E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive/American Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/americana)

Author of "The Brass Bowl," "The Bronze Bell," "The Bandbox," "Cynthia of the Minute," Etc.

WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS BY ARTHUR I. KELLER

A. L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York

Copyright, 1912, By Louis Joseph Vance.

All rights reserved, including those of translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian.

Published, October, 1912.

TO

ROBERT HOBART DAVIS

Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes widened with wonder and pity

CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS

THE DESTROYING ANGEL

I

DOOM

II

THE LAST STRAW

III

"MRS. MORTEN"

IV

MRS. WHITAKER

V

WILFUL MISSING

VI

CURTAIN

Theatre Max SARA LAW'S FAREWELL

Her eyes fastened, dilating, upon his. The scene faltered perceptibly

VII

THE LATE EXTRA

LATEST EXTRA

TRAGIC SUICIDE IN HARLEM RIVER

VIII

A HISTORY

IX

ENTR'ACTE

X

THE WINDOW

XI

THE SPY

XII

THE MOUSE-TRAP

XIII

OFFSHORE

XIV

DÉBÂCLE

Whitaker felt land beneath his feet

XV

DISCLOSURES

XVI

THE BEACON

XVII

DISCOVERY

XVIII

BLIGHT

XIX

CAPITULATION

XX

TEMPERAMENTAL

JULES MAX begs to announce the return of SARA LAW in a new Comedy entitled Faith by JULES MAX Theatre MAX—Friday October 15th

"I do not love you. You are mad to think it"

XXI

BLACK OUT