The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-11
The Euenine Story
Fact and Fancy.

Fact and Fancy.
(By Maude Brewster.)
Marie was street singer. but Marie
had dreams. While she sang for PEN
MES and dimes that were tossed to her
from the windows of apartment houses
she fancied herself grand opera sing
err bowling gracefully before a great
audience of music lovers. AS she
glanced from time to time at Lecco,
the young Greek who was her accom-
PIANIST. and who turned the hand organ
mechanically, Marie fancied him to be
a great and wonderful conductor wav-
ing his baton and carrying her rhyth-
mically through her operate arias.
In the mornings and after shutdown
Lecco sold black olives and Greek
wines in a small shop owned by his
father, but in the afternoons he trun-
died Marie's organ about the streets
and turned the crank that she might
have accompaniment to her glorious
singing. When she was not looking at
him LeccO turned dark, worshipful eyes
upon the oval face of Marie, and most
of all his glance fingered on the GRIM
son of her lips. To him they were
scarlet poppy flung on slab of ala
baster. Her eyes were burning Goals
and her hair the ravens wing. All OF
these critical observations. however.
Lecco kept a secret within his own
mind. Marie was far above him. Her
voice would one day send her into
world that was not his world. so Lecco
loved in silence.
He felt reasonably certain that black
olives and wines would never give him
the prestige that Marie's golden voice
would offer her. He would never stand
in the way of her advancement by
speaking of his love.
Marie continued to dream of fame
and her career. When she and Lecco
passed the Metropolitan opera house on
their homeward' way the girl gaxed
longingly at the photographs of tenors
and contra1tos and great singers who
appeared nightly before vast audiences.
Also she felt that she wanted limous-
inc and handsome furs.
Lecco sighed inwardly when he
caught the look in Marie's eyes. He
wished with all his heart that he
might give her the things she craved.
He felt her arm tighten about his own
as she turned for backward glance
at the house of music. Marie always
chung to Lecco as they made their way
hOmeward after weary pilgrimage
through the streets.
The afternoon upon which Marie and
Lecco stopped before the studio apart
ments on West Fifty-seventh street was
fraught with much excitement and In
terest FOR both the Greek and the little
singer from Italy.
John Orth, artist and philanthropist
was giving tea in his sumptuous
studio when Marie's voice arose from
the streets and startled his guests with
its sympathetic timbre and clarity OF
tone Orth's guests. ever in quest OF
new entertainment. flocked to the WIN
dow and looked down on Marie and
Lecco. Ortfl. seeing the beauty OF Ma
rie's face and the picturesque costume
Of the two street musicians, was in
spired to turn quickly to his guests.
what do you say to asking them
I'D here for a song?" he asked.
| "Great! Here's a chance for Ortiz
\ to take another protege under his
wide wing" Billy Craven made an
swer.
The idea was no sooner suggested
than carried out, and a moment later
Marie and Lecco. together with the
old hand organ, were up in John
of Bohemians who eagerly pressed
forward and encircled them.
Lecco's heart had sunk far into his
boots. He realized that the first step
Marie out and away from his world.
He and his old hand organ were put
! aside after song or two and Marie
was singing to the accompaniment OF
John Orth, who made her sing as
Lecco had never heard any one sing
before. Orth was a musician. Even
Lecco could see that. He also saw the
glances Of establishment and wonder
that swept around the room from one
pair of eyes to another, and again he
had brought tears and smiles to the
| eyes of that other world and Lecco
too smiled. though the ache in his
throat was well nigh unbearable.
Gradually there crept into the at
mosphere a feeling of vague unrest.
With the setting Of the sun. whose
dull red rays slanted down through
the skylight and flung a shadow over
Lecco as he stool gazing at Marie. a
feeling of impending tragedy hurled
itself into the midst Of the sensitive
art lovers. A glance at John Orth told
them that he, too, had entered into
another world. His eyes were turned
on Marie and there was a great flame
| in their depths. Marie seemed the
only one in the group who had re-
tanned the calm tenure OF emotion and
nerves.
| Perhaps she was a trifle exhausted,
for she had given her energy to song.
feel the strain OF the unusual scene in
her life. Marie had always fancied
herself singing before a critical audi
ence4 1t was no doubt that long half
conscious training in the world of
| dreams that had carried her success
had been hurled at her from right
and left, and to all of them she had
answered in her quaint broken Eng
fish,
Before leaving. Marie had promised
John Orth to return the following day
to receive instructions preparatory to
beginning a course of study in vocal
and instrumental music. Also they
had been taken into the dining room,
where Orth's servants offered them