The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-03
TWO MEN AND A GIRL.

extraction because his front name nap
pens to be Jean? And does a heart
whole woman incline more to the soul
full, specifically brilliant man than &c
the hQmely featured. piOdder who can
not play upon romantic moods. Inc
second question may Slide-it hardly
matters now; but / emphasize the first
because, in a negative sort of way, II
may indicate the most prominent draw
back in Jean Lorrimer's character ii
i say it now, while he is still waiting
upon Fame, / cannot be accused OF
How had we shared rooms for so long
without coming to blowS2 hardly
know. Maybe 1 had crude sense OF
hurnor that saved every situation. If
So it Welled from the fact that Jeta
painted pictures lcftily from dawn M
husband occasionally from dusk TIL
dawn-and could only earn enough 70
Justify his own pet paradox Art re
said never paid a man until after ms
death No genuine artist expected II;
and the strangest proof OF ms genuine e
ness lay in the steady productlon OF
his productions while alive.
had my full revenge at the perlool-
cal moments when, after coughing anu
flushing a good deal, he turned ms
hack TO the light. suddenly recOllecteQ
something and asked softly if l had
that s. note to spare again TIL Mon
Gav.
When you see man every day, you
remember him as he is. not as he was,
or might have been. But one wet.
windy July evening. when Jean reached
out his hand in the deepening dusk Tor
my tobacco jar, noticed how whlte
and long the fingers were-like bones
covered with white kid Through the
smoke rings 1 took stock of his general
There had been a nebulous idea in my
mind for days. 1t took shape IN that
moment. I knocked out my pipe and
said carelessly: ,
well, I'm going for my fortnights
ozone on Saturday. Just struck me;
You'd better knock of and come, too.
1t was our first wet evening-Wed-
nesday, 1 believe In the rear portion
of our double sitting room was piano;
but Jean had grown tired of playing IL
-DoSsibIv because there was only my
self to be thrilled We sat smoking
and between the puffS Jean talked OF
art and pictured humanity without II
as a ra@ of jellyfsh. A Vapory DUSK
had Just settled down. and We saw no
one enter the gate. But, OF SUDDEN
from the hall came the sound OF a voice
-seft ricn, clear. wonderful-aboVe the
iandlady's murmur. Our door was a1ar.
II rfppied into laughter, rose and died
down again with anindescribablev 1bra-
tion that seemed to awaken a new set
of nerves.
epologfzed, and stood twisting her
hands mysteriously in the dusk we
stood up on a. mutual impulse, Jean
foremost
Mr. er-gentlemen-you see
me so awkwardly placed. But said I'd
put it 70 you I have only the spare
bedroom, and the young LADY must
have a sitting room with a piano as
we'll And the town is full" She sank
her voice. 'Such a sweet young thing
"a singer. down for the rest OF the
season. I knew you wouldn't MIND II
closed these folding doors and let her
have the rear half"
-, to There
need Jean Lorrimer cleared his voice
and threw a. new. deep ring into 1t:
1.-THE idea, my good madam! Ger
tainly halve the apartment at once
we shall be only too delighted
Miss May Ronald thanks you very
much. and thinks it a wonderful kind
ress." excitedly whispered Mrs. Cor
bould. looking in again
II mean it dol came the rich
laughing voice, with Just tremor of
fun and shyness- aga
Tall. fair, and imposing? No!
little dainty, dark, elfin creature, with
to change their light every second.
looked under Jeans arms to see more,
She wore a dropping hat of violets,
with wide velvet strings tied around
her oval face, and a gauzy fawn cloak.
And Jean had my best gray suit;
she had seen him in it-he would have
to keep it.
Three of the strange precious days
had licked out We passed them in
a tentative culver of suspense and ex-
pectancy, too vague. delicious, mysteri-
Gus. to be puffed away by precipitate
action While pretending utter in
difference, We were watching each
other warily-ready for a leap in the
dark. If Jean went out, I followed
If jeans headache came on l staid
in to keep him company
Did she understand She must be
,, RI TarH n1e r7n
had loved and lost-or loved and won
for that matter-could have such eyes
and such a note in her vOicel
Il was half thinking" Jean re-
marked yawningly. carelessly. one
night. as we stood in our bedroom.
.'of sending for my things and stay
ing here for the rest of the season.
I believe 1 could do myself justice
MOI How strange I said. with a
laugh. 81 was half thinking of go
ing back tomorrow Instead of be-
ing the substance, holidays are gener-
ally the shadow of the anticipation"
And so the dreamlike days ran on.
until only three were left to us.
crisis was in the air. 1t was just
after tea, as the blue haze came steal
ening's possibilities before us. listen
ing to those indefinable sounds be-
yond the folding doors.
1 thought 1 knew something. Jean
Lorrimer meant to speak before I
could Behind the newspaper in his
twitching hands. he was staring at the
concert bill which said that Miss May
Ronald would sing Killarney at the
Casino that evening. He meant to
watch. follow her as she left the hall,
sink down upon one knee-of my
gray trousers-and offer her his heart
in words that 1 could never hope to
equal. He meant to scotch my pre-
sumptions at a blow.
We both sprang to the window cur
tain, struggled for best place, and
watched Had she glanced back our
way2 If so, it was only as an elusive
woman. conscious of her own powers.
could glance. She was gone, and the