The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-04
THE EVENING STORY
Her Egxptian Warrior.
(By Esther Tarkington.)


doorway.
Mother! Sue and Ruth and Claudia
are going to 'supe' in the grand opera
chorus next week. L may, too, maynt
1? oh! 1t will be glorious!
She slid into her chair and began an
enthusiastic account of the plan
I'm sorry, Babs." said Mrs Saun-
ders gently, whe-4 lull came. but
don't think it's the place for you
"Oh mother, 1t would be such an
experiences! Think of being close
enough to stick pin in real opera
singer. Of course it's minor com
pany but 1 might gets lots of valuable
/ pointers.
Lewis snickered.
Lewis Saunders! You know I'm go
ing to be concert singer some oay;
Everybody at the conservatory says says
like all the rest Lewis observed
sagely.
dainful.
Il couldn't consent" Mrs. Saunders
was reluctantly firm, unless some
one took you and allied for you every
highland you know neither your
father nor 1 could do that
Barbara sighed wistfully. '1'n call
for her, mother Lewis said.
"Can 1 depend on. you, Lewis?
Every night for week, you under
Lewis nodded. .Pn be right on the
job"
Every WELL" said Mrs. Saunders.
Lewis winked at Barbara and that
Young woman knew that in return
| for such unselfish devotion she would
| have to translate sundry pages of diff
ficult college Latin for him
And so it came that week later
! Barbara swayed in the chorus, sing
ing joyously, her mind busy with the
future, when she, too, would glide for
ward to the footlights and send hlgh
| "b''s and sc"s back to the twenty
! crol The EgVDtlanS
moved noisily off the stage and IN the
wings became pleased but somewhat
self conscious American citizens. Bar
/ bara stood wrigging uncomfortably,
| wondering if her particular ROBE had
| ever visited a laundry.
| "Cold?" inquired sympathetlc
voice behind her. She turned ana
looked into the blue eyes of a tall war
rior.
| mo" she answered, 81 was wonder
| ing who wore this last"
| 'Same here he observed laconlcaI-
| ly, pulling out a sawhorse from a pile
| of lumber. 'Have a seat, he sug-
geSted.
you hurt your hand" said Bar
/ bara.
1T doesn't matter"
LET me see it.
| A silver of wood had made a long
| cash across his knuckles.
/ Real local COLOR he grinned, "and
my handkerchief is in my trousers
pocket
/ Barbara produced a diminutive
/ square of linen.
| "Oh, don't spoil that he objected
! ''I'll find a paper"
| She bent over impulsively and
bound the handkerchief around his
hand
Just then the cue came and in the
crowd they were separated. He was
! not there the following night. On
! Wednesday, as the French mob was
! Assem- bling in the wings, he appeared
suddenly at Barbara's side:
Mistress Nightingale, I'd like to
keep the token''-he held a handker-
chief of almost the same pattern in
his palm and thoughtfully regarded
the frown on her face and the laugh
ter in her eyeS@''but of course can't
until get an introduction, SO I'll let
you hold it until that happy moment. ;"
| Barbaras laughter got the best of
! her. You're very proper KNIGHT
and I thank you. 1t must have been
lots of trouble to match it, since it's
one of a dozen Aunt Belle brought me
from Paris
| He looked crestfallen. DO you mind
| my keeping the other?'
NO" she admitted, honestly. "How's
your hand?'
..Ouite healed, thanks to you. Hurt
it lots worse going across on cattle
boat three years ago. Nobody to
! bandage it, either. Three months
cents when I landed in New York
! Barbara gasped. Three cents,''
"That's ALL Got a job soon as I
landed, though. Tell you all about
it if you'll let me call some night
next week
barbara flushed delightfully."-. I'D
/ love to have you if it weren't so I'M
conventional. I'll have to think it
over.''
That night Lewis yawned many
| times in the one block to the street
| car
Said Babs tactfully: 81 wrote out
all your prose composition. Did you
find it?''
Sure
Lewis, there's a nice boy in the
chorus, and he wants to call. Do you
suppose mother would
ssWelI. I guess not. The nerve of
himi Say, you just point him out
to me tomorrow night and I'll tell
him a few
you'll do no such thing. He's de-
lightful. He went abroad on a cattle
boat
Heavenly" Lewis interrupted.
HE sings divinely. He's heard opera
in Berlin and Bernhard in Paris
and
Lewis yawned. Nothing doing, sis
Better forget him..
The next night they were Italian
peasants. Barbara was given a bright
| red waist scarlet scarf and a blue
/ skirt Her black hair hung in heavy
plaits to her waist Excitement had
burned her cheeks deep red and she
was very good to look upon. When
the chorus came off at the end of the
first act, she missed her warrior and
the same accident happened after
Act II She must reach him or he
. would think she was Intentionally
| avoiding him. Crossing behind the
| scenes to the other side was a ire
/, Tnendous undertaking, but she plunged