The Love Letters of an Actress

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 24

The Love Letters of an Actress

TO HER FRIEND VIOLET. Melbourne, July 15, 19—. Dear old Pal,— Now I have time to finish the letter about Clarence Thurston. "Even if I loved you," I told him, "I would hesitate to marry you. You would never make a satisfactory husband—all your instincts are those of a bachelor. "You may laugh when I say it, but I'm quite a prude on the subject of marital relations. Rake that I may have been, I have never been mixed up in an intrigue with a married woman. The married women have not always helped mc to keep straight, but so" far I've dodged temptation.'' "Mr. Thurston," I said, "you are a queer mixture of good and evil. There is a good deal about you that I can't help although you shock mc in many other ways." "I am delighted to know that you do not think mc all bad," he laughed. "I say, what a serious discussion we've had. I love you more than I can say, little girl, but I want to play the game with you. Will you take a week to consider the proposal I have made? And in the meantime please try to forget that incident of two years ago." "When you asked a chorus girl to sell her honour for a thousand pounds," I said. "Yes," he rejoined, "when I asked a chorus girl to sell her honour for a thousand pounds. But things have changed since then. The chorus girl has become a star, and if I repeated the offer I would make the sum ten thousand pounds!" I gasped. Ten thousand pounds! What a lot one could do with so much money. Ten thou— He had been watching mc closely, and as I recovered from my amazement he sprang and crushed mc to him. "Ten thousand—twenty thousand if | you like!" he panted. For reply I flung myself free, and, rushing from the room,-turned the Icey in the lock. Ten minutes later I heard Minnie letting him out. Don't think mc very dreadful-, old girl, but all that night I thought of Mr. Thurston's offer. Twenty thousand pounds! The horrible temptation! But when I thought of mother my soul repented. Would money earned in that way make mc happy? I asked myself. I-. decided that it would not, and that I would never be easy-minded again if -I committed such a sin. I have not seen Mr. Thurston since, but he is sure to pester mc again before' long.' Oh, How' I wish I had never set eyes on him! What a long letter I've written. And all about myself! I can tell you things that I couldn't possibly tell mother, and somehow or other it eases my mind-when. I have confessed to you. I did not reply to Charlie's letter. -. I feel I have been a little beast. Sometimes I think I should have listened to him. I wonder? - - Heaps of love from Yours as ever, . BERYL. TO HER FRIEND VIOLET. Melbourne, August 12, 19—. Dear Old Pal, — I've had another " startling experience, nnd I can't rest till I write and tell you all about it. I've had a visit from Mrs. Wilson, Hume's wife. It was the most embarrassing interview I ever hope to have. As I told you, Mrs. Wilson is a dear little woman, and I felt a - guilty wretch when she told mc how she had discovered from Hume's manner that something was worrying him. "He told mc," she said, in a choking voice, "that he had fallen desperately in love with you. Miss Beresford, if you have a spark of womanly feeling, ■ you will not allow this terrible infatuation to develop. I love Hume as few women ever loved a-man, and- the very thought that someone else is sharing his affection is agonising. Don't break my heart! Think what it means to mc. You would not be a murderess, for that is what it ■will mean if you encourage him. Do you—do you care for Mm?" I did not know what to say, so remained silent. "You do—oh, I see that you do. Yoh must give him up! You must tell him that you will have nothing more to do with him! Without Hume life would not :be ' worth living—and desperate women do terrible things .at times. .Yes, I would kill you both! Do you hear that'^—l would kill you!" . , "Please do not distress yourself in this way, .Mrs. Wilson," I managed'to mutter, for the awful intensity of this.frail little woman frightened mc. "You may. rest content that whatever oUr relations have been *' She almost sprang at mc then. "What have your relations been? Tell mc before' T Strangle you where you stand. I feared to ask my husband how far this mad love of his had carried him, but, no.w I demand to know from you." "Mrs. W»ls° n i" I.'said, when I had recovered my breath, "you alarm yourself needlessly.. There is* no occasion .for it." "Oh, thank God! ' Thank God 'for that!" She- flung herself on the;.couch and wept as I have" never seen a.woman weep- before.. You can imagine what a cruel wretch I felt. What right had I to allow this man to* love meT I put my arms round Mrs. Wilson and raised her head. "Don't cry," I said. "You shall never have any further cause' for anxiety. I promise you that from this moment your' husband shall be nothing more to mc than' a fellow-actor. ' Olir' love' shall bu but a memory. It was -wrong of both of us, I know, but—but- . No, t will not attempt to make excuses. I will promise you this—if ever I feel that I am unable to keep the vow I now make to you, I will resign "from the Company." , i • > ■ She seized my hands and kissed them almost fiercely. "Oh, thank ''God ; fOr that!" she sobbed. '"You, are.a good girl, Miss Beresford, and God will reward you. You don't know what the! last two days have meant to mc. When! fiL- rtA made his confession, .my first thought was to kill myself, but I Next day Hume called. '''■. T had to come,"'he iaiii- -'ow- ••, has told mc all. It *^ :^ ,fe . *££"^ffer*KSß ■wert!" ' y,B -«*hidden love so

