The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-29
THE EVENING STORY
The Little Professor.

beat time to the movement of his
baton while they sang an exercise in
solfeggio.
Miss Vance. you are not singing"
he said without stopping the rhythm.
1 Nadine Vance looked at him and a
dull red crept up even to the line of
her softly waving hair; her eyes were
brooding and somber. She made an
effort to sing, but sound issued
from the lips that were trembling.
When the exercise was finished the
little professor still kept his eyes on
the girl.
why do you not sing?" he asked
in his kindly manner.
/ Madness heavy eyes were again
| raised to his and the hunted look of
deer at bay sent an expressed of grav-
| ity into the professors face.
81 cannot sing today" Nadine said
| In a hard, jerky voice. 1T doesn't
matter, anyway-I-I am giving up
the class this week.
| A swiftly hidden emotion swept
| across the professors eyes; then he
went on with the rhythmical move
| ment exercise.
But the large class of girls, who one
and all adored the little professor, felt
strangely antagonistic toward Nadine
! Vance. In some way she had turned
| harmony into discord. 1t was with
certain sense of relief that the hour
| ended and the little professor dismiss
ed his class with a kindly, parental
smile for each girl as she left the
studio.
Nadine Vance would have slipped
out, too, but she found her escape
| blocked by his OBTAINING hand.
| Miss Vance the professors voice
and eyes were serious, even grave, 81
went to talk to you. Can you come
here at about 4 O'Clock this after
noon?''
NO. Nadine put it swiftly. The
| girls usually sweet, caressing voice
was hard and strained. The profess
sor's searching eyes did not leave her
face. 1T will do no good to talk" she
continued jerkily, Il have determined
| to give up this branch of music
The professors voice took on a COM
polling note.
II want to talk to you this afternoon
at A. he took her hand as he often
did when parting from his pupils.
You will come %
The color came ftfulIy into Madness
! cheeks, then it left her with sudden
ly tense whiteness.
/ Yes. I will come. But you are
compelling me to do something for
| which I know you will be sorry" She
turned and was gone.
The professor went slowly and
| thoughtfully back to the piano.
| She is unstrung-s love affair"
He communed with himself while his
fingers strayed at random over the
| KEYS. what strange vagaries the
feminine temperament INDUCES in!'
The professors fingers We're playing
was not quite conscious that the inner
man was seeking to forget the hours
| between the present and the hour of 4.
Nadine dressed with unusual taste.
She had sufficient of the feminine
| weakness struggling with tempera-
ment to realize the value Of becoming
clothes. Her costume was ravishing.
He will probably not even notice
! whether 1 have on heliotrope or burnt
orange. A wistful little smile played
| DIT -I,..
that nothing escaped the professors
keen eyes, not even the gradually in
creasing turmoil in her own heart.
And now he is going to drag my
secret away from mel know he is
| A blush tingled over Madness entire
| being and she dropped her lids over the
shamed eyes reflected in the mirror.
| When she entered the studio at 4
O'Clock she still felt an utter lack of
control over herself.
| Now Miss Vance," the hint of an
eternal smile in his eyes, and which
was a part of the professor mingled
oddly with the gravity of his voice,
''you and 1 are going to have a good
! talk" He seated her on the wide couch
and dropped into his big arm chat.
brooding eyes for a moment and said
tenderly, MY nightingale's eyes are
| Swallowed, her song IS silenced and
the little professor put in his usual
portion of the lighter vein-'her fea-
lures are extraordinarily beautiful
A fleeing smile spent itself quick
! ly in Madness eyes. Then she looked
at him in mute appeal. but she re-
manned silent.
come, tell your old teacher all
about it. You are fighting something
out in your own heart, little girl
and it doesn't pay Something is
bound to give way"
AS the words t.give way left his
| Inns Nadine felt the click of a key
open the door of her heart. She cast
a quick glance at the professor and
slipped over and onto the wide arm
of his chair.
was a strong man and of well con-
| trolled emotions he in no way
showed surprise. but only looked at
her with his paternal smile in his
| ewes. He could feel the vibrations
| from her slender body and wondered
at the pent-up struggle within her.
He was not prepared for the dry
| huskiness which spoke of deep feel
ings when after moment she found
"Cau me childish. unstrung-any-
| thing YOU like She buried her head
in her arms on the back of his chair
and drew a few spasmodic breaths
| stRut I'm not 1 have struggled and
| fought against this thing called love.
But it is obsession. tyranny dom
ineerfng master. And I am utterly
weary trying to escape it.
Nadine glanced shyly up. Her eyes
! were no longer brooding, but lumin-
Gus and wonderful. The little pro-
fessor felt a subtle warmth stealing
| a deeper breath of her fragrance. He
| wondered a trifle apprehensively,
Just what the faint stirring within the
i depths of his being might portend.
| Madness voice continued in low
| pitched, emotional cadence. She
| dropped her head again on her arms