Newspaper Page Text
"I thought you -would like to see
the result of your work, Mr. Tolland,"
she said.
"I am very sorry," murmured the
young man, who had not expected
anything so painful as this. "But
you see, Miss Lawrence, you really
did not act in accordance with the
true principles of dramatic art Now
if you had - "
"Yes, yet," she interrupted, in a
hollow voice, "but it doesn't make
any difference now, because I shall
never act again."
"But, my dear Miss Lawrence,"
protested Tolland, "you mustn't let
yourself be so easily discouraged.
Now if you will throw more person
ality into " x
"I shan't have any personality
after -another half hour," answered
Miss Lawrence. "I've taken half a
pound of strychnine."
'"What!" yelled the young. man,
leaping to his feet and staring into
the young woman's face.
"I mean half an ounce," she mur
mured. '"You have killed me, Mr.
Tolland. And I hope you will be more
charitable in future. I " Here
she collapsed with a heartrending
groan. "Quick! A doctor1!" she
gasped. uO, let me live. Telephone,
Mr. Tolland, T must live now. I did
not know death was so terrible." "
An instant later Tolland was call
ing up a couple of physicians he
knew, then another and then another.
After that he called an ambulance.
It was only then that it occurred to
him that it would be advisable for
him to make himself as scarge. as pos-,;
sible. He hurried out of the apart
ment house and Into the street. Then
it occurred to him further that the
office would be the best place for him
if he was to avoid suspicion. Ac
cordingly he made his way thither.
But it was desperately lonely in the
office and the warm greeting of the
city editor, who had a slack half hour
was too much for him. In a few mo
ments Tolland was confessing every
thing at the desk and asking whether
he ought to give himself up for mur
der. "Thunder, no!" answered the qity
editor. "Don't you .see your duty
clear before your eyes, young man.?"
"No," gulped Tolland miserably.
"You go back to your desk amt
write out a full account of the4 sut
cide for the next edition," answered'
the city editor. "But, say! You don't
have to put yourself into it, you
know."
And Tolland must have had in him
the makings of a reporter, because,
seating himself at his typewriter, he
found himself presently launching
birskly into a human interest story
describing the suicide of the famoti
actress. Itwas only when he had
finished that he realized the depths
of degradation to which he had fall
en. He took the manuscript over tt
the desk.
'Tve done it but it mustn't 'be
published, Mr. Renn," he said. 'Td
lose my position. "I I'm going to
the police to give myself up:"
Mr. Renn, without answering, rea'd
Lthe article. As he read it he slapped
ms leg ana cnuciuea. wnen ne came
to the last; words Miss Lawrence ha&
uttered, in which she begged to be
saved, he laid down the manuscript
and burst into a loud guffaw Arid
Tolland stared at the monster speech
lessly. Could it be a human being
who saw in such a terrible death ofa
young and gifted woman nothing-but
a news story?
Suddenly Renn handed back the
story. "It's all right; we won't prttt
it, Tolland," he said. "But it's ftfr
your sake, understand. Anyhow, itTs
too late. Here come the editions' of
the other papers. Let's see what they
have to say about it"
They scanned the headlines on the
first page of each of the evening
newspapers, on the second, the third,
and so right through to the end. But
there was not a word about Miss
Lawrence's suicide. '"
"Humph I guessed they wouldn't
fall for it," said Renn. "It takes 'a
