he said, “Hello, Kate.”
She turned and looked at him, then said with disgust, “You’re drunk, Clive. Go somewhere and sleep it off.”
“No, I’ve gotta talk to you.” Clive was vaguely aware that others were listening, but he reached out and grasped Kate by the arm. “I want to marry you, Kate.”His voice sounded much louder than he intended, and he heard several voices laughing.
“Another one with a proposal,” someone said.
“Go away, Clive. I don’t have time for you.”
“I’m telling you I want to marry you. I want you to be my wife.”
Kate laughed suddenly. “You’re a young fool, Clive.We’ve had a good time, but it’s all over. Now go away and be a good fellow.”
“You don’t mean that, Kate. I love you.”
“That’s not enough. I told you from the first that you were a silly boy, but you insisted on chasing me around. It’s gotten tiresome.”
Clive swayed slightly from side to side and focused his eyes on Kate. “You can’t make an idiot out of me!”
“Nature’s already done that,”Kate said cruelly. She had beautiful features, but as she faced Clive, there was something feral in her eyes. “Now get out of here and leave me alone!”
“But I—I gave you a family ring.”
“You want it back?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you can’t have it. It’s the price you pay for education, Clive. Now I’ve got to go.” She turned and made for the wings, but Clive reached out and grasped her. His fiery temper suddenly erupted. “You can’t treat me like this! I won’t let you!”
“Turn loose of me!”
“No, I won’t! Give me that ring back or I’ll break your neck!”
Clive began shaking Kate, who screamed, and at once strong hands were on Clive, pulling him away. He turned to see that Dylan and Ives Montgomery were holding him. “Take your hands off me!” he shouted furiously.
“Time for you to leave, Clive.” The two actors turned him around, and Ives said, “You got off light, Newton. She took me for everything I had and then laughed at me.”
Clive was struggling in the hands of the two strong men. “I’ll get that ring back if I have to kill her!”
“Now you don’t mean that,”Dylan said. “Let me get someone to take you home.” But Clive lurched away, muttering threats, and as soon as he was gone, Ives shook his head. “He’s got to learn to handle his problems better than that.”
Dylan was staring after the young man and said with compassion in his voice, “Probably the first thing Clive ever wanted that he couldn’t get.”
Dylan knocked on the door of Kate’s dressing room, and when he heard her voice, he opened the door and stepped inside. She was sitting at her dressing table and had changed her costume for street clothes. She rose from the chair and faced him squarely. “Well, what is it, Dylan? I suppose it’s about that young fool who attacked me.”
“Yes. I’ve come to ask you to give him a break. He is a fool, but we all are from time to time.”
“What do you want me to do? The best favour I can do him is to not see him anymore, and I’ve told him that’s the way it would be.”
“You ought to give him the ring back, yes? I suspect it’s a family treasure.”
“Well, it’s my family treasure now.” She held up her hand and said, “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Indeed, the ring was large and caught the reflection of the gaslight. Kate held it up, admired it, and said, “It’s the pay I get for putting up with him. He was a real bore, Dylan.”
Dylan tried to reason with Kate, but she stubbornly refused. “I’m keeping the ring,” she said. She suddenly came over and took him by the arm, pressing herself against him. “I’m not going out to eat tonight. I’m going home.Why don’t you come with me? I’ll fix us something.”
“No thanks, Kate.”
Kate bit her lip and stared at the handsome man in front of her. Often, she had left the door open for him to make advances, but he never had. She believed
She turned and looked at him, then said with disgust, “You’re drunk, Clive. Go somewhere and sleep it off.”
“No, I’ve gotta talk to you.” Clive was vaguely aware that others were listening, but he reached out and grasped Kate by the arm. “I want to marry you, Kate.”His voice sounded much louder than he intended, and he heard several voices laughing.
“Another one with a proposal,” someone said.
“Go away, Clive. I don’t have time for you.”
“I’m telling you I want to marry you. I want you to be my wife.”
Kate laughed suddenly. “You’re a young fool, Clive.We’ve had a good time, but it’s all over. Now go away and be a good fellow.”
“You don’t mean that, Kate. I love you.”
“That’s not enough. I told you from the first that you were a silly boy, but you insisted on chasing me around. It’s gotten tiresome.”
Clive swayed slightly from side to side and focused his eyes on Kate. “You can’t make an idiot out of me!”
“Nature’s already done that,”Kate said cruelly. She had beautiful features, but as she faced Clive, there was something feral in her eyes. “Now get out of here and leave me alone!”
“But I—I gave you a family ring.”
“You want it back?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you can’t have it. It’s the price you pay for education, Clive. Now I’ve got to go.” She turned and made for the wings, but Clive reached out and grasped her. His fiery temper suddenly erupted. “You can’t treat me like this! I won’t let you!”
“Turn loose of me!”
“No, I won’t! Give me that ring back or I’ll break your neck!”
Clive began shaking Kate, who screamed, and at once strong hands were on Clive, pulling him away. He turned to see that Dylan and Ives Montgomery were holding him. “Take your hands off me!” he shouted furiously.
“Time for you to leave, Clive.” The two actors turned him around, and Ives said, “You got off light, Newton. She took me for everything I had and then laughed at me.”
Clive was struggling in the hands of the two strong men. “I’ll get that ring back if I have to kill her!”
“Now you don’t mean that,”Dylan said. “Let me get someone to take you home.” But Clive lurched away, muttering threats, and as soon as he was gone, Ives shook his head. “He’s got to learn to handle his problems better than that.”
Dylan was staring after the young man and said with compassion in his voice, “Probably the first thing Clive ever wanted that he couldn’t get.”
Dylan knocked on the door of Kate’s dressing room, and when he heard her voice, he opened the door and stepped inside. She was sitting at her dressing table and had changed her costume for street clothes. She rose from the chair and faced him squarely. “Well, what is it, Dylan? I suppose it’s about that young fool who attacked me.”
“Yes. I’ve come to ask you to give him a break. He is a fool, but we all are from time to time.”
“What do you want me to do? The best favour I can do him is to not see him anymore, and I’ve told him that’s the way it would be.”
“You ought to give him the ring back, yes? I suspect it’s a family treasure.”
“Well, it’s my family treasure now.” She held up her hand and said, “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Indeed, the ring was large and caught the reflection of the gaslight. Kate held it up, admired it, and said, “It’s the pay I get for putting up with him. He was a real bore, Dylan.”
Dylan tried to reason with Kate, but she stubbornly refused. “I’m keeping the ring,” she said. She suddenly came over and took him by the arm, pressing herself against him. “I’m not going out to eat tonight. I’m going home.Why don’t you come with me? I’ll fix us something.”
“No thanks, Kate.”
Kate bit her lip and stared at the handsome man in front of her. Often, she had left the door open for him to make advances, but he never had. She believed
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