The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-17
EVENING STORY
Dorothea's Career.

\
Dorothea ripped open the official
looking envelope and ran her eye rap
idly over the contents of the letter
and then to the place on the enclosed
check filled in to the amount of a
thousand dollars. Somebody had died,
no matter who, and her share of the
deceased relations estate now lay in
her hand to do with as she would.
The state of Dorothea's feelings
may be more readily understood per-
haps if the reader be informed of the
things that had been uppermoSt in her
mind all day. She had been living
over again her triumph of the night
before, when, as star performer at the
dedication of the new library, she had
won laurels far beyond her greatest
dream of success. OF course, every
one knew she could play; in fact, most
of the best families in town sent their
youngsters to her to take a course in
sharps and flats and to learn the
proper lingering of the scales; and she
played the organ Sundays, and fig
ured conspicuously on the programs
in all the local concerts. But no one
in Parsonsburg had ever heard her
sing before. Not even Mrs. Pressing,
who lived in the other half of the
house, except perhaps a little hum
ming when she was hurrying thru
with her dishes to go to the movies
with Charley.
Dorothea, therefore, was sur
prised as anybody when on the day
before the library concert she had dis
covered something.
She had found the sopranos part of
the offertory for Sunday lying ON top
of her piano after the choir had gone
home from practice. She glanced over
the notes, first humming> the tune,
then grooming it, and finally opening
ELL
round notes with an abandon that sent
Tip, the poodle, under the sofa and
Major, the canary, into SpaSm of
fright III his cage.
Ecstacy took hold of her. She had
never known what a joy it was to sing,
and giving way to the new delight the
frenzy grew until she felt that her soul
was drifting straight to heaven on the
wings of song. She would surprise
Parsonburg and sing at the library in
stead of playing the serenade' from
Chaminade that she had intended.
And so Dorothea had stood upon the
platform in the auditorium of the new
library and had sung, and not the least
Of her triumph was the look of per
picked surprise on Charley Totten's
face. ut seems said the look, that
the little sparrow have been counting
has turned into a nightingale, and who
am to be so presuming
Dorothea was silent on the way
home. The applause and the compl1-
ments were still ringing in her ears.
Life, which before that day was carry
ing her straight into matrimony, with
Charley's hearth and home as a port,
had suddenly turned in its course and
was heading for the harbor of Career.
Already grand opera was looming
large, and she had visions of herself
as Brunnhilde and Caruso as Siegfried
wooing her with the soft notes of his
wonderful tenor.
And so, when the check for thou
sand dropped out of the clouds to
tighten the way, there was no doubt
in Dorothea's mind that it was all
heaven sent. She 'phoned to Charley.
I'm leaving in the morning for New
York. she said. Il wish you'd come
around tonight. I've something to tell
YOU
But when Charley saw his dream of
happiness fading and the girl he ador-
ed slipping away forever he voiced a
protest.
There isn't much in that game,
grille. You've got a mighty fine voice,
but it takes years of hard work, and
then some, to get anywhere, and not
always then. And it takes a mint of
money, too. Besides, Dolly, L was
just going to tell you. I've had some
good news myself, and 1 was going to
ask you if you could get ready to be
married next month. Uncle Ned's
written for me to come on and he's
going to give me dandy position in
his bank. You can still live in New
York and you won't have to work so
hard you will at your music. 1
can't give you up, Dolly
But the magical door had shown
Dorothea visions she could not forget
There were the stage door Johnnies
three deep, with arms full of American
Beauties; there was Caruso singing
opposite, and Schumann-Heink calling
her Dolly and Homer and Gluck and