Part 13 (2/2)
”Where's Miss Law?” he asked.
”You tell me and I'll make you a handsome present,” retorted the man.
”What's happened to her? Can't you find her?”
”I dunno--go ask Max.”
”Where is _he_?”
”You can search me; last I saw of him he was tearing the star dressin'-room up by the roots.”
Whitaker hurried on just in time to see Max disappearing in the direction of the stage-door, at which point he caught up with him, and from the manager's disjointed catechism of the doorkeeper garnered the information that the star had hurried out of the building while Max was making his announcement before the curtain.
Max swung angrily upon Whitaker.
”Oh, it's you, is it? Perhaps you can explain what this means? She was looking straight at you when she dried up! I saw her--”
”Perhaps you'd better find Miss Law and ask her,” Whitaker interrupted.
”Have you any idea where she's gone?”
”Home, probably,” Max snapped in return.
”Where's that?”
”Fifty-seventh Street--house of her own--just bought it.”
”Come on, then.” Pa.s.sing his arm through the manager's, Whitaker drew him out into the alley. ”We'll get a taxi before this mob--”
”But, look here--what business've _you_ got mixing in?”
”Ask Miss Law,” said Whitaker, shortly. It had been on the tip of his tongue to tell the man flatly: ”I'm her husband.” But he retained wit enough to deny himself the satisfaction of this shattering rejoinder. ”I know her,” he added; ”that's enough for the present.”
”If you knew her all the time, why didn't you say so?” Max expostulated with pa.s.sion.
”I didn't know I knew her--by that name,” said Whitaker lamely.
At the entrance to the alley Max paused to listen to the uproar within his well-beloved theatre.
”I'd give five thousand gold dollars if I hadn't met you this afternoon!” he groaned.
”It's too late, now,” Whitaker mentioned the obvious. ”But if I'd understood, I promise you I wouldn't have come--at least to sit where she could see me.”
He began gently to urge Max toward Broadway, but the manager hung back like a sulky child.
”h.e.l.l!” he grumbled. ”I always knew that woman was a Jonah!”
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