The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-27
THE EVENING .STOR r
won bv . Vtolin.

trap leading from the music room with
the same intolerable feeling of disgust
that always filled his soul when it
came time to take his place beside the
leader OF the Odeon orchestra.
He hated it all, the endless process
sion of sidewalk comedians. serio-
comics. sketch artists, trained dogs
and all the other component parts of
the vaudeville show.
He had come to America fresh from
the Conservatory. with visions Of
concert tournee that should make him
WAS land of money: that there peo-
pie sat uD nights for an opportunity to
hear some great artist.
Instead. he had discovered that only
those heralded by q skillful promoter
stood any chance He was glad to get
an occasional engagement for some
small concerts, and even these grew
less and less frequent as the season
waned.
Then had come that awful time
when. penniless and hungry. he faced
the realizat ton that he could never
hope for success. He was too proud
to go back home failure. and he
thankfully accepted an opening in
concert hall, where he, pianist and a
cornet player comprised the t'orches-
ira"
Benson had found him there one
night when he dropped in to see the
proprietor Benson had played violin
there himself before he had become
bandmaster with a blue and gold band
at a summer resort, and he dropped
in at intervals for old times sake
He called Award over to his table
and offered him place in his or
chestra in the fall, when the season
opened. So ever since September
Award had sat beside Benson playing
first violin. He loathed 1t all, but IT
was better than the concert hail. and
he was grateful
But this afternoon he was gloomy. A
great artist, one with whom he had
studied, was giving a matinee, and
some one had told him how the people
were thronging to the hall. Their
master had declared Award to be the
better, yet Herman drew the crowds
Monday was always a bad day The
music sheets, some of them yellow with
age and filthy with dirt were hard to
read. Rehearsal had been more or less
of farce, and he scarcely noticed the
performance. Then suddenly a voice
broke on his ears, and he looked UP in
wonder.
A mere girl stood in the CLEAN Of the
spot light. She could not be more than
16 or II, but from her throat there
poured tones of crystal purity. The
voice was unplaced and unschooled, but
she had q natural gift for singing, and
her tones had not yet become hardened
through overWork-
The music thrilled him through and
through, and once or twice he broke in
his accompaniment. Long after she
left the stage she still occupied his
theater after the matinee, she con-
fronted him at the top of the stairs.
What did you crab my act for?' she
demanded.
Il am sorry, mademoiselle.v he said.
with humility But such a voice-in
vaudeville The surprise was too great
I faltered.''
1T looked like you were scared she
agreed, modified at the compliment.
But don't you do It again.
II protest that I shall offend no
more" he assured, and she turned to
the elderly woman who lowered in the
background. ~7
Come on, ma she called. He didn't
do 1t a-purpose. I knocked him off his
pins, that's all. Come on
She passed out of the stagedoor and
Avord followed slowly. Into his life
Love had come. He could forgive the
uncouth speech for the sake of the
(she invariably misspelled the word;
soprano, had become a goddess to
him.
All that week he drank in the flute
like tones as a drunkard imbibes his
tipple- Saturday night. when the en-
gagement closed, he left a single rose
perfect In Its loveliness with the door
keeper, to be given her as she left.
She was gone when the show was
over, and he hurried to the door
keeper for his report.
What did mademoiselle say?' he de-
manded eagerly.
'stingy.'" grinned the unsympa-
thetic soul, and Award slowly passed
out
But the slight was forgotten tie next
day, and only the memory of that per-
feet voice remained. From the press
agent he begged one of her photo
graphs, and when he came home at
night, tired and disheartened he looked
upon her youthful face and seemed to
hear again the liquid sweetness of her
singing.
1t was several months before she
came again. Award feared that perhaps
the hard work. the singing In smoke
filled music halls, had spoiled her tones,
but she did not strain for high notes,
and her voice retained its clarity and
freshness.
1t seemed an interninable time after
he took his place before she came on,
and again, after her appearance, the
moments dragged woefully, but they
were to be endured for the sake of those
momentary uplifts to paradise, and he
was content
Several times, when the sketches were
on, he left his place ard prowled about
the stage in the hope of gaining speech
with her, but she always was dressed
and out before the sketch brought him
an intermission from his labors
AS the work progressed these repeat
ed disappOintments preyed upon him,
and ne grew more ana more gloomy.
Saturday night came all too soon, and
it was with an aching heart that he
opened her music to play her accom-
paniment for the last time.
Gertie had put in a new song to try
the last night. It was a popular ballad,
one that had just come out, cheaply
constructed, but with a slow melodic
chorus They had tried it over in the
music room before the performance.
and he had liked it then. Now the
- H. ~ he
put ali of his artistic soul into the inter-
pretation Of the chorus. The other
musicians. as If by common impulse,
lowered their instruments,and the wall