The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1920-07-10
The Lady of
the Violets
BY Frances A. Schneider


10 1920. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)
They were alone together In the big
studio, Jack Hammond and his friend,
Nesbit and Hammond had been show
ing the latter-recently returned from
abroad-some of his latest nvase
Here's just one thing more l want
you to see, Mes" said Hammond plnc-
ing a portrait on the easel.
Nesbit stood back and looked. The
portrait was that of a girl, the figure
thrown into relief by some dark dra-
perry behind 1t. The face was u of
warm flesh tints; of exquisite curves
and modellngs, and the eyes, a blue
gray, Swallowed by dark brOws and
lashes, looked out half smiling from
beneath a very glory of red-gold hair.
1t was a face to think and dream
about.
How does 1t strike your" asked
Hammond, watching his friends wrapt
consideration.
"As a very beautiful portrait" re-
turned Nesbit. "Who's the girl?"
81 call the picture The Lady of the
Violets,'" said the artist.
acknowledgements, but indefinite"
commented his friend.
Come, sit down, and while you
study the portrait I'll tell you how
and where | met the original. VIII
you smoke? Sit here" and Hammond
placed an easy chair for Nesblt, while
he himself lounged in the cushioned
window seat.
About n year ago-soon after my
return from France, and while my
arm touching his left army was
still botherlng mel made up my
mind suddenly one evening to go tc
a show at the Royal. 1t was late
when l reached the theater, and. the
play being a popular one, the house
was pretty well sold out. However
I secured a seat in the parquet. The
box office official was just showing my
change and ticket through the window
of his little den, when l suddenly be
came aware of a faint, elusive fra
GRANGE of viOlets and, turning to SEE
where ii came from. caught sight of
lady and gentleman hurriedly enter
ing the vestibule of the theater.
'The girl was ba~reheaded, save 70
that glorious covering of red-gOld hal
l have tried vainly to reproduce il
the portrait, and was carrying a grea
bunch of viOlets in her hand. and
above the pale, shimmerng folds Of tn
long wrap she wore, her face ros
flower-like. The Spirit of the Gar
den.' she might he called, / thought
or. better yet, the Lady of the Vic
let's
Just as she passed me, %attracte'
probably by the intensity of my gaz
for | had forgotten my manner an
was staring-she turned her lOvel,
eyes toward me and rave me a feet
ing, rather naughty glance; then sh
and her companion disappeare
through one Of the doors leading to tn
auditorium, leaving me with my pulse
p~erceptibly quickened II n faint pei
fume of violets in my nostrils. Gath
ering up my change and ticket, 1 wait
ed a moment and then followed.
"The first act was half over as
CROPPED my way to my seat. In tn
dimness of the auditorium | sought |
vain for the lady of the violets an
her escort but after the curtain wen
down and the lights up l picked ther
out, seated in the orchestra circle, nc
far from the aisle lea which my ow
seat was located. The girls face wa
turned toward her companion, and sh
was smiling: and | remember wonder
ing what such a n~amby-pamby fello'
as he looked. could possibly say t
amuse her. While | was thinking thu
and gazing rather fiXedly at the glOr
of the lady's hair, a sort of dimnes
seemed to creep between me and tn
object of my interest. So underline
was II at first that l thought my eye
were at fault, and rubbed them vigo
ously but presently the dimness gre
into a haze and with its greater den
ity came an u~nmistakable, pungeI
odor. Others perceived this, too, an
there was a restless stir throughol
the audience. Heads were turned III
easily and l heard half-suppressed e,
clamations-hasty questions - viii
pered Suddenly as L sat lool
ing uncertainty about me, from ju!
above the curtain there issued n ligl
puff of smoke that wavered across II
space below the central chandelier an
cast a perceptible shadow on the aud
torium. At this, some fool In the ga
lery shouted Fire!
well, Mes, you know what that Ct
would mean I'm n big, overcrowde
theater! The audience was on its fe
in a moment, struggling and fightir
for the exit doors. AS l got up,
caught sight of a terror-stricken ma
pale-faced and wild-eyed, fighting h
way desperately up the aisle. 1t WI
the MAJ | had seen with the lady
the violets; but she was not with hiI
Good Godr l thought the coward
brute has left her to shift for he
selfu"