Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-11-25
CHAPTER II
Ten Years Later

Ten years passed, years of change
and growth-Rumley had not stood
still during the decade. 1t was the
proud boast of it's most enterprising
citizen, Silas Link, that it had done
great deal better than Chicago: it
had tripled it's population.
Oliver Baxter, ST., owned one of
the new business "blocks" on Clay
street. 1t was known as the Baxter
block, erected in 1896.
Mary Baxter died of typhoid fever
when young Oliver was nearing seven.
Her untimely demise revived the half
forgotten prophecy of the gypsy for
tune-teller. People looked severely at
each other and in hushed tones dis
cussed the memorable ways of fate. 1t
was the first "sign" that young divers
fortune was coming true.
OF an entirely different nature was
the agitation created by the un-
righteous behavior of Josephine Sage,
who had finally succumbed to the lure
of the stage, leaving her husband and
child, in order to crafty her life's am
bition. Half the women in town, on
learning that she was going to Chicago
for a brief visit with her folks, went
around to the parsonage to kiss her
good-by. Excoriation and a stream of
81 told you SOS" were bestowed upon
the pretty young wife and mother
when it became known that she was
not coming back.
Herbert Sage was stunned, bewil-
dereG. She wrote him from
Chicago at the end of the first week
of what was to have been a fortnight's
visit to her mother. She was leaving
at once for New York, where she had
been promised a trial by one of the
greatest American producers. A month
later came a telegram from her say
ing she was rehearsing a part in a new
piece that was sure to be the shit of
the season"
"You will be proud of me, Herby,"
she wrote, because 1 will take mighty
good care that you never have any rea-
son to be ashamed of me or for me
to be ashamed of myself. You know
what l mean. l don't suppose l will
say my prayers as often as 1 did when
you were around TO remind me Of them,
but I will be a good girl just the same"
That was four years ago. Her conf
dence in herself had been justified,
and, for all we know, the same may be
said OF Herbert Sage's confidence in
her. She had the talent, the voice, the
beauty, and above all, the magnetism.
and so there was no holding her back.
For two successive seasons she APP
peared in a Chicago theater, following
long New York runs of the pieces in
which she was playing.
Finally, in one of her letters an
nouncing a prospective engagement in
London. she put the question to him:
'Do you want to get a divorce from
me. Herby?" His reply was terse and
brought from her the following I'M
dignified but manifestly sincere tele-
gram: Neither do l, so we'll stick
till the cows come home. Sailing Fri
day. Will cable. Much love-"
she made shit" in London in the
big musical success of that season.
They liked her so well over there that
they wouldn't let her go back to the
States.
She was greatly missed by little Oil
yer October. For some reason per
haps she did not explain it herself-at
any rate, she did not go to the trouble
of specuiating-she had taken a ire
mendous fancy TO the child. This small
boy of five or six was the only being in
town with whom she could play to
her hearts content, and she made the
most Of him. Her own tiny baby,
Jane. interested but did not amuse
her.
oliver was always to have warm
corner in her heart for the gay Aunt
Josephine. but new diverting games re-
duced his passionate longing for her to
a mild but pleasant memory. Perhaps,
too. her own daughter had something
TO do with Josephine's fading from OIL
ver's mind.
For jamie Sage, at the age of six,
was by far the prettiest and the most
sought after young lady in Rumley.
Gxxyofn ond