wasting his money on her--and you know he has none to spare--and seems
to be infatuated with her; while she, of course, is only using him to
advertise herself. In fact, that is how I found it out. Payson is in a
syndicate which is trying to buy one of those up-town theatres in New York
and turn it into something else; I forget just what they want to do with
it, but any way, he came in contact with the manager of the theatre where
this woman was playing. He gave them a dinner and afterwards they occupied
his box, and while this woman was on the stage her manager told how some
man was causing nightly sensations by the flowers he sent her, and he said
that he--her manager--thought he would have it written up for the papers
to advertise her before she started out on her tour. He said the man was
making a fool of himself, but the actress didn't care, and when he pointed
out the fellow to them, Payson saw to his horror that it was Frank Mayo.
He didn't say a word before the other gentlemen, but the next day he went
to the manager and begged him to advertise the woman in some other way. He
told him who Frank was and all about his poor little wife and the
children, and the manager, who seems to be a good hearted man, said it was
a shame and promised not to allow it. He even went so far as to offer to
speak to the actress herself and request her to refuse to be interviewed
on the subject. So Payson came home quite relieved. But the next time he
saw the manager Payson asked him how things were going, and he said worse
than ever as far as Frank himself was concerned, and he added that when he
mentioned the subject to the actress she tossed her head and said Mayo
must take care of himself.

"Then I thought I would do what I could to introduce him into society
here, for you know he is ambitious in that line, and perhaps I might get
him away from the creature. So I gave that whole thing yesterday for the
Mayo family, with what result you know, except that I haven't told you
that the presumptuous dolt made love mawkishly to me all the evening.
Yes, actually! Did you ever hear of such impertinence? Oh, the man is
simply insufferable, Ruth.

"Now, what I am constantly afraid of is that it will get into the papers
after all. I read them, I fairly study them, so that it shall not escape
me; but, if it does come out, what shall we do for Nellie? It will break
her heart."

I looked at Sallie with gnawing conscience that I had ever called