Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-11
UNTIL CLOSING - 80 =.
a Story By McR Ready Huston
1c and LoveBut Speaking Of High How About Alys

HE slammed Ii IKE father does
when I play The Pal That ! Loved
on my SAY. IA
Mrs. Crater and Mrs. Irwin were
standing and fussing with the collars
Of their fur coats 10 cover their lack
Of speech for such an emergency. An
Armand laid his violin In the casa.
Alys started toward him, then Thought
better OF II and began the work Of
getting her mother into the hall. As
the group moved along the corridor
toward the elevators. leaving Mr..
Kraus standing smiling politely and
Uncertainty In the doorway. she edged
/ to Armand's side.
Tough iuckr' she whispered.
| 1--WE got TO get down to the olym.
plan ROOM" he muttered. ITS al
most time for the dinner concert"
From o'clock on, In the Morse
room that night, Armand played fox.
trots mechanically, going through the
familiar motions Of his Job without
feeling. Noodles and the rest Of the
JazzAteers, lounging In the hotel lobby
between numbers. talked their leader
over a. they smoked their cigarettes,
wondering just what had come over
him.
they had no way Of knowing that
Armand. M he played that evening for
Of hotel bedroom slam on his hopes
for q concert career and the dreams
he had been weaving around the
| figure Of Aiys Irwin, Armand was
| Just beginning to understand what
Herr Koenig,s unusual action really
meant m comment on his tone and
his technique.
He had been q fool. OF course. for
picturing himself carrying Alys away
Il e,a~. - - Ant A0s u
fellows who belonged. He was down
to earth now, for the first time since
he had dropped on the interurban
from Nappanee and had ceased to be
q Smalley. As his eye lighted on his
assumed name In gold letters across
the head OF the bass drum. he had to
restrain an impulse 20 put his foot
through the membrane.
Alys, Of course. was on him for life
now. Evidently she had beep playinS
him for higher things to be made pos
sible through q career on the plat
form. That, certainly. was her reA-
son for arranging the hearing BY
Herr Koenig. That she had not APP.
peared tonight with Grover to dance
was the added, the conclusive. touch.
His weary eyes sought the face Of
his white. gold wrist watch and found
| II was 1870. Two more fox trots and
he could close up and ride out on the
midnight street car to his furnished
stili ioafing In the lobby. 20 Armand
racl1ed the music for the next number.
choosing an arrangement he had made
himself Of 'The March Of the
Gnomes." He liked the piece partly
for itself and partly because he had
altered Il himself for his dance band
90 successfully that the Banner had
remarked II was better than The
March OF the Wooden Soldiers; and
there could be no higher compliment.
Something about playing II now seem.
ed to soothe his raw spirit, and when
his fellows returned he led into Il
around 1t the saxophone and winlsed
slowly. In q moment Armand saw,
by reading the bread smile on the face
Of the hanJoist. that the tone they
were getting was unusually fine. 20
he swung around 20 watch the effect
on the dancers.
-
A 8 he turned he caught sight OF
Alys being led IN gloomy but
faultless form BY the faithful Grover.
Fer face was grave, ana she did not
look In the direction Of the band.
Armand. avoiding possible contact
with her eyes - ehe ana her Drother
made the turn at his end Of the room.
was glad he had chosen the "Gnomes.n
He would play himself out with o
flourish, anyhow.
A knot Of listeners had stopped at
the entrance OF the Morse room, an.
ing the space. Whenever his crches.
ira drew these extra admirers Ar.
nand always took the compliment
personally; 90 he put the JaSzateera
through the .sGnomes" again before
he dropped his instrument. Then he
pretended to be busy with Noodles,
TO avoid meeting the. eyes Of Alys and