The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-06
EVENING STORY
Against Traditions.
BY JANE OSBORN.

SUNDAY afternoon set aside for that
purpose so many hindrances. both
trivial and important, could conspire
to make difficult her getting off. Her
chauffeur's wife was ill and at the last
minute she had to send to the station |
for a taxi; her maid forgot to press the
dress she intended to wear; she mis-
laid her purse, and lift came or
from her favorite pair of shoes-just
the sort of things that sometimes come |
to mar the serenity of great actresses
as well as the rest of us. So Justine |
Flanders was in no cheerful mood |
when she started out and she wonder |
ed as she slammed her apartment door
Just why she had consented to go out
to a little town like Bishopstown and
make an appeal for Red Cross aid be- |
fore a lot of narrow-minded college
professors and ministers and country
folk Still she had been asked espe-
cially by DIR. Taylor Holmes, the pres
ident of Bishopstown college, who told
her that the college men had voted her
the mos popular actress on the stage,
and felt that she could make a better
appeal than anyone else.
The men at Bishoptown were just
at an age when the emotional, but
never sentimental, acting of the fam
GUS red-haired actress left nothing
to be desired AS for DR.. Taylor
Holmes he had never seen the lady
either on the stage or off. He adj
mired her as he admired anyone who
had as definitely succeeded in the
achievement of a worthwhile ambi-
ton as she had. He had set his heart
on becoming a college president. and
she on becoming a leading actress;
and at a little less than forty they
had. both accomplished their ambition.
Insofar, unused Taylor Holmes, they
were kindred spirits. In spite of this
conviction, the schoolman felt some
misgivings. While he didn't disap-
prove of actresses, he still retained
enough of the old Puritanic traditions
of the family to make him feel that
moved in a different sphere. His
stern old father had thought 'play-
actors were emissaries of the devil,
for his own part he merely avoided
them. No wonder, then, that as the
time came for the Red Cross rally
with Justine Flanders as the chief
speaker and himself to introduce her,
he had some actual palpitations of the
heart His maiden sister, who presid-
ed over his household for him, had
more than palpitations. She frankly
didn't approve, tho she made an espe-
cially elaborate toilet preparatory to
the meeting and consented to sit with
other celebrities on one of the chairs
on the platform behind the speaker.
"Of course" said the sister decor
ously drawing on her black gloves as
| she waited for her brother to crank
| his cheap but entirely adequate motor
where the meeting was to be held, "cf
| course, we won't have to have any
| thing to do with her socially. L hope
she won't look indecent" this with an
emphasis on the look" as If there
was no doubt whatever as to the act
ress's actually being so.
The college president paid little at
tention to his sister. He was divided
between steering a straight course be-
! tween the ruts in the bad road that
| led from his house to the hall. and re-
| hearsing to himself the words of his
! Introductory speech.
When the famous actress sat, smil-
| ing and beautiful, on the platform, no
| parture from the city had been
fraught with Interruptions and dis
| fractions She did not have to re-
hearse her speech, for it was the
| identical speech that had been given
| on all previous occasions of the sort
and she knew it by heart.
I'D know her anywhere by her
hair" whisp cred someone on tn
platform seats.
well, at least she is decently
dressed conceded the presidents sis
ter to the professors wife beside her,
and then there was hush as the
president stepped forth to introduce
the great actress.
Fully three minutes cheering fol-
lowed before Justine began her talk.
There was not the slightest doubt of
the fact of the students entire ap-
prevail of their idol. With such ova-
ton it was perhaps no wonder that
her talk was inspiring and that she
used such powers of persuasion that
within ten Or fifteen minutes two
thousand dollars had been subscribed
could not have entered more effec-
lively into it had mis- own effort been
studied and rot the result of a burst
of actual enthusiasm of the Titan
! i 1T 49, IL
book from his pocket and signed a
check with a flourish. which he gave
to Justine.
"rHow much was it for?" snapped
his sister, tugging at his coat tails. Il
wouldn't give her the satisfaction t
getting all my contribution" And
that good spinstcr almost tainted
when. with a little shrek of joy, the
speaker flourished the check and call
ed out, in notes that might have been
an Amazon's cry: "A thousand dollars
from President Taylor Holmes. Here's
Gods blessings on the president" and
then she had the president by both
arms and was beaming up into his
! face and smiling first at him and then
at the audience as tho it was the hap
piest moment of her life. That did
: the business. The same tactics had
done the business at other Red Cross
drives before, but no one guessed that
) as far as Justine went, it was some
thing that had been rehearsed care
3 fully. Fifteen minutes later and the
} sum equal1ed five thousand dollars
much of which had come in from in
dividual contributions from the stu
dents who gave to the utmost from
their limited bank accounts for the
sake of their idol. Then the actress
r looked at her watch, a little platinum
disc on her wrist, and said-it was. OF
: course, part of the speech, but no one
knew about it.
I'D stay and get another thousand
) but my train goes in five minutes and
{ If I don't get that train 1 won't gel
} home for supper. So goodbye, every
body, and God bless you"
There was a murmur running along
5 the seats behind the speaker. She
2 knew some one would take the cue
, Some one always did. The president