News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-06-15

. 20, 1921. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndcate.)
i 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 hail.
D 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 hashlight 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 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
well. Her first emotion was one of
thorough Indignation, but that gave
way almost at once to surprise as
she thought she saw him sway a 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-TIl 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 |
suggestion and led him to his seat !;
For weeks he came, hearing the same |
programs over and over until Elise |
decided he must be student like her
self She always waited TO lead him
to his seat, and each time he thanked
her gravely for it.
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 gift as
well-thumbed reference books but
there was something about the blind
mans boyish frankness which dis
armed his motives Of the Interior COM
pletely. 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," I
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
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.
We'll, of all the careless beings, II
hat chauffeurs the wOrst!" ex-
claimed Elise, rushing down to the II
irst. 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 sight II
ess. II
And then Elise sang to him-sang | =
weetly and unaffectedly, pouring out ~
Ter heat in the wonderful language | y
# some of the old world masters and | :,
Ter clear, girlish soprano thrilled the
listener through and through.
Il wonder if you realize what a ~
eally beautiful voice you have?" he \,
sked as he was leaving won't you
ONE over in the park tomorrow after
Don? There are so many things I'd |
Ike TO say to you-abOut your work"
After Elise had promised to go she Il
adj queer little feeling of being a g
ubber ball tossed about in the hands VI
f fate, but she was at the meeting al
lace the next afternoon ahead of the III
ppointed time She wondered as she :
'aited what had made Gregory Bald u.
in blind; whether or not he had any pl
ope of ever seeing again; whether a
$50 you're here ahead of me?" !
allied a cheerful masculine voice at le
er elbow, interrupting her reverie, III
nd looking up she saw her friend 1
Milling down at her through his dark Ill
asses as though he owned the keen It
It pair of eyes in the world. Is