The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-23
The EVENING STORY
Wooing a Star.

!
| the sleeper. The rescue portion of the
1 train crew had started it's twelve mile
push through the snowdrifts down the
/ track to Moosehead, the nearest tele-
graph station. There was one chance
in fifty that they might meet a relief
j gang working toward them. And it
was Christmas eve.
We won't get through. sab, said
the porter cheerfully. "Suttinly looks
most unpromising for Santa Claus to-
night"
Never can tell, sam You'd better
hang up your sock" Hamilton re-
/ in the day coaches and tourist cars
How about that private, layout we
tackled on at Boise City?"
Private car, sah-Mme. Helene
] Cesare.'
The name struck a chordd that had
! been Hamilton's dominant strain for
ten years. He knew Helene Cesare.
Back in the lean years, when she had
| been a slender eager-eyed girl with a
golden voice, who frankly hailed from
Omaha, he had met her at one of his
sisters musicales in the east. Kit
Murray. they called her then. She
was about seventeen, with a mass OF
reddish hair, framing a tense, deter
mined face. with big, dreamy, almost
resentful eyes. She had been resent
full, too, of his proffers of friendship
and assistance SO far as her career was
concern ed. She would win, she had
told him, win by sheer work and eff
fort. 1t had not been with her con-
sent that his sister had bent all her
influence toward her success. ct
she had been grateful, too. and had
never known how much of it she owed
to Hamilton's love for her.
on his way to the private car he
met the conductor.
"A bout six hours anyway. sir. pos
sibly more" he answered Hamilton.
/ Tough on the people in the cars
ahead. There's nothing to feed them
with. and a lot of kids. too"
Hamilton went on to the last car.
He met madame's secretary at the
vestibule, and gave his card. When
he entered the drawing room section
trimmed lounging cloak slipping back
from her shoulders, her eyes fun of
the same luminous eagerness he re-
membered well.
'Ah. but this is kind of you" she
said. "And | am so lonesome, and
bored. How much YOU look like your
self" The absurdity of her own re-
mark dawned on her, and she laughed
richly. happily. Il mean as I remem-
Der you. Hugh Tell me of yourself.
Sit here. We Will dine presently
but we must not. not yet. please"
he interposed. q have come to you
for two reasons; first. to see you.
You know how 1 have wanted to-
But we were on the same little
earth, my friend
Half a world away. and more. You
shipper. So-Well | have worshiped
a a star should be worshiped''
She looked at him questioningly, al
most anxiOusly.
His eyes regarded her hungriIy
This was not the girl of seventeen
whom he had loved tenderly. pro-
tectingly, this woman With the curved
lips and well-poised head, the sure.
clear gaze, and voice that stirred old
memories into life.
Yet. gazing at the white perfection
of her throat and shoulders her jew
eied head, the exquisite lines of her
velvet dinner gown. he thought of the
mass of warped humanity on the rest
of the stalled train. hungry. bitter
stunned by the prospect of snow
bound Christmas.
1t made no difference to Cesare
her car would be as warm, as brill
liantly lighted. her dinner a S perfectly
served as if she We're in her own Par
islam apartment. And suddenly he re-
solved to throw all his chances on one
single number 1t would prove to him
whether any tenderness. any woman
illness, still lay dormant under that
breast.
cannot stay with you, not with those
poor devils ahead stranded There
are children. too, they say. You
know what that means. kit
The old name slipped out unthink-
ingly, and she smiled.
1T is kind of YOU to give me the
chance to share with Them she said.
I'VE will send in all that I have. ex-
cept our own dinner tonight Does
that content you?''
viii you come with me and sing
them Christmas carols?"
why not?" She caught the infec-
ton of the thought gayly. & was to
sing tonight at some city; where was
it? My secretary knows-for five
thousand. What then? We viii pour
the voice out to your day coach pill
crr-l
With her hand laid lightly on his
arm, she went ahead through the |
train. and the word spread like fire.l
The great singer would give her voice |
as freely to them for their Christmas
eve as she gave from her larder to
feed them.
Hamilton never forgot the picture
she made as she stood in the aisle of
each of the crowded coaches, head |
lifted, lips smiling. singing old heart /
songs and carols that left her audi |
ences in tears. And she enjoyed it as |
the girl of ten years ago would have
done. every minute of her progress. t
While the children, reached to ru o |
their cheeks against her velvet gown /
and the soft fur, and baby hands were /
She wore no corsage bouquet by the
time they had returned to the private
car.
faced each other. Hamilton knew
that fate had given him a second |
chance after ten years.
Il thought there was only the soul
of the artist left in you. Kit he said,
gripping both her hands in his warm
grasp. Ct believed the years had !,
killed sentiment for you, and here
you go with me and give your golden
voice to those poor devils You never
looked so beautiful in your life as
when you lifted that baby in your
arms, the one that cried for your dia-
nond necklace. Do you know it, do
yoII %