Oxford Democrat., 1921-06-07
Blind Mems Buff
By KErURAH VAN TYLE

i Il
AS-s.-s-s-s-s-s-s-ss-s-s-s
(0. 1921. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicats)
"Seats, please"
Mechanically the little usher held
her hand for the performance OF her
duty, which happened to be the safe
plotting Of its patrons down the aisles
Of the dimly lighted concert hall.
Night after night she parroted the same
request, and night after night the bits
of pasteboard were entrusted to her
keeping. while the owners followed
her flashlight until they were safely
located.
Nothing unusual ever happened to
Elise. Jenny Sykes. the girl on aisle
four, had once received box Of can
dy, and Mabel Mertz had been asked
out to lunch, but Elise had moved
along with no exciting experiences
whatever to her credit. However, she
was happy and contented, for wasn't
she adding every week to the little
hoard which was to pay for making
her q great singer? And wasn't she
hearing the very best music, which she
could not afford to hear In any other
way?
Imagine then her sensation when
the young man whom she addressed
not only placed his seat coupon In her
upturned palm but his own hand as
we'll. Her first emotion was one OF
thorough indignation, but that gave
way almost at once to surprise as
she thought she saw him sway bit.
catching at the back Of seat, and
the next instant came remorseful pity.
"Why, the poor chap must be blind "
she told herself. whispering to him,
without further hesitation, Don't be
afraid-I'll guide you," she clasped
firmly the hand which lay In hers and
led him to his seat.
The next night he stopped inside the
dark hall to speak cheerily to her.
When 1t was time Elise again took
his hand without waiting for further
suggestion and led him to his seat.
For weeks he came, hearing the same
programs over and over until Elise
decided he must be a student like her.
self. She always waited to lead him
TO his seat. and each time he thanked
her gravely for 1t.
He often came early enough for a
whispered chat. and during one OF
these obtained her name and ADDRESS.
under pretext of wanting to send her
some helpful musical revues. Ordi-
narily Elsie would have questioned the
propriety Of allowing strange man.
to send her even so small a gift as
well-thumbed reference books, but
there was something about the blind
mans boyish frankness which dis
armed his motives Of the ulterior COM
pletely. When the package came 1t
contained a note which read:
"My dear Miss Winthrop: Being In
terested In people who have an ambi-
ton to climb. especially along your
particular line, I'm going to beg per-
mission to hear you sing. AS you've
probably guessed. I, too, am musical
and think we may prove mutually
helpful. Sincerely,
GREGORY BALDWIN"
That night when the little usher led
Gregory Baldwin to his seat she Whis-
pered to him. There's no concert Sat
urday night, so aother says l may
ask you to CALI; and when Saturday
evening came Elise found herself
strangely a-futter with expectation.
She was watching at the window
when an automobile stopped In front
of the building from which Gregory
Baldwin alighted unassisted, the chauf-
feur driving away without seeing his
master to the door.
"Well, of all the careless beings,
that chauffeur's the worst" ex-
claimed Elise, rushing down to the
first floor to let her caller In. He
wore dark glasses and carried cane;
outside of these two features no one
would have suspected he was sight
less.
And then Elise sang to him-sang
sweetly and unaffectedly, pouring out
her heart In the wonderful language
of some of the old world masters and
her clear, girlish soprano thrilled the
listener through and through.
81 wonder If you realize what
really beautiful voice you have?" he
asked as he was leaving. wont you
come over in the park tomorrow after
noon? There are so many things I'd
like to say to you-about your work" ;"
After Elise had promised to go she
had a queer little feeling Of being
rubber ball tossed about In the hands
Of fate, but she was at the meeting
place the next afternoon ahead Of the
appointed time. She wondered as she
waited what had made Gregory Bald
win blind; whether or not he had any
hope of ever seeing again; whether
$50 you're here ahead Of mel"
called a cheerful masculine voice at
her elbow. interrupting her reverie,
and looking up she saw her friend
smiling down at her through his dark
glasses us though he owned the keen
est pair of eyes In the world.
"How could you tell l was here"
she asked In surprise.
"Well," he hesitated, 'there are
some presences one can feel anywhere.
I'm sure I could pick you from a mis-
cellaneous gathering, even II there
were hundreds"
He had taken her hand In his and
was looking straight into her face as
though his slghtless eyes might be
reading her very soul, and she did not
want him to see what was written
there-there In her soul. She could
not bear tn have him know that she.
had grown to care, hut that. In spite
OF II. stiil wanted her career-that she
did not feel she could have 1t and be
blind mans partner-not the KIND
of partner she meant to be to the
man she married. She had guessed
what he was trying to tell her-knew
with a woman's intuition that pro-
posal was lowering precipitously on
his lips, and she wondered little that
ho darad esk this thing of her. Help