Omaha daily bee., 1921-05-29

nants of beauty appeared for an instant In pay
ment of paltry admission fee.
That's pretty good looking girl, aint she,
mother?" heard father murmur.
YES" she answered. pretty hair, amt IT."
Her tone was cheerful, yet it seemed to me
that the tranquil blue pools that were her eyes
family rufied, if breath of air had
stirred them for passing instant. l thought I
saw her hands clasped more tightly together in
her lap. Do sound like detective? I kindly
one, hope. Again an odd unformuated premo
milton for a second caught me. But the only
action it. moved to was the discarding of my
glass of thnnish beer and ordered what has for
long been ingeniously known in Frace as
grog American.
Miss Sunshine's song went fairly we'll. That
is to say, half dozen people applauded. incud
ing one of the commits voyageurs, who was at
once playfully slapped by the large Mathilde for
this attention to fellow but rival artist. Esprit
de corps! Helm?
And then the blonde singer Cor blondned, II
you prefer accuracy of phrasing) stepped lit
tie farther towards the footlghts.
"Un chanson honneur des Americans." she
announced, and then translated:
"A song for honor to Americans"
There was something quaint and piquant in
the accent. There was something SO pleasant in
the way she addressed herself to our little party!
AS earlier the magic of mere footlights had
made her fairer, now this friendly courtesy,
this poor little international amenity, made her
younger. The kind Of life she was leading ages
women. I suddenly realized that she had been
not so long ago girl-and lovely Perhaps when
Jim had been
II love my love in the springtme-" she
began. The pronunciation of the o's was odd
But her voice softened from its habitual rasp
and little of the tenderness of the hackneyed
ballad was in her Interpretation. Even the crosse
Mathde and Monsieur TicToc gave her neg
lgent attention Even + was for moment
transported back across the Atlantic, perhaps
not quite to Ohio, but to simplicity which
for the moment stripped my cosmopolitanism
from me and the sophistication which I too often
fondy imagined was mine Almost unconsci-
ousy turned to the lady of our party. She sat
smiling at the stage, her eyes rapt and tender,
yet down her cheeks, SO family pink, frank and
unabashed tears slowly flowed. She put her hand
affectionately on my arm and murmured softly:
Jim used to sing that SO much. He had a
lovely voice.
"Ah. had he!" and !, perhaps to hide my emo
tlon, turned back TO the lady on the stage. The
song was finished and we managed to make a
small tumult of applause which might have re-
called the fine days Of the Cabaret Mondain
when nice larkish khaki-clad boys had sat
where We now were and cried for more.
Il learn song from American poilu," she
announced. She smiled, shook the over-golden
hair with coquetry, and waved her hand gayly
at the american poilu's compatriots Yet was
I mistaken? Did tear, also frank and un-
abashed, flow slowly down her cheek, SO brazen-
ly red?
II wonder if she'd sit at our table," said Mrs.
Stanley in a clear. low voice. You could order
her glass of beer, pa. Or" and she smiled at
me whatever queer thing that is you have"
Two fat local gentlemen made the girl an
equally handsome offer, it is to be presumed, as
she emerged from the little door at the side of
the stage, but she came straight to us, almost
as IL she knew that We, too. would pay for an
American grog if she liked.
"You like song?" she asked