The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-22
EVENING STORY
White Hyacinths.
lRN SNl1ria T11nnar


(By Sylvia Turner.)
There had been seven weeks of
steady rehearSing. Diane had grown
to hate the very sight of a stage door
before the opening night of "Semira-
mide"; Jet she had waited for nearly
a year for this opening wedge in her
chosen profession. Nobody knew eX-
cept herself of the unceasing priVa-
tionS and self-sa crifice involved, yet
she had always written home cheer
fully, telling only the best that hap
pened to her. Perhaps even she new
er realized that it was not for the sake
of the family she did this, but so they
would tell Clint Lovejoy how wonder
fully she was succeeding. There had
only been a tacit engagement, at least
on danes side. If Clint had assumed
more than she meant, she felt 1t was
not her fault. He had never APPROX
ed of her longing for the stage any
more than he did of her changing her
name. from Mile Edwards to Diane
Lester.
It's not that I want to keep you
tied down. Millie,' he had told her
I've got enough and to spare for US
both. You can keep a hired girl II
you want to, tho mother never SEEM
ed to think she needed one But TO
my way of thinking this stage craze
is bound to wear off. Seems like all
girls between fifteen and twenty now
adays want to go on the stage or IN
the movies, just as boy wants to be
a cowboy or join the navy 1ou IL
outgrow it, but l hate to see YOU
waste your time when you ought to
be marrying and settling down when
you've got the chance"
Nevertheless she had come to the
city with the two hundred dollars
Grandpa Powell had left her II was
queer how short a time it lasted, in
New York. She took a little room in
the West F'ifties over near Eighth
avenue. 1t was cheap and stH near
enough to the park for her to ENJOY
long walks Then after weeks of
haunting agencies and finding her
bearings Electrically her youth and
fresh charm had caught the attentlon
of old Timmins as he passed thru the
waiting room of Barber Brothers, on
his way to his private office. Thus II
happened that Millie became Diana,
an Arabian dancer in the great des-
ert tent scene of "Semiramide."
Her bit was brief. A whirlinG bit
of phantaSy while mimic SandStorm
ragged outside the scenic tent and the
orchestra played "Anitra's Dance" but
she loved it with a strange sort of shiV-
ering anticipation. Wrapped in her
cloak of brilliant colors, with yards of
yelling swathed about her 1.-the figure,
she would stand eagerly at the first en-
trance trying to watch the rest of the
performance. And it was here that
Hardy noticed her first. He had step
ped to the little switchboard above her
head to regulate some of the lights.
Better get back a little, kid he
said pleasantly.
Diane did not hear him even. She
was watching Semiramide steal the
signet ring from her sleeping spouse,
the while singing and dancing entranc-
ingly. Oh, would she ever be the star
in gorgeous production like this.
Hardy's voice, sharper the second time,
recalled her from her dreams.
Get ont of this entrance and keen
out Don't you know better than that %
She stumbled to her feet, overturn-
ing his stool, and he caught it just in
time to prevent the noise of its landing
on the stage. Diane fled before the
look in his eyes. She was nervous and
did not see a elect bolt in the floor
that had just been placed there for a
set piece in the next scene. When
she came to- she was in an ambulance
rumbling thru the night to an emer-
gency hospital.
Instead of dancing to "Anitra's
Dance" thru endless nights of wonder
ment and oriental glamour, she found
herself on cot in a private room at
a big hospital. Barber Brothers took
care to avoid the employers liability
law by excessive fatherliness over all
who worked for them in the event of
accidents. Her expenses would all be
paid, she was assured, also her salary
She need not worry at all.
MI worry Dldne buried her face
in the pillow when the managers sec
rotary left her. Could they understand
what 1t meant to her, being laid up the
second week of her first enga cement
with nothing ahead but the long wait
at the hospital?
She did not want to alarm her fam
lily at home, so she wrote nothine
about her accident. One of the girls
in the company visited her and told
her that. Hardy asked after her every
day.
He picked you up, you know"
she said, when you tumbled, and car
ried you into Tremaine's dressing
room near the door until they got the
ambulance. Unlaced your sandal. too.
and put that first bandage on, the cold
compress. L heard him asking Amy
if you had any friends and relatives
in the city. Did he blow you up about
standing in the entrance?"
oh. guess 1 deserved it, all right
replied Diane, diff1dently.
Yet she was not surprised when the
next morning there arrived by mes
senger a large pot of white hyacinths.
They were the first flowers she had re-
ceived and their very presence in the
room seemed to transform its snowy
meagerneSs. On a card in an enveIone
was written:
Best of luck to a plucky little girl,
Alan Hardy"
1t was that afternoon when the
nurse told her that she had a visitor.
Diana's heart beat faster AS the door
opened, she glanced up. fully expect
ing to see Hardy, but, instead, there
stood Clint, big and pugnacious, thoro-
ly reused over her plight
We'll, l hope you've had enough of
it now, and are coming home with me,
Millie,'' he said. II came to town to
see what you were like on the real
stage, and they told me over at the
theater I'd find you here. L guess
this'll be lesson to you. I'll go right
down stairs to the Office and make ar
engagements to get you out"
DANES blue eyes snapped with in
dignation at his manner of authority
over her.
You'll do nothing of the sort,
Clint"
She satt up in bed in spite of the
wrench of pain it gave her. I'm not
going home. I'll be out of here in a
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