The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-03
EDening Story
The Flip of a Coin.
BY CORONA REMINGTON.
s.Inst once .rnnra One. two three

Just once more. One. two. three
| Count. Evelyn. dear
| Barbara ColIingsworth placed the
tired little fingers over the keys and |
hummed the tune encouragingly.
There, that will do" she said a !
moment later "Memorize eight more !
measures of the Flower Path fer
Tuesday and tell mamma you've been
a very good little girl.
"Oh, wait a second; wonder
whether there isn't one puffy marsh
mallow in the candy jar"
Almost wistfully Barbara watched
! the dancing little figure as a moment
later, it skipped down the front walk |
and out of the gate. Her mother
| forty-odd children in her classes. but
Evelyn was her favorite. her fairy
child.
That evening after dinner as Bar
| bara sat reading the paper to her
bmother her heart gave a sudden jump
] as her eyes scanned an announcement:
Newton to Have New Music Teach
Ter. Next Friday Prof Raymond VAL
entine, pupil of the late Karl Forester,
will open a studio over Phillips Drug
Store. Prof. Valentine is well known
in metropolitan music circles and Will
teach the Rackmahoff Method"
A look of pain stole into Barbara's
eyes as she glanced at her invalid
mother and wondered what would
happen to her if the forty little boys
and girls flocxed over to the new
teacher Ever since she had grad
uated at Carson College of Music she
had been the only teacher in Newton.
She had taught well, she knew that
she had, the parents were pleased with
their children's progress and each
spring, when she gave her pupils re-
icital at the Masonic Hall, the whole
ltown turned out en- masse for the
event Now this new teacher had
come well equipped with all the tricks
of the trade. studio and Rack-
Il hamoff Method" she quoted under her
breath. He would be sure to draw the
crowd probably had flowing locks and
a foreign air as well. she unused.
1t was with forced enthusiasm that
she went thru her work the next day
and the next and the next. BY the
end of the week three of her pupils
had stopped and Barbara knew that
the studio and Rackmahoff Method
were getting in their deadly work.
! Within a month she had lost nearly
|. thirty of her pupils, and something
had to be done. Her usually happy
face was clouded with worry as she
thought over the situation.
But what shall l do to keep the
pot boiling?" she asked herself des-
perately. wish we'd never come to
Newton. Only $22 in the bank. and
this months bills not paid. Ten lit
tie Injuns sitting on a fence" she
quoted grimly to herself. Soon
there'lI be none, all right
Into Barbara's eyes there crept the
look of trapped animal. She must
, do something, and do it quickly. Her
mother must not suffer. Somehow
she must try to keep her from real
izing how very serious their situation
. was. All night she tossed and thought
! and planned and worried, and next
morning arose white and determined.
After hurrying thru the housework
she put on a heavy veil and went out.
With set face she made her way to
| the studio over Philips drug store.
and as she felt the blood rushing into
! her cheeks she thanked goodness for
her thoughtfulness in putting on the
veil.
Outside the door she hesitated a
moment before knocking. Some one
inside was whistling cheerfully, fit
fully. When she knocked it stopped
and footsteps approached What
would he be like? she wondered. Since
everyone had tactfully avoided men
tioning him to her she had hardly
heard anything about him. She did
not even know whether he would be
young or old.
"OR, 1 beg your pardon. I thought
you were one of the kids" he apollo
sized as he stood in shirt sleeves in
the doorway.
: THE fact is" he explained, uncon-
scious of his visitors embarrassment,
81 was trying to sew on a button and
can't for the life of me figure out how
they do it without sewing thru. Gets
me-" he laughed.
Carefully keeping her back to the
: light Barbara sewed on the button
and prayed for composure. She
5 thanked heaven for this chance to
} pull herself together.
But that isn't what T came here
for" she said after a pause. attempt
ing a laugh. II came to say that
| if you ever need an assistant-
But the man did not hear what she
- l.
| turned her toward the window and
| was staring at her face.
Good Lordi Barbara, it can't be
you! You here with me again. Now