The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-28
The Eueni,g Story
Propery Rights.

fEOpeIy kx180t9.
(By Martha -Wlliams.)
Instruments Of torture are many.
There's the rack, the thumbscrew. the
bed of Procustes. the cell which
Il shrinks and brushes. the water-drop-
ever SO many cheerful devices for
Furnishing recalcitrants. But given
I the right conjunction OF circum-
stances the accordion, able-bodied
and unably handled, can give all the
others cards and spades. yet win
, handily.
il Brewis found that out when he went
down to Straphanger for country quiet
and GOODNESS. by help of which he
meant to set down accurately the
haunting and elusive harmOnies of
his dreams. He was full OF happiness.
hope. courage. His chance had come
when he had almost despaired. A
Wtndfal in shape of Oldest legacy,
to be exact, q bungalow at Strap
hanger and a few hundred dollars,
4 enabled him to leave office slavery
}, and give himself unreservedly to the
4 joys Of composition.
Joy gel.sral ran crescendo in him
for space OF two days. 1t took just
SO long to fit himself and his modest
belongings into the pretty small house.
to drink his fill of the wonderful airs
blowing soft over green fields, and
snuff ecstatically the scent of clover
and locusts in bloom. His cousin, the
/
silent. competent, made him altogeth-
err comfortable. For the first time
since he left school he was wholly
free. wholly at ease, with money
enough in bank to last six months, a
home of IS own, and his fancies for
company, not to name his one extrav
agance, a really fine piano.
Early morning SO enticed upon the
third day he was late for breakfast,
though he had pledged himself to get
n h. 80
stead he had walked five miles. and
came in SO delightfully."- hungry he
made a very hearty meal. After 1t
he smoked. finding himself happily
sluggish. Letters, reading, answering
letters filled in much more than half
the morning. Then, just as he sat
down to the piano, came callers He
had noted with dismay in one part
of his early traversings smart cot
tages with tennis courts, flowers, even
garages, stables and poultry yards.
They were all reasonably remote-half
a mile at the nearest: But right across
from his own rustic gate was frame
house violently painted-red roof. yell
low walls. white trim general. and loud
awnings. 1t had been shut when he
came. Now there were signs of life
at the back. fat woman stood upon
. the grass there, hanging clothes upon
a line. Lurking in the piazza lattice
he had seen a loutish lad. and girl
, much too big for her short skirts and
; pigtails.
The sight had not made him appre-
hensive. Indeed, after an excellent
luncheon he sat down eagerly to his
,, work at peace with all the world. Sit
. ting with shut eyes he recalled fan
! tasy of the night, struck the keys be-
, fore him hesitantly, then firmly, stop
5 ping after few bars to write notes
. on the ruled paper fronting him.
. When he had tried over the notes.
he hummed family. played again. and
t again began writing down. In the
midst of it came a screechy waflfng-
' the long-drawn sounds of an accOr-
' dion, with a triangle accompaniment.
1t came fitfully; that was the worst
l of it, Just as he had banished it from
I mind, the screening required. After
half an hour of this he rushed outside
and located the source OF trouble. 1t
t WIS as he had thought, the violently
l colored house. A family group sat on
: the steps Of it; the lad holding the ac-
t Gordon, his stout sister beating the tri-
1 angle, the woman, evidently their
/ mother, in an attitude of ecstacy,
$ hands folded upon her stomach. head
, thrown back, eyes fast upon her dar-
: lings. and gloating.
6 As Brewis came in sight she said to
I the musicians, DO be afther givin' me
The Wearin' O the Green'-it shutes
( the Instrument a lot better than all
thin ragtimy chunes.''
; Obediently they struck into the
: classic ballad on from it
: through snatches of pretty well every
3 thing which had hit the whistling pub
Y lie hard for at least a year back.
Brewis flung up his hands-work
3 could not last forever. Catching up
l hat and stick he set out to explore
again. AS a result he found himself
, around o'clock hot and thirsty
I could not be very far from his own
t domain. He was in another region of
D tennis courts.
, At the next of them he appealed
4 on at an exciting final. explaining his
! plight, and asking directions. His
name appeared to be an open sesame.
t "Brewis! We've heard of you. Come
e young fellow said Hospitality. I'VE are
the Mertons@friends of your friends
$ the Youngs. And Peg, my sister there,
: is as daffy over music as over tennis
t racket, but knows only how to listen
: to the other game"
e Brewis blessed her heartily for her
n capacity and incapacity. He ate and
e great deal. At last he told of his pre-
h dicament-it sent the Mertons into
shouting laughter.
Il '.Moliy O'Brien is getting the desire
. could speak. "A protege Of the
: Clamps. who own the house. they've
II made her caretaker till Christmas
;. failing to rent the place. She believes
& devoutly she has mothered great
' genius in Denny and Norah. Yester-
It day she told US mysteriously. when she
r came to serve notice OF quitting a
t laundress, that the 'childther had q
e hiven chanel to practice up an act fer
: v0deville wild movin' picthyers.' sup
o pose you suffer the beginning Of It
o Norah can surely dance-for all she's
VI SO heavy. Won't you let US come and
d watch rehearsals? It will be almost
r as heavenly as having free ticketl
when they begin performing"