The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-18

was revealed a convenient hollow.
from which she shook out a little heap
of nickels and dimes. She counted
them with fingers trembling with anx-
iety. $3.50. Yes, there was enough,
Leone ate supper in state of pal
pitant expectancy. Afterward she
went downtown again with the Nor
gan sisters. who worked in a large
store. Al the biggest theatre in town
she deposited her $3.50 in dimes and
nickels at the ticket window with a
little blush, accepting the bit of yell
low cardboard with reverent hands
She was going to grand operate
'Carmen'-and she had a seat in the
first row of the balcony. The money
she had saved nickel by nickel from
her lunches and carfares Opera was
far too great luxury to be thought of
ordinarily. But money saved by rig
id self-denial was different, Leone felt,
and could be spent for anything the
saver wanted very much. So Leone
was going to Carmen"
A week later Leone was hurrying
home from work in a wild state of
anticipation. Mr.. Wilding had been
there that day, and she had treated
him with iciest GOODNESS. The pros
pect of Carmen" made him appear
frightfully cheap and common as he
tried to argue her into ordering more
copies of It's Only Light When
You're in Sight" But he had slipped
completely out of her mind now. She
could hardly finish her supper. Up
stairs on the bed lay her best Geor-
gette waist. freshly pressed for the oc-
casion.
At last Leone was dressed and had
started downtown. She felt almost
too excited to walk to the car with
propriety. The usher showed her to
her seat-quite the best in the house,
she felt sure. Everybody looked won
derfully happy and uplifted, Leone
felt. What a wonderful theater On
one side of her sat a fat old man, who
looked as If he were going to sleep.
Leone shuddered at the thought. The
seat on the other side was vacant
People poured in rapidly below her
men in evening dress and women in
rich furs and jewels. But Leone drew
no comparisons. Here eyes scarcely
left the purple velvet curtains At last
the overture began, and with a little
sigh of happiness Leone gave herself
up to complete bliss. At the end of
the first act she became aware that
someone had taken the seat next to
her. Turning. she looked into the sur
prised eyes of Roy Wilding. They had
not recovered from their mutual as
constituent when the curtain went up
for the second act. Leone felt amazed
and uncomfortable. Her pleasure was
dampened, somehow
When the opera was over. Leone
rose slowly, with a quick breath of
wonder Roy Wlid1ngS face wore a
very strange look.
DO you really like opera ?" he de-
manded.
Like? adore it," answered
Leone. resolved to be truthful for
once. DO your
'Of coursei But 1 never dreamed
you-Leone. 1--we wanted to ask
you something for long time, but l
thought you were crazy about ragtime.
and / hate it SO. 1 was afraid"
And I thought you were crazy about
Look here, he insisted. I'm Ieay-
ing Pierce & Ware at the end of the
month. Got a job with a book pub
fishing house. And 1 know girl
who's going to leave her job. too That
is. / mean-will you?"
Leone answer appeared quite sat
isfactory- But. strange to say, the
words that kept running through her
head all the way home that wonderful
night were not from Carmen" or "T
Trovatore." They were:
There's always a way. Honey Love, Honey
Love.
When there's love IA the air. Honey Love"
Copyright, 1917. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)