The Topeka state journal., 1899-07-04
IN THE MUSIC ROOM.


Pauline. I've been looking for you
all night I recognized the roses You
night"
Are you sure you know me nOw?'
Perfectly sure, my coz You're eyes
are black behind your mask Your
voice. would not know that, either,
but there's a certain air about yOu-a
carriage Of the head. Pauline" he
drew nearer, does she wear my rOses2'
Has she danced much with Grey to-
YES.
Does she care for hm?" quickly
she hasn't discussed the question
with me- This with fine scOrn-
You aren't a Bit like yourself. Not
bit sympathetic. Pauline, he drew her
to a couch I've got TO cOnfide in some
body You remember the night I met
her, just a week ago Did she ever tell
you she had met me. or some one like
me2'
Never"
she never speaks Of ne?' IN a dis
appointed tone. DO you care to hear
about it. Pauine2 You sit there like
a mummy, or answer in nOnOsylIa bles-' -
Yes, came from behind the mask
There was suspicion OF laughter in the
soft voice
Wen" he began. "a year ago I was
spending a few days in a hotel on the
cOnunent-nO matter where. 1t was
rather a lonely place, and the day was
dull wandered down a corridor and
I Into a concert room A grand piano
stood open. and sheets of music were
scattered about picked up a gay
little WuItz and played it through. When
L finish a girl who had evidently been
standing in the doorway approached
me she was tail. with manner i'm
: per1ouS enough for a princess and she
! looked every inch of one in her costly
I furs and velvet hat
Have kept you Wafting2' she ask
ed. quickly I'm sorry. What shall I
/ sing2
Her manner took so much for grant
ed L knew instantly I was mistaken
! Tor some one else. but was not tempt
/ ed TO quarrel with fate
IL was such piquant adventure.
/ The girl was beautiful Explanations
I were boreS and awkward. So in spite
/ of a strong desire to laugh. sat down
/ to the piano and, assuming a profas-
stonal air, picked up the music that
! lay before me It was the grand ser
I enade-Schubert's I have never heard
! 1t more beautifully sung.
| Her voice was marveIOusly sympa-
! thetIc- L had, as you know. passed IN
/ scathed through a good many seasons
I but I went down before those conquer
| ing eyes Pauline. you'll never be-
/ heve it, but I swear I left that room
I and went straight to the singing mas
I ter she believed me to be and paid him
I six times over TO let me tmpersOnate
( him for q month She had told me she
( would remain that long and would like
! to keep up the lessons.
/ My dream ended abruptly One
I morning I came, as usual. to find her
/ gone. There was a little courteous. if
/ chilly, note. saying they had been call
/ ed to America by the illness of a near
! relative Inclosed was the money for
/ the lessons. I had absolutely no trace
! Of her I did not even know the town
I she lived In went down the street
I There seemed suddenly nothing left to
/ dO-nOwhere to 60
[ A handsome. darx-eyed boy I had
I often seen passed ne I tossed him the
! money and laughed at his delight. So
I it ended a week go I met her here
! your guest She gave no signs of recOg-
! milton. L haven't had a ghost of
| chanCe-she is always surrounded. But
I tomorrow I viii see her Do you think
I she can care for me, Pauline?"
"Yesn
/ You do2" eagerly. way? Why,
( Pauline" still more eagerly.
| ''BecauS- -because-'' he read the
answer in the tender, smiling face from
( which she slipped the mask
| An hour later she told him that a let
/ ter, bearing his address and dated from
/ an American town, had one day fallen
from his pocket in that old music room
| across the sea Picking it UP she had
found the familiar hand of a friend
[ Further convinced by the pOstmark
she had written her friend of the ad-
/ venture and received a photograph she
| Immediately recognized
( But not until her wedding journey
/ some six months later did Mrs. Howard
4 coufde TO her husband in strictest con
I hdence that all her plans were changed
! and she came south unexpectedly be-
/ cause of a telegram that ran: My
J co sin. James Howard, is spending a
! few weeks with us