The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-01
Etening Story
Blind Mans Bluff.
BY KETURAH VAN lyle.

her hand for the performance of her
duty, which happened to be the safe
plotting Of its patrons Down the aisies
of the dimly lighted concert hall.
Night after night she paroted the
same request, and night after night
the bits of pasteboard were entrusted
to her keeping, while the owners fol-
lowed her flashiight until they were
safely located.
Nothing unusual ever happened to
Elise. Jenny Sykes, the girl on aisle
four. had once received a box of
candy. and Mabel Mertz had been
asked out to lunch, but Elise had
moved along with no exciting expert
ences whatever to her credit. How
ever, she was happy and contented.
for wasn't she adding every week to
making her great singer? And
wasn't she hearing the very best mu-
sic, 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
well. Her first emotion was one of
thoro indignation, but that gave way
almost at once to surprise as she
thought she saw him sway bit,
catching at the back of a seat, and
the next instant came remorseful
pity.
she told herself. Whispering to him
without further hesitation. Don't be
afraid-I'H 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 it was time Elise again took his
hand without waiting for further sug
gestion and led him to his seat For
weeks he came. hearing the same pro-
grammes 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 il.
He often came early enough for
whispered chat, and during one Of
these obtained her name and address.
under pretext of wanting to send her
some helpful musical revues Ordi-
nartly Elise would have questioned the
propriety of allowing a strange man
to send even SO small a gift as we'll
thumbed reference books, but there
was something about the blind mans
boyish frankness which disarmed his
motives Of the Interior completely.
When the package came it 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 mother says I may
ask you to CALI: and when Saturday
evening came Elise found herself
strangely a-flutter with expectation
She was watching at the window when
an automobile stopped in front of the
building from which Gregory Bald
win alighted unassisted, the chauffeur
driving away without seeing his mas
ter to the door.
well, Of all the careless beings
that chauffeur's the worst!" exclaimed
Elise, rushing down to the first floor
to let her caller in. He wore dark
glasses and carried a cane; outside of
these two features no one would have
suspected he was sightless.
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 thru and thru.
Il wonder if you realize what a
really beautiful voice you have?" he
asked as he was leaving. won't 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 Elsie had promised to go she
mad queer little feeling of being a
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 Gergory Bald
win blind whether or no he had any
hope Of ever seeing again; whether
so you're here ahead of me-"
called a cheerful masculine voice at
her elbow, interrupting her reverie,
and looking up she saw her friend
smiling down at her thru his dark
glasses as tho he owned the keenest
pair of eyes in the world.
How could you tell 1 was here 2"
she asked in surprise
WELL" he hesitated, there are
some presences one can feel anywhere
I'm sure could pick you from a mis-
cellaneous gathering, even If there
He had taken her hand in his and
was looking straight into her face as
tho his sightless eyes might be read
ing her very soul, and she did not
want him to see what was written
there-there in her soul. She could
not bear to have him know that she
had grown to care. but that, in spite
of it, still wanted her career-that she
did not feel she could have it 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 woman's intuition that a pro-
posal was lowering precipitousIy on
his lips, and she wondered little that
he dared ask this thing of her. Help
lessly she cast about for some way of
stopping him-some way, perhaps, il
he did not think Of her side of things,
of making him feel he might not want
to care.
you must not talk to me this way,"
she said with a catch in her voice
I've deceived you terribly-rm-rm
old-old enough to be your-your
grandmother, Now 1 suppose our
friendship must end"
The man took her outstretched hand
| in his, without allowing her to rise,
and with his other removed the un-
slightly dark glasses from a pair of
brown eyes dancing with fun.
MY dear. no grandmother ever sang
as Won sang 10 me Ia sf night You're