The Washington herald., 1921-05-08
The Story of Three Men, a
Woman, and a Splendid
Dream.


. guessed his secret and. with many
wink among themselves, abetted it
as well they might, for he ordered mag
nincently and tipped in the same meas
ure. Nevertheless. to provide better
excuse for his lingering. Earleigh or
dered another Coffee
81 think she'll soon be on, SIR" his
waiter whispered confdentiaIIy as he
scribbled the order in his book.
''who?" Earleigh looked up blankIy.
I beg your pardon, SIR" Such a pa
tron was not to be offended, and the
waiter sped away on his errand
Left alone to his cigar. Earleigh put
himself back in the mood when he had
first heard her. He remembered the
rainy evening. He remembered his bore
dom. The witticism from Oscar Wilde
that he had read that day came back to
him: There are two great tragedies in
life-wanting q thing and getting it."
That had hurt 1t was SO pat to his
case So far everything in the world
had dropped at Earleigh's feet except two
things-something worth mans doing
and a gift for doing it.
Handsome. cultivated. with an air of
distinction about him. Earleigh had need
of but a drop more of energy to have
counted. Now he was sick of the role
of passive appreciation. At "a he began
to feel old. Yet all about him were
these people laughing like children over
their food and the show-because it had
cost them effort. The very dancer and
comedians tore him with envy in having
even the silly speciality in which they
exceIled Earleigh had dropped into the
cabaret to escape from himself And he
had not escaped.
Then he had heard her. A tinny piano
set up familiar chords, and voice be-
gan the Shadow song. For a while he
had not troubled to look at the singer.
when he did turn it was not at the re-
markably finished artistry of her singing,
so oddly out of place in such setting:
it was at some odd note in her voice, a
note even more outIandishly out of place
there, a note that had haunted him ever
since. All that he could only feel. that
voice was putting into exquisite sound
u said to him. Sec what ! possess-and
only this to do" And when he turned
to look the dark proud face of her said
the same. She finished amid a great
cIappng of hands. The most casual
listener aware of having heard
something remarkable. Yet without
knowing it she had sung to an audience
of one.
The next evening Earleigh had come
there again, ana the next ana tne next
This was the sixth consecutive evening he
was there The waiter had long returned
with his coffee, and the coffee was cold
and untouched. Presently she
for her turn-the same two excerpts
from opera, followed by a ditty of the
day. with another and another for en-
cores. A pair of fools near him mimick-
ed her in a high falsetto. But, as be-
fore, Earleigh heard and saw nothing
but the slender. dark figure on the floor.
And this time he scarcely did that. She
was wearing a rose at her bosom-not
the sheaf he had tipped a waiter to take
her. but unmistakably one rose from
his sheaf.
After Mile. Jacqueline"-for that was
all he had learned of her. from the pro-
gram-the rest was banality to Ear
leigh. Yet now he waited, as he had
come to wait. for the finishing touches
In a few minutes she came out to a far
table in a corner. for the meager little
supper that appeared to be part of her
wage; and lastly the foreign looking
chap. with the shifty eyes and the mine
ing manner. who impressed Earleigh so
disagreeably. sat down with her, ate
with her. and took her away. Twice
Earleigh had followed them out as close
Iy as he dared and saw them swallowed
up outside in the Broadway blaze and
blare and blather. This evening he fol-
lowed them again and hated the foreign
er little less. Unmistakably that flower
at her corsage was one of his roses.
Does a man so stirred make no effort
to meet the lady? Earleigh made him
self an opportunity on the very next
evening. She was supping alone. The
foreign looking chap had not arrived.
Evidently the weather had discouraged
him. Earleigh left his chair to go to
her, sauntering indifferently not to draw
the attention of those he knew.
will mademoiselle accept a word of
thanks for the pleasure she has given?
And may sit down and offer you more?"
She looked up quickly, critically. and
then decided. 20. certainly, monsieur. 1t
is very good of you"
Earleigh frightened in agreeable sur
prise. She said, monsieur" but she
spoke it in perfect English, and with q
cadence of cultivation.
This is the seventh time have heard
you. mademoisslle. May I say it has
surprised me to hear such wonderful ar
>tistry in a-where one is not apt to ex-
pect it?'
Her face clouded. as at a reminder of
something she preferred to forget, but
she recovered at once. 20. monsieur. II
is-what you say-'all in the days work
But 1t is good to be appreciated"
He commended points in her singing
with a knowledge that plainly pleased
and sstonished her. Laughingly. she told
him of the passages that still frightened
her. ''Yes?" and %. thank you so much"
came gladly from her lips. an eager in
terest to her eyes. Yet Earleigh noticed
for the nrst time the thinness of her
cheeks and her pathetic interest also in
the tiny salad on her plate. He would
have offered to order more, but that
something told him she would have re-
sented it then. He fed her with praise
instead.