The Topeka state journal., 1909-01-07
7HE EVENING STORY
T91e singing lady.
IRv Marth
c. Sanford

necessarily smut out the WOnuer-WOEtu
of lights and laughter and singing. John
Junior had discovered this all by him
self. for often. tonight, after calling
to his nurse and getting no answer, he
had crawled out with confidence from
under his tight covers and stood by the
window watching the grown-ups in the
houses across the air shaft.
He had just climbed back for the
third time by actual count when the
singing began. John Junior loved that
singing more than anything else in the
world.
He lay very still. and fiat on his little
back, because he had found out that If
one ear was buried in tho pillow, he
cially the soft, low ones.
He had not been listening very long
when he heard the hall door open and
shut and then he knew that his father
had gone out. Perhaps he was going to
find the beautiful singing.
John Junior wished so hard that he
might go, too. He sat up in bed. half
determined to follow. But, then, hear
ing the click Of the elevator door. he
knew that it was too late, and 81 lay
back again with a sigh.
suddenly, right in the middle of a note
SO high and sweet that it maize John
Junior hold his breath i'll an ecstacy of
happiness. the voice stopped. And for
long time 1t did not go on again.
What had happened? Perhaps his
lfather-no, if his father had found the
singing, he would have just hid behind
curtain somewhere and listened. OF
that John Junior was sure.
AT length, quite as suddenly as it mad
stopped, the singing began again. With
bound John Junior was at the window.
This was the song he loved best of all.
He could hear the words quite clearly,
as they came floating up from the win
dow far below:
Sweetest little fellow,
Everybody knows;
Don't know what to call him,
But he's mighty like a rose.
And little John Junior, who had
known no lullabies, nor mothers
croonings in his lone babyhood, felt
that he must follow and find where
the beautiful voice came from.
After some cropping, he found his
small woolen slippers, and after pull
ing them on very slowly and carefully,
he climbed out of the window and be-
gan the perilous descent of the fire.
escape.
The wind blew right through his
nightgown and the iron steps were
very cold, but he kept bravely on.
afraid only that the grown-ups in the
flats across the airshaft might sud
denly peep. out from the curtains and
see him.
The window at the foot of the long
ladder stairs was open--just as John
Junior expected it would be-So he
climbed in softly. The voice was still
again, but he was sure he must be
very near it.
BY the light that came into the
room through the transom he could
see big bed, withthe covers all turn
ed down as if waiting for some one
to creep in, and so, as John Junior
felt quite shivery, he crept in him
self
He had no sooner drawn himself
up into a snug little bunch, than the
singing began again-and SO near that
it made his heart thump hard. 1t
came right in over the transom.
When the last sound of it had died
away he heard a mans voice-his
fathers voice! So his father had fol-
lowed the singing, just as he thought.
In flash John Junior was out of
the big bed, had opened the door and
went pattering down the hall toward
the lights and laughter and singing.
Between the two big curtains he
paused and gazed into the wonderland
of the grownups. John Junior waited
until the song was over and then tip
toed in very softly.
Please he begged, won't you
sing about the little fellow once
more?"
And then weren't the grownups
startled! John Junior would never for
ing lady just gathered him up in her
arms, and, her cheeks all pink and her
eyes all shining, she sang the song he
loved best in the world.
And after that John Junior never
knew exactly what happened, for he
went fast asleep.
Mighty like a rose,'' murmured the
singing lady, looking tenderly down on
the little flushed face nestled against
her arm.
Like a rose" repeated John Ju-
nior's father, reverently. And the
, singing lady, looking up, found the
mans eyes not upon his child, but up
on her.
"Take him." she urged. the quick
tears springing to her eyes. "And don't
make it any harder for me, John"
,s<-I,& ~.
did not again hear the singing lady's
beautiful voice after his nurse had
tucked him in bed, although he lay
fiat on his back and listened hard with
both ears.
He questioned his father abOht it.
but got only foolish answers which he
knew were not true. The idea of the
singing lady going away to learn to
sing more beautifully! That was nom
sense! Who could teach her anything?
And 1t was Just as silly. to tell him
sin9 for HG them mn ary more. because lots and
lots of people would expect her to sing
for them Settan n an big par9 too har Jqn2e ap
plenty of people to hear her in their house
and in the house across the air-shaft.
At last John Junior declined to be trifled
why don't you write and ask her to
IT have dear his father admitted.
smiling a little wearily.
John Senior shook his head.
/ Then why don't you go find her and
bring her back" urged John Junior. "I'll
go with you"
The more John Juniors father thought
about this plan the more it appealed to
him. Finally. one memorable day. he put
1t Into execution.
Once more John Junior found himself
in the wonderland of Rrown-ups-so many,
many grown-ups. with millions of twink
| ling lights.
Suddenly out of the babel about him.
he heard a voice-the singing lady's voice
And there she was. more beautiful than
with her mink cheeks shin
ing eyes!
: It was very. very quiet while she sang.