The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-12
EoeningStory
Front and Rear.
BY JANE DARLINGTON.

the precious instrument had been in
the storage, house while its owner
worked for sufficient money to get it
out and insure years study.
Now with a clear year ahead and
small part in a musical comedy as well
as lease on the quiet If small room
on the fourth floor rear, Ethel felt a
security she had not known for many
a long year.
Her piano, because it could not be
carried up the stairs, had to be hoisted
into the front room and thence to her
back one thru a more or less complex
arrangement of doors. After futile
| struggle these doors baked firmly at
further progress of the piano. 1t was
| then Ethel felt the tragedy of her
position
There was her piano in a strangers
room and refusing to go into her own.
Either it must stay where 1t was or
go back to storage. Ethel was de-
feated in the first stage of her Won
derful year. She could not have a
piano in her room: there could be no
practicing, no progress, and she was
| bound by lease to that same room
and could not afford to break it.
| Her position was hopeless, tragic.
| No one but herself could possibly know
what this thwarting of her dearest
aims meant to the girl who had strug-
gled against great odds and thru tre-
mendouS toll to gain this year with
her piano and study.
| The piano movers had done the best
they could. There was no way of put
ting piano in the rear room save by
enlarging doors.
can do when she is driven quite be-
yond her strength of endurance.
She sat down on her piano stool and
wept.
It was at that psychological moment
that the stranger and owner of the
!
His door open, four husky piano
movers and one weeping girl all occu-
plying his room. He viewed the pic
ture with apprehensive eyes then
asked what it was all about.
| The information was volunteered by
| one of the movers.
THE young lady's piano amt goin'
into her room thru them doors. 1t
wouldn't go up the stairs, and we had
to hoist it thru this here room. She
feels kinda sore about it."
Il would say she did," sympathized
| Tom Cheney, and the fellow-feeling
| softening his voice brought on a
heavier set of sobs. But Ethel looked
up thru the well of tears and Tom
| found himself gazing into a most won
something rather lovely from the mass
of tumbled hair that was all he had
so far been able to see, but not such
| extreme beauty as this.
| Tom motioned the men that he
would take charge of this beauty in
| distress and they filed out with their
great cables and pulleys and not with
| out backward glance of interest.
Certainly the hauling Of lovely ladys
| piano into the room of a strange
young man and leaving it anchored
there between the two of them prom
| ised history for cupid's book.
| Now said Tom cheerily, when
the showers are over let's have chat
| about it and see what can be DONE
Ethel vouchsafed him the rarest of
smiles.
There's n-nothing to b-be d-done,"
| she affirmed, trying to bring the
| shower to a stop.
"Oh, yes, there isl said Tom, "you
might drape your furniture around the
piano here and shift my junk into the
other room, or you can just leave the
piano here and use it as your own
room. L travel a lot and my room is
| vacant sometimes six days out of the
week"
"Oh, that wouldn't be decent!'
Ethel opened wide but hopeful eyes
full on Tom so that he nearly lost his
breath. And I can't possibly pay
the rent for the. front room. good as it
is of you to offer to change
/ Decent nothing" scolded Tom. 81
will telephone you every time I expect
to burden this room with my presence
ana you can SKIP SO tnat we neeO
| never come in the slightest contact
with one another
Distasteful as the proposition was,
Tom got thru it like man. He was
rewarded by second rare smile.
| Ethel knew that coming in contact
with the owner of the room would not
be the worst episode of her career.
MY entire future is at stake, she
| told him. ct have worked to get my
piano out of storage and have secured
a small part in a musical comedy, but
I absolutely must keep my voice up.
The manager has promised me a
! splendid part with exquisite songs if
| I will just bring out certain tones in
my voice. You see-there was a rea-
son for-the showers
81 should just say there was" Tom
agreed heartily. II doubt very much
if any one ever had quite so hard bit
of life as you had in the last half
hour. We will have to make up for
| it. Which is it to be?" he inquired
briskIy, lest she change her mind en-
tirely and seek another room which
would accept her piano more grace
fully
"WeIl-since 1 cannot possibly pay
| the higher rent for the front room,
| and If you are perfectly sure my piano
| won't be in your way
st am absolutely positive" said Tom
with conviction, that if you take your
piano away from my room there Will
be an atmosphere of vacancy that 1
| will not be able to stand"
Ethel laughed happily straight into
Toms eyes. "And you will always
telephone me to go to my own room
when you are coming homer"
UNLESS want you to go somewhere
| else" said Tom.
Ethel dropped the heavy fringe of
lashes that were soon to know the
weight of cosmetics.
""Then we can consider everything
settled ?" she questioned, rising.
i Pretty near everything" Tom
/ said then boldly, 81 would like 1t set
tied that am to see you safely away
from the stage door every night
that is, unless there is some one else"
/ A flush stole into EtheIs cheeks
II would appreciate that fully as
muck as your letting my piano remain
here" she told him.
That. too. WAS settled then and in