Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 121: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

DY Edwina Levin WHAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED STHER BOWLES, uneducated but naturally gifted, fell in love with Jim Barnes, 4 medical student, who for five years lost all track of the girl, during which time she had become a barnstorming actress. Burton Davis, manager of the company of which she was a member, was very much in love with Esther, who, in good faith, had accepted from Davis a fifty-dollar loan. Burton had taken one Grenville into his company on the latter’s promise to finance their return to New York. Barnes, practising at Elvira, Pennsylvania, finally traced Esther to Sangford, a one-night stand, but after a joyful meeting he left in black rage when he overheard one of the company taunting Esther with the acceptance of the fifty dollars from Davis, a married man. Thereafter Esther lived in a daze; Barnes returned her letter unopened, and at Elvira he became engaged to Aline Potts, a shallow and mercenary small-town product, who, with her friend, Daisy More, was engaged in a flirtation with a telegraph operator. and Esther went to live at Ma Frank’s theatrical boarding-house. Then the company disbanded, She had purchased. a really stunning outfit on her credit at a modiste’s (actually sponsored by Davis), and after an unsuccess- ful round of the agencies met Paul Evers, the artist, at Becton’s. when Burton’s wife, Belle, phoned that she, too, was on the way. He was coming for her in his car Then Davis himself arrived, and insisted on entering Esther’s room. Suddenly there was a woman’s voice in the hall below. ““My God!” gasped Burt. “It’s Belle!” Esther sat down on the bed, weak with alarm. CHAPTER XVII. TOO STRONG A CURRENT. R a moment Burt stood irresolute as his wife’s voice sounded in the hall below, then turned toward the closet. “Don’t you dare go in there!” Esther cried. ‘ Sit down.” ““Lock the door,” he commanded. “TI told her I was going up to the agent’s. Lock the door, I tell you!” “T can’t. What would Ma think? And the rest? They all know you’re here. Some of them know she’s your wife.” “Then I’ve got to get out.” The man was in a panic. “That woman is a hell-cat.” “‘ She’s almost up the stairs. She’d see you. Sit down! There’s nothing wrong about your coming up to see me. I’ve worked for you. You’ve come to see me about a part.” “The hell I have! You don’t know Belle. She knows I haven’t got no part to offer you now. And, besides, I lied to her. If I had told her the truth—” “Which door?” Belle’s shrill voice called down the stairs. “ Girl!” Davis whispered fiercely, “ she’ll ruin you! I don’t care for myself—I’m used to it; but you—the whole house will—”’ : “Last door on your left,” Ma Frank replied to Belle. Before Esther realized what was happen- ing Davis was on the fire-escape and out of sight. . This story began in The Argosy for April 19. 463 NOO (C(O) S (C(O)