they'll
let me play the part tomorrow. God
be thanked, Maurice, something awful
has just been averted. You see this
bottle on the table the one I left you
to drink? It's not toothache mixture
at ALL"
"Then what?"
81 bought two little bottles at the
chemists tonight, one with the mix
ture for you, the other with some
! poison poison for mice that are in
Testing my dressing-room at the
! World. And then-oh, Heaven, how
( did l manage to do so careless a
thing? l left by accident the wrong
bottle for you to drink. Here's the
other, you see. opened 1t at the
i theatre Just before was going on
1t was fearful moment was quite
/ alone. l flew straight back hd elto you
without seeing or speaking to soul!
Thank Heaven I'm not too late!"
The mans face turned white as he
realized the narrowness of his escape.
4 All, if he had awakened and taken the
deadly draught! He shivered as with
cold.
Then the emotion OF the moment
maybe not an emotion for that mo-
ment only-took him in its grasp.
He had come face to face for the
first time with the only certain thing
about life death! Never before had
he priced life so much. His eyes were
misty. Two things only he seemed 10
grasp his marvellous escape. and the
fact that Eleanor, now shedding tears
of joy, had rushed back to save him,
thinking Of nothing else. He held out
his arms and took her TO his breast
Nell, old girl, it's good to be
\ alive! It's good to be able to hold you
close! FL Herbert Jameson.
A good example Of the extremely
A courteous in public correspondence
was the notice sent to Charles James
I Roy that he was no longer a member