The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-16
TIE EVENING STORY
The Lost Prima Donna.

swer to a question put by one of his
sister Caroline's dinner guests. There
is always a girl, you know
Does the fact that you acknowledged
there was such a girl explain your
long absence from here, Tom?" asked
Louise Mcmillan curiously. Fancy a
man nowadays having so much senti-
| menti It's wonderful!''
mot if you really know Toni We
are going to hear La Boheme' to-
night" Caroline announced, hoping to
steer the conversation away from per-
sonal channels.
THE music of La Boheme' invaria-
bly, makes me sentimental. You can
the girl that you loved before you
went to Alaska if the opera affects
| you as it does me. Do any of us
| know her? Has she married?'' ques-
/ toned Margaret Simmonds, who prid-
ed herself on keeping up with the
| news.
II don't know, Margaret. I only
wish that 1 could tell you
Perhaps we can tell you some
thing about her! Who was she?'
You mustn't ask that said
Thrane with one of his boyish smiles
that had won him as many friends in
the far distant north as he had in the
polite society of home. 1T wouldn't
be fair to her, Margaret. You under
stand, don't your
When the .,omen had left the men
Margaret Simmonds husband laid his
| hand on Thranes shoulder. Margaret
doesn't mean to be unkind, Tom. She's
just like a lot of women who can
scent romance for a mile. They
must have something to think about
beside meals and milliners, you know"
That's all right, my dear fellow.
1 am not sensitive But a little later
in a box at the opera he managed to
sit as far as possible from Margaret
Simmonds.
The lights. the soft, plaintive music
and the fair women about him re-
called other days when at the opera,
| in bathrooms and at various social
functions, his eyes had been quick to
see a certain girl with a mass of
golden brown hair and the deepest
blue eyes in the world. He remember
ed the last time they were together.
1t was New Years eve and he prided
himself that she was the most beau
tiful girl in the gay restaurant. She
had worn a curious blue frock, all
f1imsy and soft, and the jewels at her
throat and on her breast flashed like
stars in a summer sky. He had
leaned toward her and told her that
she held the happiness of his New
Year and of all his future life, and
asked her to marry him. But the
smile had faded swiftly from her
eyes and lips and she had shaken her
forget her He had been fairly stunned
at the revelation of her unexpected at
titude to him, and within "a hours he
was ready for Alaska and a strenuous
new life that held no haunting men,
cries.
A tender minor strain from the
orchestra smote his inner conscious
ness and touched some hidden chord
that vibrated. flooding his heart with
tenderness. Seven years had come and
gone, and yet he knew that he had
not found the land of forget in his
travels and the dream of her was as
vitality real as ever.
He spent a restless night. The old
time places and the sight of mutual
friends brought her constantly to his
mind. He wondered why nobody men
toned her name. She had been the
most popular member of his particu-
lar set.
After an early breakfast he started
out walking briskly along with no des-
tination in view. He was so absorbed
in his own thoughts that he was not
conscious of time or distance until he
reached the suburbs of the city. Then
the sound of a voice singing a half
forgotten love song brought him to a
standstill on the pavement. 1t was
Anne TRAINERS voice, and he opened
a gate and went up little path bor-
dered with lockwood to tiny cottage,
almost hidden with vines. An old
turbaned nanny, who had cared for
Anne when she was baby, answered
his ring.
"Fo' de Lords sake, Mis- Anne.
come and see who's here If it amt
Mr. Tom hisself!" she exclaimed,
throwing wide the door.
Anne came quickly into the little
hall ct am glad to see you again,
she said, cordially. How did you
find me? I thought that none or the
old crowd remembered me or knew
where 1 live now.
Anne?'
It had to be-" she answered quietly.
DO you mind telling me what you
mean? / have only been home since
yesterday
.rWhere have you been, Tom, since
since the last time I saw you?"
I'm Alaska 1 thought you knew
that 1 never could take defeat grace
fully. 1 haven't been able to forget
YOU. even there. 1 could not possibly
have stayed here as things were Are
you-are you married?'
NO Tom. I'm quite an old maid.
She smiled when she said it, and Tom
crossed the room in three strides.
ANNE, tell me what all this means,
for you to be here in this tiny cot
tage? Tell mel"
The door bell rang vigorously and
Thrane Strengthened UP from where
he leaned over Anne's chair A big,
good-looking blonde came in without
waiting for nanny to open the door.
It have such fine news. I couldn't
stand on ceremony. my dear Anne,
he exclaimed, rushing into the room.
You are engaged To-
Il am glad to have seen you, Anne"
interrupted Thrane distantly, picking
up his hat and cane from chair
MIR. Thrane, this is Sir Thomas