The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-15
Eoening Story
The Lady of The VioIets.
BY FRANCES a. SCHNEIDER

big studio. Jack Hammond and his
friend Nesbit; and Ha.- mond had
been showing the latter-recently re-
turned from abroad-some of his
latest canvases.
you to see. Mes" said Hammond
placing a portrait on the easel.
Nesbit stood back and looked. The
portrait was that of a girl, the, fig
ure thrown into relief by some dark
drapery behind it. The face was one
curves and modelling. and the eyes,
a blue-gray, Swallowed by dark brows
and lashes, looked out half smiling
from beneath very glory of red-gold
hair. 1t was a face to think and
dream about.
Hammond, watching his friends wrapt
consideration.
las a very beautiful portrait" re-
turned Nesbit. Who's the girl?"
II call the picture The Lady of the
Violets,'" said the artist.
''Um-m-picturesqu but indef-
mite" commented his friend.
Come, sit down, and while you
study the portrait I'll tell you how
and where 1 met the original. Will
you smoke? Sit here" and Ham
mond placed an easy chair for Nesbit,
cushioned window seat
about a year ago-soon after my
return from France, and while my
arm" touching his left arm, was
still bothering mel made up my
mind suddenly one evening to go to
a show at the Royal. 1t was late
when I reached the theater. and, the
play being a popular one. the house
was pretty we'll sold out. However,
l secured a seat in the parquetA The
box office official was just showing
my change and ticket thur the window
of his little den, when I suddenly be-
came aware of a faint elusive fra
GRANGE of violets, and, turning to see
where IL came from, caught sight of
a lady and gentleman hurriedly enter
ing the vestibule of the theater.
'"Phe girl was bareheaded, save for
that glorious covering of red-gold hair
have tried vainly to reproduce in the
portrait. and was carrying a great
bunch of violets in her hand and,
above the pale. shimmering folds of
the long wrap she wore, her face rose
flower-like. The Spirit of the Gar
den,' she might be called, I thought;
or, better yet, the Lady of the Vio-
let's
Just as she passed me, attra cted
probably by the intensity of my gaze
for I had forgotten my manners and
was staring-she turned her lovely
eyes toward me and gave me-a fleet
ing, rather naughty glance; then she
and her companion disappeared thru
one of the doors leading to the audi
torium, leaving me with my pulses
perceptibly quickened and a faint per-
fume of violets in my nostrils. Gath
ering up my change and ticket.
waited a moment and then followed.
The first act was half over as
CROPPED my y ay to my seat. In the
dimness of the auditorium 1 sought
in vain for the lady of the violets and
her escort; but after the curtain went
down and the lights up 1 picked them
out seated in the orchestra circle, not
far from the aisle near which my own
seat was located. The girls face was
turned toward her companion and she
was smiling: and I remember wonder
ing what such a namby-pamby fellow
as he looked. could possibly say to
amuse her. While I was thinking
thus and gazing rather fixedly at the
glory of the lady's hair, sort of dim
ness seemed to creep between me and
the object of my interest. So unde-
fined was it at first that 1 thought my
eyes were at fault. and rubbed them
vigorously; but presently the dimness
grew into haze and with its greater
density came an unmistkably, pungent
odor. Others perceived this, too, and
there was a restless stir thruout the
easily and I heard half-suppressed
eXclam ations-hasty questions-whis-
pered answers. Suddenly as 1 sat
looking uncertainty about me, from
just above the curtain there issued
light puff of smoke that wavered
chandelier and cast a perceptible
shadow on the auditorium. At this,
some fool in the gallery shouted
'F'ire!
well. Mes, you know what that cry
would mean in a big, overcrowded
theater! The audience was on Its rect
in IL moment. struggling and fighting
for the exit doors. AS got up. L
caught sight of a terror-stricken man,
pale-faced and wild-eyed, fighting his
way desperately up the aisle. 1t was
the man I had seen with the lady OF
the violets; but she was not with him.
Good Godv I thought; the cowardly
brute has left her to shift for her
self!'"
"Cur!" interjected Nesbit, fiercely.
Mounting upon a seat, 1 looked
about me. One thought was para
mount in my mind-to find that girl
and get her safely out of the theater.
1 strained my eyes in the direction of
the place where she and her compan-
ion had been sitting, wondering
despairingly how I was to distinguish
one slim, golden-haired girl in that
surging, swaying mass of humanity.
Presently, down at the edge of the
auditorium, close by one of the boxes.
1 caught sight of a red-gold head. 1t
was merely a glimpse, lost again in
stantly in the movement of the crowd.
But 1 was sure it was she. and that
she had managed to work her way
along the seat aisle to where she was
standing. So I wedged myself as best
could in that direction.
AT first I clambered over the backs
of seats. Then succeeded in pushing
my way across the aisle. Heaven
knows I tried not to hurt any one in
my mad scramble! But as 1 looked
up and saw the menacing cloud grow
ing denser and its shadow falling more
darkly upon the struggling crowd I
grew deSnerate What IL she should