Omaha daily bee., 1921-05-29
Bv HARRISON RHODES
- -

the names OF Belcotreaux ana Stanley-Set
somewhere In France the moon does rise be-
hind the tower of St Roch's church, gliding
girls hair still yellower gold Somewhere in
Ohio there two lonely people who were once
pilgrims In France. The grl-Alphonsine was
really her name-had only little of the Eng
lish speech. l translated a bit, my old job not
so gay now-1 translated more than intend to
write.
There was thin gold chain around her neck
and somewhere hidden, somewhere nearer her
heart and warm from it, was pleasant gaudy
locket and in it picture of the finest young
in the world. 1t needed nothing to per-
suade any of us that she had loved Jim. But
how much had he loved her9 asked myself.
I looked around the Cabaret Mondain and at
the streaked face where tears had washed the
paint away. A cheap locket and a kodak and
kiss for good bye, and then on gayly to another
Belcotreauy and other kisses and so to death
was that not probably all it had meant to the
gallant jim?
What it had meant to Jim was however, not
the real question:: rather what it meant to
Jim's mother l saw her give one slow. bwild-
cred survey OF the music and dance hall And
yet realized that what she had said earlier
indeed true of her--that anything Jim did
all right. The cheap lockct was for her proof
enough. Here where she had found the
girl her boy had loved.
1t must have been different from what she
had dreamed. probably ever since Jim who
to die soldier had lain baby in her
arms. She must have seen sweet girl from
their own town, and weddingA and small
white wooden house In the village, and grand
children. And now she and papa, who might
have been grandpa, adrift in France, and
a strange, tawdry, oddly beautiful creature sat
opposite to them in an only half reputable cafe
drinking steaming gros and talking to them
of their boy in spite of her hating English with
a kind of flaming passion that perhaps the sweet
girl from Ohio might not have shown so-was
1t so brazenly?
II could not trust my compatriots heart,
neither could that Of Alphonsine. What. we
may we'll ask. could she guess OF Ohio? In
deed as my story proceeds I see more plainly
how little 1t Is founded upon assured knowledge
and how much upon cloudy guess and inference
Yet it may well be that guess and inference
however cloudy, women better than they
serve 1t may well be that there are many
miracles worked by love. that it can make a
little woman from homo understand more OF
the life Of painted cafe chanteuse than she is
likely to admit to any Indeed, as con-
fessed earlier, write with ignorance, but am
trying to write with sympathy.
Miss Sunshine left moment; the man
ager had beckoncd to her and she probably
meant to repaint after the ravages OF tears
While she gone Mrs. Stanley's slow but
noncommittal glance again appraised the Caba-
ret Mondain
Seems funny" she said naeditatively At
last, ITO think Of Jims girl working in . place
like this"
How working did she think or mean. won
dered? But ! said nothing. And Monsieur,
Tic-Toc sang another song. As It finished Mrs..
Stanley murmured:
II suppose she'd think Lanesv1lls a queer
place."
Even In the genuine solemnity Of my mood
stifed laugh at the thought. But somehow
did not laugh when heard her again talking
to the girl herself. I shall not try to reproducs
accents and I shall not report all the actual
words.
"You like this?" began the other woman
thought the girl flushed underneath her
pink and white coating.
"Why not?" she answered, and her voice
grew little louder and harder. "Faut vivrs--
1 must live, mustn't II"
Then, lower but steadily:
1--WE no regrets II hadn't been-wen.
what am and working here. I shouldn't have
met your SON.
yes But now" urged Mrs. Stanley.
"Faut viyre.' was again the answer
IT was incontrovertble. She must live A.
any of
And then the dear old thing from back there
home rose, think. to heights In simple
speech of conservation, Of atonement on Jim's
behalf perhaps, of divine tolerance. If not
that, of an ignorance equally divine.
wouldn't you like to come back with US to
see where Jim born and raised? And stay
on IL you could stand it? 1t would be better
than this. think it would be more what Jim
would like"
Was it to be expected that the poor Miss
Sunshine should understand at once? Or that
she should ever understand all the implica-
tions? But believe that somehow she under.
stood that an Ohio village was not possible for
her, and that in whatever strange spirit these
queer people asked her to come to It, 1t would
not be real kindness to them to accept? Was
she protecting their ignorance? Was she, too,
in the recesses of her heart protecting Jim's
memory, doing what she thought he would Hike?
Any one may judge as we'll as I. tell only the
few words said.
II could not leave" she said "You see I
have little child"
I caught my breath. II was Mrs Stanley
alone who gave answer.
"Is it" she began very gently ana she
paused for an instant 1t seemed TO me that
could almost hear our four hearts beat. Final
ly the girl slowly shook her head.
NO" she said and the smile was bitter
sweet.
Did she tell the truth? / for one shall never
know. But suspect that for that little instant
she stood with the other woman on the heights
And my dear old friend-was he glad? Glad
to know her boy stainless? Or did she in that
moment see fade forever the vision of the
grandchild she might have hid in her arms if
her boy had lived and
MAY see him tomorrow :" was all she
asked. II like little babies So"
This is, think, almost all of the story which
shall tell l had telegram from Paris which
called me back. never saw Riom, | have not
as yet seen any of those concerned again was
not In New York when the pilgrims passed
through on their homeward journey. But can
say that the Cabaret Mondain lost a singer
no great loss-and that one of the friendly as
sociaticns which in Paris dispense American aid
Dpcd Fro hoIp