With a glance of sophisticated comprehension she
took in the disordered room, the perturbed young people, the unfinished
breakfast-tray; then she burst into a gay little laugh.
"Ten thousand pardons!" she cried, backing away from the door in assumed
confusion. "I shouldn't have called so early. I just ran in to bring you
_Town Topics_. The most killing article about you, dear. By-by; I'll see
you later!" And, kissing her hand to Eleanor, she flitted down the hall.
"Shall I go or will you?" Eleanor demanded of Harold.
She was standing in the open door, all the color fled from her face and
her eyes blazing with anger.
"I'll go, of course," said Harold. "Only, you must not mind Estelle.
Everybody knows she's a fool----"
The door was slammed in his face and locked before he finished the
sentence.
For a moment Eleanor stood immovable; then her eye fell on the paper that
Estelle Linton had thrust into her hand, and she saw her stage name on
the title-page.
Pretty little romance back of the production of "Phantom Love" [she
read]. It is rumored that a wealthy young Chicago playwright, having
met with family opposition in winning a young Southern belle, took
advantage of her histrionic ambition, and persuaded her to play a
role in his new play, which he wrote especially for her.
Pages:
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386