The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-01
The EVENING STORY
Dan Cupid-Magician.
(By Harry Houdini.)

1
started to arrange his modest conJur-
| ing apparatus. A few hours earlier MS
debut as parlor entertainer nad peei
a matter of joyous and AMBITIOUS an
ticipation. Now, the brOcaded walls OF
Senator Morgan'S music room fairly
threatened to close in and choke him,
while the fragrance of hothouse now
ers oppressed him strangely. he
wondered how he had ever dared TO
ask the vaudeville agent, who suppneo
Mrs Morgan and other fashionable
hostesses with talent, to let him SUD-
stitute for Thorley, the eminent ma
gician who had fallen victim to la
grippe. OF course he would fail, Mrs.
Morgan would be furious, the agent
would never give him another engage
ment, and his career would come to an
ignominious end. The laughter ana
chatter of the children, dancing on
the other side of the folding doors,
sounded like the deathknell OF MS
long cherished hopes.
"Can help you in any way? l am
Miss Morgan. The servants are all
busy with supper-and I thought
perhaps
young williams had never thought
of needing help, but as he faced the
cIear-eyed, f1ower-like girl, and the
echo of her well-modulated voice rang
| in his ears, he felt that his one nope OF
succeeding lay in her presence. Men
and women, wiser in the social Worio
than Frank Williams, had fallen I'M
sympathy and charm, and wondered
how this girl of high ideals and gentle
manners could be the daughter OF
Senator Morgan, ponderous with the
arrogance of newly ACQUIRED ~eai.a'
and Mrs. Morgan, who radiateo com
monplace attributes as her recently
purchased diamonds scintillated light.
At Franks faltering thanks, Helen
| Morgan began quietly but oeIty u
carry out his instructions, placing
light gilt table here, a tabouret there.
and, where it would be within reach OF
the conjurer's hand, candle or
cleaning revolver. And though after.
ward Frank Williams could not tell
how II had happened, before the set
| tings for his act were prepared the girl
| had drawn out his tale Of half-trag1c
struggle, the prosaic, hard-neaoeo
father stormfng over the Vlsloiary,
tnexplicable nature of his youngest
son. the loyal mother secretly BROOD
ing over and abetting this odd chick
of her little flock, his constant en-
deavor to learn the secrets or magic
and then to secure hearing. even tn ,s
rented dress suit, and the gold watch
which had been pawned that very
afternoon to buy bonbons and gilded
trinkets to distribute among ms
youthful auditors. And as he nnlsneo,
| it seemed to Helen Morgan that she
stood in the presence of a struggling
genius She had read such stories OF
poets. musicians and inventors Inc
tawdriness of the contur1ng Worlo
faded, and tenderly her hand rested
on the white satin cover of the young
mans servante. 1t was bit OF ms
mothers wedding dress, sacrinceo
gladly to her sons art, g. rlcn IaoIlc
yellow with age and finished Win
strips of rare old lace.
The performance was a great success;
The children were duly myst1ded ana
more than delighted with the showers
of trinkets and bonbons which appaT-
emily came from an 1nexhausep nS
to express her appreciation. a footman
had served q supper of such rare oen-
caeies that Frank had longed TO PACK
them all up with his paraphernana aio
take them to his mother. and now as
he walked down the broad avenue ieao-
ing from the house he felt as II the
house behind him was fairyland lnoeeo
and Helen Morgan It's princess.
But he was reused from his dream py
a erimfaced butler, who came hurry
ing after him. ,
5sYoy,re to come back to the house,
was the brusque order, and, re-enterins
his ,fairyland, william faced senator
Morgan, a glowering figure, in the lore,
ground, and Mrs. Morgan, hysterical
one in the background. But In the eyes
of the third he read pity, the same ten
der pity which he had seen In her eyes
when Helen Morgan had stopped to
pick up his trick rabbit as the 1r1ght-
ened animal escaping rom ms poCkS1
and trembling at the snoulS u Inc Snii-
dren. had run to the girl for protec-
ton. ,o..
Its Jail for you, young man. unless
YOU produce my wife's rings: she Ieit
them behind the rock-crystal vase IN
the music room. and we don't propose
to have them disappeared as you do
handkerchiefs and rabbits
The scene which followed was nor
rible nightmare to the young magician
his own protestations OF innocence
drowned in Mrs. Morgan's Mysteries,
Senator Morgan's orders Tor an olncer;
Helen's pleading for time to search, ana
finally the discovery OF the rings py a
maid in Mrs Morgans dressing room.
And when it was all over, Williams
was thrust out in the night through
side entrance, feeling more like a thier
than an acquitted man. Tnen suooeny
a gentle hand fell upon his arm, ana
gentler voice murmured in his ear:
Gust a minute, please. l want 10
tell you how sorry l am. nopeo TINS
would be the greatest night OF your
For one long minute the young man
who had his own way to make. and ths
girl whose future had been assured so
far as wealth could accomplish TINS
feat looked into each others eyes. And
the soul of the man, suddenly born,
went out to the divine tenderness of
innate womanliness which ls greater
power than mere physical beauty. He
smoke quietly but with new-found con-
TT has been a wonderful. wonderful
night to me-and some day I am COM
ing back to tell you why"
Under the chaperonage of dowager
duchess who knew how to turn her title
to financial account Helen Morgan was
.doine'' the London season. In a May
fair drawing room she sat. and beside
her was a man with a mustache, an
English accent above reproaeh, ana
patronizing air. OF course the Morgan
millions would mean the remaining OF