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Hornblow, Illustrated by Archie Gunn and Joseph Byron

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Title: The Easiest Way
A Story of Metropolitan Life

Author: Eugene Walter and Arthur Hornblow

Release Date: April 16, 2007 [eBook #21116]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

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THE EASIEST WAY

A Story of Metropolitan Life

by

EUGENE WALTER and ARTHUR HORNBLOW

Illustrations by Archie Gunn and Joseph Byron

[Illustration: PICKING UP A HAT, LAURA LOOKED AT HERSELF IN THE MIRROR.
_Frontispiece. Page 251._]

W. Dillingham Company
Publishers New York
Copyright, 1911, by
G. W. Dillingham Company

_The Easiest Way_.

A FOREWORD

In presenting this story of a _declassee_ who attempts to redeem her
scarlet past by a disinterested, honest attachment only to meet with
dire, miserable failure, the authors wish to make it plain that their
heroine and her associates are in no way to be identified with the
dramatic profession. Laura Murdock represents the type of woman of easy
virtue who is sometimes seen behind the footlights and helps to give
the theatre a bad name. Although destitute of the slightest histrionic
talent, she styles herself an "actress" in order to better conceal her
true vocation. As a class, the earnest, hardworking men and women who
devote their lives to the dramatic art are entitled to the highest
regard and respect. No profession counts in its ranks more virtuous
women, more honorable men than the artists who give lustre to the
American stage. If such women as Laura Murdock succeed in gaining a
f