The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-08
Eoening Story
Outside the Door.
BY DOROTHY DOUGH-

Up and down the piano like a water
sprite pursued by a tornado dashed
the fingers of Marcel Caronni. In his
eyes was the wild conquest of music
and in his soul all the color and gran
deur of a great artist. t~
Daily Marcel sat at the piano and
practiced those wonderful dances that
were one day to set the world afire
| with their flame
And each day outside his door
crouched a more or less ragged little
| figure whose haunted eyes were light
| ed with the glow of appreciation and
whose hungry little body was not less
| starved for food than was her soul
for music.
The corner of the dark hall on the
top floor of the rooming house permit
ted her to crouch with her touseled
head as near the door as possible and
drink in the wild music undisturbed.
She was a drab little bundle. Her
clothes, her life and all there was to
her seemed drab-all but her eyes, and
in them was an intensity of inspiration
and slow burning fire.
Tossed about relentlessly by the
winds 81 fate and being of not suffi-
cient strength of her own to buffet
successfully. Doris Varisi fingered on
the mediocre doorstep of life being,
only half conscious of her own powers
and striving with a pitiful maintenance
" hStP UOQy auQ Soul IOS0lltT ny
dancing in fifth rate restaurants.
And Marcel Caronni made music in
his top floor, scantily furnished room,
that flung the soul of Doris into>a wild
passion for expression.
She seemed suddenly born of the
wind and clouds; her feet light as a
fawn, her movements gentle as the
moths that hung in the fragrance of
moonlit garden.
Marcel played on, quite unconscious
that any human being was within
miles of him. He was in a world of
his own making and breathing deeply
the intoxicating air of creative mo-
Inents His world was spinning, toss
ing, tumbling and climbing to heights
unknown to any save the great artists
OF life Had Marcel known that a bit
OF human driftwood had been lodged
against his door he undoubtedly would
have failed to complete his great mas
terpiece, for Marcel was above all a
compassionate human being. His emo
lions would have been torn to shreds
and left Jagged and worn at sight of
Doris in her present drab state How
ever. he was unconscious of her very
existence and carried his masterpiece
TO a glorious and triumphant. finale.
The strains buried themselves in the
brain of Doris, and while her body lay
inert her soul was swishing about>in a
glory of sound and her senses were
registering each movement so that at
later day her body would again pro-
duce them in a dance of utmost-per-
lection of expression.
So intense was her strain that from
sheer fatigue of the. brain she must
have dropped into an exhausted Sleep
Marcel, dashing out toward dusk for
a bite of food wherewith to keep his
soul and body together. stumbled over
the drab heap of humanity at his door.
So startled was Marcel that for a mo-
ment he failed to realize that the thing
which his feet had all but kicked was
bit of the feminine world. With
arms gentle as those of a woman Mar
eel lifted the slight bundle and carried
it within his scantily furnished room.
Once there he deposited the girl in the
one chair in his possession.
She opened wide her eyes They
rested with wonderful light in their
depths full on Marcel. He sighed
with relief, for he had not known
what to expect from that inert heap.
Il must have fallen asleep at your
door" Doris said slowly, 1.-The music
was so MISUNDERSTANDING anything
have ever heard-that well, I
think my senses were quite drugged
by its beauty
1t was Marcers turn to open wide
his eyes. This was no mere f1attery.
1t was souls appreciation expressing
itself more thru glowing, brilliant eyes
and vibrant little body than by mere
spoken praise.
81 could bring the world to my feet
il I could but dance to your music
Doris continued rapturously. There
was no touch of personal conceit at
tached to her words. There was Just a
tremendous desire to express the
ing. IF you would only play again
some time SO that I may dance the
story I conceived today would be
so happy"
Marcel smiled eagerly. "Now-if
you like" he said, his eyes refleeting
the enthusiasm in her own. 1t ali
seemed veDW natural that genius
should meet genius in this unconven-
tional but positive manner and a mo-
ment later Marcel was seated again at
his piano. The drab little figure leaped
forward almost as soon as the first
notes filtered away from Marcers in
spired fingers.
Doris then seemed but a bit of rose
petal flung ruthlessly about by an all
powerful wind. Light as eiderdown
she was hurled relentlessly across the
rude floor but with grace and beauty
that quite shook the breath from Mar
cells excited breast. Never had he inn
agined his music could be interpreted
with so perfect a following of his own
conceived idea.
weeping Willow with it's wonderful
use of the minor strain and Doris
seemed but a bit of dropping willow
branch. Her head, her Shoulders and
her whole body responded to the
theme until Marcel could have wept
with the sadness of it.
"Girl!' he cried suddenly, for he did
not know her name, I'VE two must
work together. With your exquisite in
depreciation OF my music we will wend
our way into the art world" He gazed
wistfully at Doris as if a slight fear
possessed him that she might not feel
as he did. But her eyes were blazing
with inspiration and enthusiasm which
promised well for their future.
I'VE could begin in the cabaret
where L dance" she suggested quickly.
1T will be just a stepping stone, and
we must melville we progress"