Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise, by David Graham Phillips

As she was about to negotiate the surly looking man on guardwithin, Sperry came rushing down the long dark passageway. Hewas brushing past her when he saw who it was. "Too late!" hecried. "Rehearsal's over.""I didn't come to the rehearsal," explained Susan. "I thoughtperhaps Rod would be going to lunch.""So he is. Go straight back. You'll find him on the stage. I'll joinyou if you'll wait a minute or so." And Sperry hurried on into thestreet.Susan advanced along the passageway cautiously as it was butone remove from pitch dark. Perhaps fifty feet, and she came to across passage. As she hesitated, a door at the far end of it openedand she caught a glimpse of a dressing-room and, in the spacemade by the partly opened door, a woman half-dressed–anattractive glimpse. The woman–who seemed young–was notlooking down the passage, but into the room. She was laughing inthe way a woman laughs only when it is for a man, for »the« man–and was saying, "Now, Rod, you must go, and give me a chance tofinish dressing." A man's arm–Rod's arm–reached across theopening in the doorway. A hand–Susan recognized Rod's wellshapedhand–was laid strongly yet tenderly upon the pretty barearm of the struggling, laughing young woman–and the doorclosed–and the passage was soot-dark again. All this a matter ofless than five seconds. Susan, ashamed at having caught him,frightened lest she should be found where she had no business tobe, fled back along the main passage and jerked open the streetdoor. She ran squarely into Sperry."I–I beg your pardon," stammered he. "I was in such a rush–Iought to have been thinking where I was going. Did I hurt you?"This last most anxiously. "I'm so sorry––""It's nothing–nothing," laughed Susan. "You are the onethat's hurt."And in fact she had knocked Sperry breathless. "You don't lookanything like so strong," gasped he."Oh, my appearance is deceptive–in a lot of ways."For instance, he could have got from her face just then no hintof the agony of fear torturing her–fear of the drop into theunderworld."Find Rod?" asked he."He wasn't on the stage. So–I came out again.""Wait here," said Sperry. "I'll hunt him up.""Oh, no–please don't. I stopped on impulse. I'll not bother him."She smiled mischievously. "I might be interrupting."Sperry promptly reddened. She had no difficulty in reading whatwas in his mind–that her remark had reminded him of Rod's"affair," and he was cursing himself for having been so stupid as toforget it for the moment and put his partner in danger of detection."I–I guess he's gone," stammered Sperry. "Lord, but that was aknock you gave me! Better come to lunch with me."Susan hesitated, a wistful, forlorn look in her eyes. "Do youreally want me?" asked she."Come right along," said Sperry in a tone that left no doubt ofhis sincerity. "We'll go to the Knickerbocker and have somethinggood to eat.""Oh, no–a quieter place," urged Susan.Sperry laughed. "You mean less expensive. There's one of thegreat big differences between you and the make-believe ladies onebumps into in this part of town. »You« don't like to be troublesomeor expensive. But we'll go to the Knickerbocker. I feel 'way downtoday, and I intended to treat myself. You don't look any too gayheartedyourself.""I'll admit I don't like the way the cards are running," said Susan."But–they'll run better–sooner or later.""Sure!" cried Sperry. "You needn't worry about the play. That'sall right. How I envy women!""Why?""Oh–you have Rod between you and the fight. While I–I've gotto look out for myself.""So have I," said Susan. "So has everyone, for that matter.""Believe me, Mrs. Spenser," cried Sperry, earnestly, "you cancount on Rod. No matter what––""Please!" protested Susan. "I count on nobody. I learned long