The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-17
THE EVENING STORY
Elya's Chaperone.
(By virginia Leila Wentz.)

(By Virginia Leila Wentz.)
Mrs. James Dix was looking out
across the Rue de Rivon at the morn
ing's brightness of the Tuileries Gal
dens when the boy in the hotel hfl
brought her a cablegram-
It was a message from her lord and
master in Chicago declaring that her
immediate presence was required At
once all the brightness faded out OF the
TuileIies; for the frivolous ga1ety c.
Paris had been especially attractive to
this portly, easy-gOing, good-natured
matron of the west.
But mother, you'll have to go alone.
It'll be a whole month before my sing
ing lessons are finished. you know,
broke in Elya,. who was having her
fiaxen hair shampooed by a real Paris
ian hairdresser.
Mrs. Dix classed her ring-bedecked,
pudgy hands. She always clasped ne
hands when she agreed about anything.
You'll have to have q chaperone, or
course, DEAR she added NOW, WHo
can we get on such a little notice?"
There was silence for moment, Whlle
the deft fingers of the hairdresser ran
through the laxen hair with a soothing
touch. Then Elya's girlish voice SOUND
ed in a delightful treble:
ooh, mother! I know the very per
son. She's terribly nice and aWtnlly
ladyliLe'' (Elysa always emphasized her
adverbs, and used indescriminate ones,
at that, land she's an American, and
that's the best of all-uou-chv' In her
eagerness she'd turned her head DIT
too suddenly and some soap had gotten
in her sapphire eyes
out Mrs. Dix, while her daughter strug-
gIed with the soap. You mean MISS
C1emmens, the governess to that ntlls
English boy who died last week? Yes,
she's looking for another engagement
that's true. And she certainly Is
lady" -.
So Miss Dorothy Clemens, of New
York. was engaged to chaperone Elya
Dix for month in Paris, anu 1heai
bring her back to America
To console herself for her mothers
departure. FIya had Miss Clemmens
secure tickets for that n1sht opera
She sat in a box, in her young beauty;
set off by a 5000 PaQuin gown, anu
sereneiv allowed the audience to stare
Already she was learning that the
mission of the beauty Is to support
modistes and to be stared at behi ,l
her, robed in some soft Inexpensive
gray stuff, with a narrow Whlle lace
collar sat her chaoerone-
The opera was "Siegfr1ed, the
scherzo of Wagner's great sympheo1niy,
as Lavignac has called It. Upon MISE
Clemmens' music-parched soul Nshe u
not heard an opera for over year,
IT fell like gracious dew and fetcheo
sweet refreshment. When the OtcHes-
ira tells the mood of Slegfried IN the
second act, feeling the nrst ILet ~
awakened passion, her eyes shone IKE
stars. her lips parted slightly; and JUST
at that juncture a man in the audl-
ence caught her perfect prohle as she
leaned slightly forward.
That same look. downward ana
sidewise and smilingi That exqulsite
head in It's cloud of wavy dark mar
Paul Demarest brushed away the
wears that had blurred it all. and then
Suddenly he remembered. Yes, he re-
many years ago!
that gay. little butterfly, that American
dirt FIva Dix Bless Elya DlX!-lt
vas the first time he had ever felt
grateful to her. He would make MS
way to her box at the end of the sec
ond act s.-,,..
o,.d ~ see vou-I honestly am!
Thought you'd forgotten me. Ana m
all alone. nOw-nOther sailed 81 uneX-
pectedly for home this morning, anu
I'm all alone now Elya greeteo MN p
in her young, untamed eHuslVehess %
he entered the box
"AIl alone2" he questioned graVely-
ssWeIl. there's Miss Clemmens here,
nv chaperone. BY the way, she an
American. too Miss Clemmens Mr.
Demarest: you've heard mother speak
Of him. I'm sure-Oh, here come
pickle Marston and Bob Sawyer. How
terribly iollv!" Elya reached out her
daintily gloved hand to greet two
Thev were of the aggressive type
these two English chaps, and IN a tsW
seconds Demarest made his way TO MISS
Clennens in the rear.
hogan curiously, 1.-THE last time saw
you you wore your hair IN Two p' ~ -
and / wrote a poem and dec1cateo 1t -
the curls at the end.
his voice and mouth were grave, but
there was a smiling CLEAN IN MS eyes
Miss Clemmens glanced rather blank-
" from beneath her heavy iashes d
this man well under 40
II think" she began, with a calm
dignity BETTING her position-but JUST
there. on the very second word Oh re-
nroval a flash of understanding radia-
Ted over her tired, lovely face. You
surely. you're not Prince Paul?
sThe very same-princess."
Paul Demarest bowed very low;
"Rut-but why Demarest-- pur-
sued Miss Clemmens Win puz1ieu 5uH-
oe "a taAs grand uncle over here, without
any closer issue, left me his money anu
estates, providing I'd take his name FL, IN
the bargain. 1 took them all" The
iirht raillery in the voice changed to
serio,,sness. But I'd have known you.
princess If you went Dy any name VII
OT .rE or PHYS sake!" dimpled she. Then
she added with a wistful dignity: Bot
I must have changed a deal since then.
That was nearly u years ago-1ust
II don't see the changes" said he
calamity. ITO me you're just the
same
But oh, how tired she looked, his gay.
light-hearted little princessi And now
he lonRed to fold her protectingly n
his arms! The wide divergence in that
moment between what this man wished
to do and what he did do stands Tor
DO YOU remember those glorious
sails we used to have on Long Island
scund?" he asked constrainedly, pick
ing up the fan which she had dropp I'd
Remember? The Partisan opera house
and the hum of chattering voices faded
away: in their place came the big,
blue Sound covered with white sails.