The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-19
THE EVENING STORY
Two Rainy Days.
(Rv RfolIv MoMa9far \

ocean. Robert Vale turned up his coat
collar but continued along the board
walk. The mist grew into rain and
some of the drops trickled down Wales
neck He was opposite the twenty
FIVE cent theater which presented an
hysterical display of yellow and black
posters announcing the nightly per-
Torrance of the Gay Deceivers, when
the rain began.
Even a cheap seaside music hall
was preferable to rairdrops. Vale
purchased a ticket and made his way
to the third row of seats
Should the long line of ancestors
from whom Vale had inherited his
aristocratic bearing-and a few mil
lions-witness his entrance to the
small theater they would no doubt
wish they had held back at least the
millions.
In spite of lineage. gold and
himself, Vale drew a breath oe surpris-
ed interest when the curtain went up.
The stage pictured a gypsy encamp-
of the nomads.
On the steps of the open cavern two
of the tribe were singing a love duet;
third lolled against a tree strum-
ming his musical instrum ent while a
fourth lay propped by her elbow in the
glow of the camp fire.
It was about the latter's face that
Robert Wales interest became riveted !;
her wide gray eyes seemed to hold all
the shadows in the world but her
lips srniled-smiled with uncertain
bravery.
by Jove!" muttered Vale, What
a beauty! And / have wasted two
nights gazing into shallow eyes when I
could have looked at these fathomless
ones Wonder what her name is p?
Nadine" Vale had taken his eyes
from the girl long enough to glance at
his program.
The big gypsy 1oTin5 against the
that the voice was good but he wished
that applause would cease. Nadine
name was next on the program.
She neither moved from her posi-
ton by the fire nor seemed to come
out of her reverie when she began to
sing. Her voice was of the low timbre
to which the heart instantly responds
"a voice not fully developed nor yet
quite finished The p1aintivc gypsy
love song kept her audience tense.
Robert Vale had often felt the sor-
Gerry in women's eyes or been be-
witched by a roguish smile but this
sense of complete thralldom to music
hall singers charm was quite new
experience. He tried to throw off the
fascination and turned his eyes toward
the other gypsy but it wss no use; Ma
dimes personality held sway.
Much to his own amusement he re-
scented the audience: he fell that he
would like Nadine to be singing to him
alone.
Vale walked home after the theater
trying to tell himself that the girl
was a music hall artist in a twenty
five cent theater; that she was no
doubt the wife of one of the gypsies
and that she probably wore drabbled
willow plumes on the street.
Notwithstanding these conjectures
he went every night following while
the Gay Deceivers played, which was
something less than a fortnight
Against his better judgment Vale
attempted to write a note to Nadine
asking for a meeting. He hoped to
become disillusioned hut something
stayed his pen and the gypsies jour
neyed on.
Later. during the winter. Vale real
lied that the very nature of his re-
gard had prevented him approaching
her IN the usual way. However, he
knew that she had been conscious of
his presence and on the last night Ma
dine had worn cluster Of his roses.
During the winter Vale went to ev-
cry variety theater in New York with
the hope that he would again see the
girl who haunted his thoughts.
One day in early spring Vale started
out for his Sunday morning walk. AS
he neared Forty-second street a fine
rain began to fall.
Rather than return to his apart
ments Vale decided to go UP the two
blocks and attend service at a Fifth
avenue church.
He took a seat near the back of
the church. The only other occupant
of the pew was little cd lady who,
during the service fumhled with her
chains and then with her rings until
finally one of the latter rolled to the
floor.
Vale stopped to look for it.
1T has escaped my reach" he whis-
pered to her. 81 will get it after ser
vice"
During the offertory anthem rich
contralto voice fioated out over the
big church
Vale started. The voice was familiar
yet not familiar; it held the same
intense timbre as the voice of Nadine
but these tones came forth with the
control of master
Prom music hall to soloist in one
of the best churches in the city is a
big jump" thought Vale besides. it
takes money to study for this kind of
work.
He strained his eyes to get q
glimpse of the singer but 1t was no
use The rows of girls on each side
of the chancel seemed tc be identical.
one with the other.
During the remainder of the service
Robert Vale was back at the seaside
and dreaming of a girl who had sung
in the guise of a gypsy.
When the church was emptying he
remembered his duty toward his COM
panion in the pew. He must search
for her ring.
In the seni-darkness of the church
it was not an easy task md Vale was
down on his hands and knees in a far
corner IF the church when he heard q
musical voice
Granny. what in the world are you