The Topeka state journal., 1919-05-10

as though it were g. thing detached.
She sat thus for the better port of an
hour, motionless except for one fore
finger that was, quite unconsciously,
tapping out a popular and cheap little
air that she had been strumming at the
piano the evening before. having
bought 1t down town that same after
noon. 1t lad struck Orville's fancy.
and she had played it over and over
for him.
Then she laughed a hard. high little
laugh, pushed a plate away contempt
uously with her hand. and walked into
the sitting room. On the piano was
the piece of music (Bennie Gottschalks
great song hit, "Hicky Bloo') which
she had been playing the night before.
She picked it up, tore it straight across
once, placed the pieces back to back
and tore it across again. Then she
! dropped the pieces to the floor.
You bet I'm going" she said. az
though concluding a train of thought
You just bet I'm going. Right now!"
When Mrs. Orville Platt had been
Terry Sheehan she had played the
piano, afternoons and evenings in the
orchestra of the Bijou Theatre, on Cass
street, Wetona. Wisconsin. Any one
with name like Terry Sheehan would
. w nCAA oily lAiALB oAl0 Lib IL
set out to do. There was nothing of
genius in Terry, but there was some
thing of fire, and much that was Irish
| The combination makes for what is
known as imagination in playing. She
could play any tune by ear, once heard
She got the spirit of a thing. and
| transmitted 1t.
/ At that time motion pictures had not
attained their present virulence. Vau
deville polite or otherwise. had not yet
been crowded out by the ubiquitous
film. The Bijou offered entertainment
of the cigar-box tramp variety, inter-
spersed with trick bicyclists. soubrettes
|, in slightly soiled pink, trained seals,
and Family Fours with lumpy legs who
tossed each other about and struck
Goldbergian attitudes.
Terry's mother died when the girl was
eight, and Terry's father had been
what Is know as easy going. A good
natured,l lovable. shiftless chap IN the
contracting business. He drove around
| Wetona in a sagging. one-seated cart
and never made any money because
he did honest work and charged as
little for 1t as men who did not. Ed
Sheehan and his daughter were great
friends. When he died (she was nine
} teen) they say she screamed once, like
- a banshee, and dropped to the floor.
i After they had Strengthened out the
t muddle of books in Ed Sheehan's grit
ty, dusty little office Terry turned her
/ piano-playing talent to practical ac-
t count. At twenty lone she was still
playing at the Bijou.
3 Terry craved excitement There was
little chance to satisfy such craving in
, Wetena. but she managed TO find GER
F7I.
the Burke House just across the street
:, used to drop in at the Bijou for an eve
= ning's entertainment. They usually sat
g well toward the 'front.' and Terry's ex-
? pert playing, and the gloss of her black
|. hair, and her piquant profile as she
sometimes looked up toward the stage
+ for signal from one of the perform
ers caught their fancy, and held it.
tt Terry did not accept their attentions
promiscuously. She was too decent q
Z girl for that. But she found herself
g at the end of a year or two, with a
e rather large acquaintance among these
o peripatetic gentlemen. You occasionally
0 saw one Of them strolling home with
: her. Sometimes she went driving with
e one of them of a Sunday afternoon
d And she rather enjoyed taking Sunday
It dinner at the Burke Hotel with a IA
vored friend.
u Terry was twenty-five when Orville
e Platt, making his initial Wisconsin
y trip for the wholesale grocery house
|, he represented, first -beheld Terry's
: piquant Irish profile. and heard hel
deft manipulation of the keys. 'Orville
d had the fat mans sense OF rhythm ant
e love Of music. He had a buttery tenor
= voice. too. of which he was rather
II proud.
He spent three days in Wetona thai
- first trip and every evening saw him
e at the Bijou, first row. centre He
If stayed through two shows each time
Il and before he had been there fifree
minutes Terry was conscious Of hin
d through the back of her head. In fac
I think that, in all Innocence, she rath.
er played up to am. Orville Platt pait
It 70 more need to the stage. and VIVA
: was occurring thereon, than If i. hat
t, not been. He sat looking at Terry, ant
o waggling his head III time to the music
= Not that Terry was beauty. But she
e was one of those imaculately clear
types. That look OF fragrant cleAnll-
: ness was her chief charr
s At the end OF the last performanc,
II on the second night of his visit to the
e Bijou, OrYille waited until the audi
I, ence had begun to file out. Then h
: leaned forward over the rail that sep
o arated orchestra from audience.
Gould you" he said, his tones dull
/ Get, could you oblige me with tn,
e name of that last piece you played?"
ie Terry was stacking her music
:. "George!" she called. to the drum
e. Gentleman wants TO know the nam
lie of that last piece" And prepared t,
g leave.
II any Georgia Crackerjack.' sail
Is the laconic dram.
Orville Plat took a hasty side ste1
1t in the direction OF the door towarr
y which Terry was headed. ITS prett,
n. thing" he said. fervently. AN awfu
ys pretty thing. Thanks. It's beautiful.
If Terry flung last insult at him owe
le her shoulder: Don't thank me for ii
re I didn't write It"