The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-06-16
KEPT MARRIAGE SECRET
N YEARS FOR HUSBAND
THUS HE COULD BE "SHEIK"
OF STAGE FOR ROMANTIC
AND LOVELORN FOLK.
WOMAN'S STORY is UNUSUAL
Made Love Fervently, But Public
Never Suspected 1t Was to His
Wife. Are Now Going to Star
Jointly as Mr.. and Mrs. Rale.

y
NEW YORK.-Her husband sew
enteen years ago was starting on the
road to theatrical fame because he was
a great stage lover.
And she thought that if the public
knew hee had such Commonplace"
thing as wife, grocery bills and 9th
er household problems on his mind he
would lose his reputation for romantic
"sheik" parts behind the footlights.
That is why a charming little wo-
known on the stage by the mascu-
line appellation of Pat Clary, suggest
ed to her husband, Fiske O'Hara, that
they keep their marriage a secret. And
she shattered the favorite feminine
tradition by keeping it a secret for
seventeen long years. Which proves,
of course, that there is at least one
woman in the world who can keep a
secret.
Not a Feminist.
II was not the forerunner of that
modern group of feminists who be-
lieve that they should not take the
name of their husband when they mar
ry," she says 81 didn't keep the mar
riage secret because | wanted my
own career, unhampered by famous
husband. 1t was for purely business
reasons.
Il thought that if the public knew
that my husband, like all other hus-
bands had to button the old-fashioned
dresses we women wore some years
ago, his romantic love scenes on the
stage would fall fiat. So | suggested
the secret marriage.
Il was only Is and he was 22. We
were playing in ST. Louis, and to
avoid publicity, we slipped off to Con-
nellsville, ILL.,, for the ceremony.
Since that time | have played OPP
posite him every season. While he
made love ferevently to me on the
stage the public never suspected that
he was making love to his own wife.
That's why he was so earnest about
it." she added with a smile.
But after each performance the
couple never went out the stage door
together They never dined together
in a public cafe or restaurant, except
peared together socially,
Sometimes it was difficult to arrange
secret meetings so as not to arouse
the suspicious of other members of
the company, 70 only their manager
and a few close friends outside the
profession knew the secret until it was
revealed few days ago.
81 wouldn't take the trouble to keep
a secret for purely selfish reasons,
the wife says, but | would when |
was convinced it was the right thing
for both of u.s. as it was in this case.
Now my husband is playing different
parts, and we are going to star jointly
in Mr.. and Mrs. roles"
There have been many amusing in
cidents connected with the secret mar
riage.
His Mash Notes"
For one thing Mr. O'Hara has turn
ed all his mash" letters from fappers
over to his wife, and she has repeated
ly answered the telephone and been
his secretary when some particularly
enthusiastic fan called him at his no.
tel
She has seen reports of her hus-
bands engagement to other women.
Often she sat in group where her
husband was the topic of conversation,
and had to demurely silent, when
few words might have proved SO en-
Tightening.
''And now it is a great relief to come
out with the truth, and be as devot-
ed as we like" she said. 1--we always
had a horror of these husband and
wife pictures that become obsolete the
second or third year and had to be
recalled from circulation. That's the
reason we've never had one until to-
day. But after seventeen years we're
still in love, and | guess our marriage
is a permanent one.
after all what's a secret between
friends?"