The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-14
The EVENING STORY
Harris Genius.
by Colin s. Collins.l

Icy colin .. CoilnS.l
Hart stirred uneasily as the tones
doated out, now round and full, now the
merest whisper of divine melody. No
mere amateur 1t was, who tenderly
bowed the violin. Hart had heard the
best of those who had come to America
on tour, and he knew that this was the
playing of master.
Even as a child, Morris Hart had
been strangely moved by music, and
now his soul thrilled as the almost n l.
he could not locate the player, but at
last he caught a glimpse of a girl as
lovely as the music she made.
She stood at the window of squalid
tenement that faced the building in
which Hart had his office, and, all un-
conscious of the notice she attracted.
played on and on. The same airs she
played over and over again, but the
trial balance waited while Hart drank
in the melody. At last, with a sigh, she
laid down the instrument, and carefully
putting 1t away, busted herself with the
preparation of her simple meal.
Hart turned again to the trial ball
ance which the bookkeeper had laid
upon his desk, but he could not Danish
from his thoughts the fair musician
and the picture she made framed in tho
wall.
She was fair with the fairness of the
north, but her eyes were the lustrous
black of the Latins, and in her face
sion of the north-born with the passion
of the SUMMER south. Even in the poor
dress she wore she did not lose her
queenly stateliness of bearing, and the
collarless, shabby waist betrayed the
round fullness of her neck and the dag,
zling Wilderness of her shoulders.
For a man who had hitherto account
ed women things of little Importance,
the girl of the violin occupied much of
Harris attention that afternoon, and In
the evening she absorbed his thoughts
to the exclusion of all else.
Hart was early at his Office in The
morning. He had passed an almost
sleepless night and had come to the Of
flee in the hope of finding forgetfulness
of the girl In the absorption of work.
He gathered up the mail from the floor
in front of the letter drop and mechan-
ically busted himself in opening the IN
velopes.
But scarcely had he begun when
from across the yards came the sound
Of the violin. Today she stood slightly
more in the shadow and he could
memory needed no refreshing. and he
could see her as plainly as he had the
day before, when she had stood just
in front OF the window. Over and
over again she played the same airs.
The head clerk came in for the mail
and Hart waved HIM away. 1t was
not until the violin was put away and
the girl sat at the window with some
sewing that Hart could give mis- at
tention to his affairs.
In the afternoon the violin was taken
up again and once more Hart stopped
work that he might drink in to the
full the sweet strains that seemed to
gain an added beauty from their en-
Vironment.
For a week or so Hart enjoyed the
daily concert, then there came a day
when the windows were closed and
the violin did not sound. In some way
when evening fell. instead of going
direct to his club. as was his custom,
he hunted up the little house on the
back street 1t was with difficulty that
he located the apartment, but at last
he found the right one and made
eager inquiry of the slatternly woman
who announced herself as the jan
itress.
They were gone. she told him, the |
little old professor and his daughter. |
She did not know where they had
gone. They were annoying the other |
tenants with their everlasting playing
an6 had been asked to move on that |
account.
"You would probably turn out
Paderewski himself"
1--WE don't take thin Hungarians,"
explained the janitress. 1.-THE little
Dutch professor was bad enough. |
Divil another wan az thin comes in
here"
Hart turned away heartsick ana dis |
couraged. Now that the girl was
gnnc he felt that he had let pass out |
of his life the one woman who would |
ing he moped at the club, and in the /
DAYS t, come the employees at the Of /
fee asked each other anxiously IL the
depression in stocks had impaired the
capital Of the business. Only business
could account to them for
Harris irrita bility.
Then came a night when one OF his
associates at the club insisted upon
carrying him off to a vaudeville house.
There's a musical act on that you
will like; you can't afford to miss It,"
ne urged and Hart went for company's
sake, though he detested the musical
of vaudeville.
The seats were easy, smoking was
permitted and Hart found himself COM
'ortabIy bored until the next to the last
number was announced.
This is great; something new" ex-
planned his companion, and Hart re-
,arded curioasly the black void OF the
stage.
Nothing could be seen save the black
curtains with which the stage was
lung. The music was playing weird
light ran across the front Of
he stage, sending to the flies a cloud
# smoke which cleared to disclose a
CARRIED in white.
Hart started 1orWaro IN MS seat,
hen fell back again. It was the girl {
f across the way. Now c1inging robe I
# white fell in graceful folds from her {
houlders, and her masses of golden
lair were left unbound. She looked out | /
t the audience with inscrutable eyes ,
nd raised the violin to her chin. It
She played the same selections that t
e had heard in his office, and when at
asst the curtain fell and a whirr an t
ounced the commencement of the mo- G
ION pictIlres Hart sought out the man. y
ger whom he knew slightly. r. :
mo MASKING there" declared the +
manager with a laugh when Hart beg
ed for an introduction. "Her father Is