The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-01-20
THE
FORTY-DOLAR
HUSBAND
By H. M. EGBERT
Copyright by W. G. Chapman.)

work necessitates my seeing many
Il of the picture plays that are
shown at the theaters. 1t would
not interest you if 1 were to explain
what my work is: to be very brief, my
company is engaged in an enterprise
for the purpose of clearing up the
breaks and spots in the films. How
ever, I had been attending the thea
ter two or three times week when
began to be aware of the man who
always occupied the bench halfway
along the theater on the left side.
Apparently the recognition was mu-
tual, for one evening during an inter-
lude he entered into conversation with
me.
"a lover of the films, I see," he be-
gan, with half sheer.
l did not feel inclined to enlighten
him as to my business. Like your
self?" 1 suggested.
Il hate them, sir" he answered.
did it ever occur to you what lot
of life one learns from watching these
plays?"
Life of a kind" answered. But
surely they do not represent life as
it is"
"Of course they don't" he retorted.
''These plays are written for the crowd
that loves sensationalism. No, sir,
what 1 mean is, reading between the
lines of the plays. Reading the lips
of the characters sir"
I suppose he took me for very in
nocent person, for he plunged at once
into condolences.
II am a home-loving man." he said.
81 make forty dollars a week. 1 sup
pose | shall always make forty dollars
a week, neither more or less, until l
grow old, by which time, If l am good
for few more years, expect to be
able to retire on some very modest
savings. Well, sir, forty-dollar man
you know him. I'm the type-looll
at mel Decent Clothes but little
faded; clean linen, a sober necktie,
and yet the unmistakable forty-dollar
stamp of the soul-what?"
He fitted the type so perfectly that
I was at loss for words.
"Well then, you know the sort of
wife forty-dollar man requires. A
quiet, home-loving body, a good cook,
fond of a little harmless relaxation, a
girl in to help on Saturdays, no wash
ing to do, but handy with the broom.
You understand? Well, suppose the
wife of a forty-dolar man took a fancy
to go on the stage-what would you
do?"
'I'll tell you what l would do" l
answered. 81 should try to crafty her
wish. I'd let her taste stage life to
the full. 1t would make her or break
her. Excuse my frankness, but it's no
use trying to bottle up those longings.
1t doesn't work"
He nodded. That's what I did, he
said. 81 thought she had no talent,
that she would get tired when she
tasted the theatrical life. But she
didn't. She proved to have genius.
She went into the movie" game.
They're paying her two thousand a
week. SHe d uIld KOIne.
Julia Rome is your wife" 1 in
CURED
"Hush-sh!" came from all around
us. The screen was alive again. 1t
was that famous play, Home and the
World" I saw Julia Rome in a thou
sand poses before the spectators. The
tragedy of the situation gripped me-
the forty-dollar husband watching his
wife night after night, as she posed
and postured before the diversified au-
diences.
In the next interlude he turned to
me again.
"You saw herr" he said. That's
my wife. Yes, sir; she proved the
success of the season. And she-she
left me-"
I could say nothing to that.
"She left me, sir. There was an
actor chap-John Howe. You saw
him. He always plays with her She
used to bring him to our house-or
rather our landlords house, a little,
cheap, two-family house in the sub
urban district. 1 could see the sheer
in his heart as he looked at me. Six
months ago she began bringing him
home. In three months l saw how the
land lay. She was tired of me, tired
of a fortydollar husband. l gave her
her choice. 1t was Howe or me. She
she cried, SIR
I could make no answer to that,
either.
81 drove her away. I was too proud.
She said if ever I sent for her she'd
come back to me- But of course that
was just talk And then I resolved
that if there was anything between
her and that Howe fellow I'd kill him.
That's what I'm here for.
81 told you it was reading between
the lines, didn't I? Naturally, these
actor folk don't talk about the play
all the time they're acting take it
that it becomes a sort of second ma
ture to them. They can be killing
each other, and breaking jail, and
making love, and all the while they're
telling each other what a fine dinner
that was last night, and will the roads
be good for autoing next week?
II have brother in the education
hpciDaSc Ha has phorpa nf on ipSti