ttoßery/ Beresford

He looked quite haggard, and my' heart went out to him. "We must forget that we have ever been anything to one another," I said. "I was all to blame. I should not have allowed 3*ou to love mc." "You did as your heart dictated," he said. "Do you still love mc, Beryl, darling?" "I have promised not to," I replied. "Ah, yes," he said, "but deep down in your heart is there not a spark of affection left? One cannot banish true love by mere promises. Love such as ours was something more than a glove, to be cast off at will. I have come to say good-bye—good-bye to our love! I shall never forget you, dear. Enshrined in my heart will always be the memory of the sweetest little girl in all the world." "You must not talk like that, Mr. Wilson," I said. "Not 'Mr. Wilson,'" he pleaded. "It is too cold and formal." "Why have you come here?" I asked him, and then felt ashamed of my abruptness. "To love you for the -last time," he replied, holding out his arms. "You are mad," I said, stepping back. "You have promised your wife to be true to her, and the very next day you talk to mc of love." "Ah, how can I help it when I look into your sweet face!" he sighed. I open<xi the door. "Mr. Wilson, if you have come to talk like that, I must ask you to leave." His answer was to seize mc and rain kisses on mc. "I have come here to love you—for the last time," he almost shrieked, "and, by God, I shall!" It was useless to struggle from such an embrace. He held mc in a grip of iron. "If you do not release mc in an instant, I shall scream for help." T imanaged to say. "Let mc go at once!" ] To my surprise, he meekly obeyed. j "Good-bye, Beryl," he said brokenly. "Forgiver mc!" " j He was. calmer now, and as he looked •at mc with those great brown eyes of his, my heart went out to Him. Without a word I showed him to the door, and he went silently away. I think, he is. going to keep his vow, for he has acted entirely differently ever sjnoe. He is gentlemanly and courteous, but he never speaks of love. In the garden scene, where he takes mc in his arms, I can see that he is controlling himself by a mighty effort. I do not kiss him on the stage, as I used to, but just make a pretence of touching his lips.; ■ ' '■': i Sometimes I feel that L would give the World to dling to him in the' passionate embrace that used to get my brain in a whirl, but then I think of the frail little woman'to'whom. I have sworn to be faithful. Oh, Vi., it is hard to crush love out of one's heart in. this way. The man who wrpte-r- . 'Tis_ better to have loved and lost Than never to liave' loved at all, could never have had an experience such as mine. Don't, Vi., if you value your happiness, become too friendly with a married man. No good can come out of it. Write soon, old girl, and tell mc all your news.—Yours as 'ever, BERYL. • FROM JONAS T. PIERCY. Melbourne, August 14, 19 —. My Dear Miss Beresford, — I trust you will pardon 'the liberty I am taking in addressing you as a total stranger. Although you do not know mc, I feel that I have known you quite a long time. 'I haVe attended the theatre every night for the past fortnight to watch you and feast my eyes upon your loveliness. In telling "you that you are the most beautiful woman in the whole world, I am, I presume, repeating an ofttold tale. lam most sincere, believe mc. I am a man of 42, with a fair bank balance, and plenty of time on my hands. I have mapped out a most interesting American tour, covering about twelve 'months, and may start in a fortnight or so. I want a companion. Will you join met This is brutally blunt, I must admit, but perhaps it is as weil to be perfectly candid. If you Will accompany mc you may name any conditions that you desire with "the exception of one. If you wish two maids, or-even three, you may have them. And at the end of -the tour you .will be, at liberty to draw upon mc for any amount up to. four figures as compensation for enduring my company tor twelve months, if you deem compensation necessary. . If you are disposed to entertain my proposal, will you allow mc to call upon you to discuss details? Believe mc, dear Miss Beresford, to be Yours very sincerely, JONAS T. PIERCY. TO JONAS T. PIERCY. ' Melbourne, August 15, 19 —. Dear Sir,— ' . .." There can be only one answer to your insulting letter,' and that -is NO. _, - Yours faithfully, BERYL BERESFORD. FROM JONAS T. PIERCY. Melbourne, August 15, 19 —. My Dear Miss Beresford, — I was keenly disappointed with the tenor of your rieply to my letter I did not wish to insult you—nothing could be further from my thoughts. Perhaps I put my case badly. I believe that I could make such a holiday very enjoyable for you. lam sure of it In fact, I have the reputatiorrof being able to do things well when I am travelling, and I feel'sure that you would not regret such a trip. Surely you would not object to my calling upon you. I might then be able to explain. things that cannot be satisfactorily discussed in a letter. May I call 1 ' Yours very sincerely, ' JONAS T. PIERCY. TO JONAS T. PIERCY. Melbourne, August 15„ 19 —. Dear Sir, — • Certainly not. .. .'. *• " Yours faithfully, ' . • ""'• ' BERYL BERESFORD. ' ■"-' - . <To be concluded.)