The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-22
THE EVENING STORY
When the Curtain Rose
by Virginia Blair.1

which he had heard so much. All his
life he had lived among the pines,
far back in a sandy country. This
morning he had come to the city and
had sought the theater. Even before
the curtain was up he realized that the
beauty of the place was beyond his
widest dreams. At last he was going
to see the things that were worth while.
He read over the names on the pro-
gram idly. He knew nothing of vaude-
vile, but there seemed much of prom
Use in the headliners.
When the curtain rose, therefore, he
gave little gasp of rapture. The
stage was a bower of beauty; there
were roses everywhere. And into this
bower of beauty came the strolling
the woman a tamborine. There was
much scarlet satin in their costumes,
and the red in the woman's cheeks
was not that of nature.
They sang and played and danced.
and the audience applauded highly.
There was a touch of gypsy wildness
about the girl which caught the fancy
of the people. John applauded with
the rest, but in the back of his mind
was a question which took away from
the complete abandon of the moment.
"Where have I seen her before?"
The band played faster and the music
became wilder. Up and down the stage
went the little scarlet figure. The man
with the violin was in the background.
All at once the bow crashed against
the strings harshly, as without sound.
the girl threw up her hands and fell
to the floor.
The curtain went down, the lights
f1ared up, a team of jugglers took the
front of the stage, and everything
went on as before. But John Austin
saw nothing, for he was saying over
and over to himself. TITS Nary"
They had been to school togther, he
and Mary Morrison. She had been a
wild little thing in those days, the
daughter of parents who lived in
shanty in the pine forest. She had
known all about the birds and the
him to the places where the wild flow
ers b1oomed earliest, and together they
had waded in little brown streams and
had caught minnows in the quiet pools.
She had been a, wonderful little
thing, binding him to her by her
vivid admiration of his strength, and
her dependence upon his pure affec-
ton. When they had grown older, he
had gone to college, and she had drift
ed to one of the large towns. He had
heard that her parents were dead, and
that she was alone.
And now he had found her In fairy
land, and she was i'll. and there was
no one but that strange scarlet violin
player to take care. of her: He felt
that he must see her and md out
what had happened.
John waited at the stage door and
presently a hack drove up-a Shabby
affair drawn by a dilapidated horse
Supported by two stage hands, Mary
came out, transformed by a large coat
and shabby hat into very different
creature from the one who, with red
cheeks and in scarlet satin. had danced
among the roses. With her was
somewhat stouter woman, whose face
seemed vaguely familiar. In q mo-
ment it came to John where he had
seen her. She was the violin player of
the team. Her masculine garments
had been a disguise, and now when
her short-haired wig was off she
showed gray locks.
Half afraid to approach them, John
at last summoned up his courage.
Mary" he said.
The pale little girl looked at him.
YOU" she gasped. why, John
Austin!'
Let me go home with you." he
begged st saw you fall and 1 was
worried about you.''
She introduced, him to her COM
panion, and explained. as they rode
away together, that Maggie Trevor
had befriended her through all the
days of struggle.
did you like our stunt?" she asked
John.
His eyes sparkled. "It was fairy
land, 1 have never seen anything like
it. I have never seen anything but
sand and pines
"Oh,' she threw out her arms in a
gesture of longing, "how I should love
to see the sand and pines. I hate the
city John Austin
would you like to go back ?" he
asked eagerly.
How could go? There is nothing
back there for me. I earn my living
by my dancing"
"I am going to sell my farm and
come here, it's great
You think so,'' she told him, hut
you don't know. Why, John Austin.
I'd rather scrub and wash dishes back
among the pines than to live the life
live
| TITS what she has gone through"
said the older woman to John. Every
now and then she has these spells
The doctor says it is the excitement.
| Yet it is the only thing she can do.
We make pretty good team together,
but / amt got any talent, it's her
dancing that carries US through, and
| If she stops we stop, and there is only
the peorhouse ahead of US"
she spoke. Before them was tall.
rickety tenement. John and the hack
man carried Mary up the dark stair
way. The little room that they entered
was a square box of dimness.
| Its the best we can do" Mary sail,
| as John laid her on the bed, I'VE nave
got to save a little. If I should be
sick"
you'll feel better when you have
cup of tea and little supper" said
Maggie. Then she turned to John: 81
amt got much to offer you, but 1 wish
you'd stay. Maybe you can cheer Mary
up. She won't be able to go on tonight.
and she'll be afraid of losing her job
eff am not in the way, John said.
Mary shook her head. I'll try to
sleep a little" she told him, land yen