The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-03
The Euening Story
The Little French Girl.

(By Dorothy Blackmore.)
Raymonde Rousseau was frail,
pretty little French artist, who lived
in a tiny studio in a great building.
She made her living by painting Won
derfuI water color dance orders, din
ner cards, holiday greetings and fan
ciful conceits for social entertainments
of all sorts. Also. she added to her
! income by singing in the choir of a big
| church.
| Until the European war had broken
! out Raymonde's brother, Jacque, had
/ lived with her, but when his country
| entered the conflict he was called to
/ Join his co1ors. Raymonde cried for
| days after her brother sailed for
| France, but she knew she would have
| been ashamed of JacQue mad ne Oeen
unwilling to go.
The approach of Easter brought
much work to Raymonde, and the
lights in her studio burned late every
night as she sat over her desk making
water colors. She looked very much
like a French print herself in the
quaint costumes she always designed
for her own wear. Her straight, black
hair and her ivory skin and scarlet
lips made her conspicuous beauty
anywhere. Added to this, her unique
taste in dress made her more attract
i've.
Perhaps it was her continental man
ner, perhaps merely her natural diff
fidence that made her difficult of ap-
proach. But she was admired by ev-
cry one who came in contact with her'
and in the choir where she sang she
had many friends even though she oio
not perhaps realize it,
Choir rehearsals for Easter music
made her attendance necessary, ana
she found herself hurrying from her
studio to the church without taking
proper time to eat nourishing meals.
Raymonde was very conscientious and
she did not want to neglect either hef
painting or her choir work.
@I,@ IL hot Inns
day and Easter day that found the lit
tie French girl nearly exhausted. A
boat had arrived bringing her letters
and papers from her home in the sub
urbs of Paris. She picked up her mail
and went to church for rehearsal
without so much as getting bite of
dinner. She feared being late and
conspicuous in entering the choir
stalls.
Instead of being late, Raymonde
found herself there before any of
the others, and she was glad OF rev
quiet moments in which to read her
mail. She looked at her home letters,
and then opened up newspaper from
the suburb in which she lived Her
face suddenly became as set as the
face of an ivory image-she had seen
her brothers name among the list of
soldiers who had failed to return with
their regiments.
"Jacque! Jacque." she breathed, just
as a merry group of choristers came
upon her in the dimly lighted church.
.why-it's little Miss Rousseau"
''She's fainted!''
One of the girls bent over her and.
as they laid her on the broad church
seat and administered restOratives. a
man, who had taken more than
passing interest in the little French
girl and knew something of her life.
picked up the paper she had dropped
from her hand.
Its her brother-he's among those
reported dead in battle. Poor little
ri I1o7 1Ir FnIf
a sort of indefinite sympathy for the
little soprano.
Raymonde opened her eyes. It'll
It can't be true-can it?'' she asked,
searching the faces of those about
her. pitifully.
Trenton Knox bent over her "This
paper is two weeks old-it should
never have reached you,'' he said, |
kindly.
But why?" she asked, in agonized
tones and pushing back the straight
wisps of hair.
''The reports haven't been con-
firmed or you would have heard he /
said.
The girls helped her to become
calm and comfortable again, and |
though she sat through the rehearsal |
she was unable to bring a note from /
her throat, for the lump that seemed /
to be choking her.
tonight. please?" asked Trenton Knox
gently.
Raymonde smiled wan little
usual sparkle in her brown eyes. TT
would be so good of you'll have +
been foolish and weak to faint, but
T.
You have been OVERRIDING it and
you look if you hadn't taken time
to rest and eat" the big tenor said,
as he guided her from the church.
On the way home they stopped
and had a bite of supper in a quiet /
restaurant near RaymOnde'S studio
and there, out of sheer WEAKNESS, she
permitted her veil of reserve to
drop before the man who had always
been SO kind to her.
AS they walked around the corner
to the studio building she leaned on
his arm and he felt as if he could
never leave her alone again.
The elevator boy handed her
message. She took it with trembling
hands. Gently. but firmly, Trenton
.ook it from her. He saw that it was
l transatlantic cable. When we get
upstairs we'll open it," he said
And it was he, not Raymonde, who
ore it open and read the words: .
'Jacque wounded, but safe at home. 8
Love" 1t was unsigned, but Ray {
monde knew it was from her family,
hat she might have received the /
paper with the awful mistake printed
N it.
TT felt as if I could not open it,"
she said to Trenton she sank into
L studio chair by the small hard coal
ire she always kept burning. you
are so good to me-
Good? Good ?'' he said. And then
after a minute in which he seemed to
De bordering his subject, "Raymonde
won't you let me take care of you?
sec tonight how much you need
some one, and love you? I have
owed you for long, but you never let
me tell you so till now"