Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-30
SHORT STORY
OF HI DAY.
RICHEST OF THREE
From the Greater u Angelo.

ANu u DEtdltl LN Angeles.
She sat beside her husband in the par
quet. 1t was almost the event of the sea-
son, for, when two theater seats cost So,
a ~bookkeeper cannot afford them often. She
looked modest and pretty in the becoming
street costume that HAD cost her so much
thought and he was proud of her.
The first act went along like a dream.
Then. to her husbands justification, she
seemed 10 grow ~listless and unhappy and
the stage no longer claimed her attention.
Before the curtain rose on the second act,
q couple entered one of the boXes-a pref
~. rather fretful looking young woman.
in exaggerated evening dress, and n fiorid
faced man, with flashing diamonds and an
srrogantly prosperous air.
The woman in the parquet recognized the
sorgeonsly sowned creature in the box; A
had been schoolmates, with equal wit and
seemingly equal narrow opportunities. Both
had married men from the city. one 10 live
in limited circumstances, the other TO have
unlimited wealth. II was not just or right,
the bookkeeper's wife thought. Her cloth
dress seemed shabby and poor beside the
brocade creation in the box: One might as
well live in a tenement and sit in the gal
lery and be done with it. She was sorry
she had come out.
She sat in the box with her husband be-
side her. Her gown was In the latest
style. her couture perfect. her jewels daz-
her chair threw into relief her well cor
seted waist. Her carriage waited below.
The necklace of pearls that she wore was
all this. yet she was considering her trou-
bic as she sat there. The location Of
thought to ask her choice before engag-
ing it? Mrs. Van Holdover. a power in
their little society, had met her in the
lobby. and passed her without recognition.
The Stubblefields, another family of social
Importance, was entertaining that evening
and she had been ignored, just when she
uTao ~ rn faAl fIot h "lG min
ing n foothold.
The play? Really. she did not notice it.
Something from Shakespeare. she thought.
She sat in the second gallery with her
husband. From box TO %parquette is a great
distance. but from parqGette to gallery is
people" who ate peanuts: and stamped
their feet in applause. They had come
from their farm TO visit tins pretentious
nrst carload of cattle TO the city, and, by
virtue OF an acquaintance with the en-
gineer. had gained permission for her to
ride on the cattle train. Her clothes dated
back several years. She held her husbands
was not so blase as the gallery gods about
her, for she wept or rejoiced audibly over
Iss soF rren s o5 S 29y N a th sipb btag y, i Sme b mad
liant house presented. Leaning far over
the gallery railing. scrutinizing the audi
ence. she singled out the bookkeeper and
his wife in the house below. Yes, and
she recognized the woman in the box OPP
posite. She forgot the scene. she did not
hear the scrapings of the violins, as her
memory went back.
A few years ago all three were country
girls. going to school together over the
Kansas hills to the little brown school
house. They had sworn lifelong friendship
as girls will. Then one married the young
school teacher who became a bookkeeper
and went to the city to live. The years
had evidently agreed with her. for she
had grown prettier than ever. When they
sold their next car of cattle the farmer'
wife hoped she could have a brown dress
with sleeves like hat and a brown bonnet
with yellow autumn leaves, too. Then she
scrutiniZed the woman in the box. She
recalled the fiashily dressed young man
who had come to their neighborhood to buy
cattle for the city markets. and had mar
the city. Word had come back to her
friends of the handsome house they had.
of the money he had made-no one knew
how. There she sat, dressed like the pic
lures in the fashion plates. But. some
how. her face was changed. She was still
pretty, but-well, she was not to be envied.
The man by her side nudged her. The
violins had stopped, and the curtain was
going up. She turned and looked at him
for a ONE He was roughly. dressed
smiled on her. She thought of their little
duh home. of her hard work. of the babies
TO care for, and she felt a thrill of love
for him, and for her homely duties. Her
hand frightened on his.
Then she turned her thoughts on the
stage. the poorest. yet the richest of the
three.