Evening star., 1936-03-15
Between Trains
Continued from p0ge sis

And then old black Mary came in
and said. ''Dinnuh is served" and
there was Elva again and we all went
out to the dining room.
Abe loosened up little - if you've
always been good folks you have to
be cheerful at dinner even if you've
got people visiting you you hate. The
piano player didn't talk much. except
to be extra polite in answering what
Abe said. And Elva didn't talk at all.
or eat much. She just made that lady
like mincing kind of bluff at eating
and then gave it up like she couldn't
face it. They had candles on the table
and l kept thinking how Id never
realized before what a pretty girl
Elva was; she sort Of glowed with a
kind of inside sunlight and her hair
seemed more shiny and soft. somehow.
Well. Rudolf saw it. He talked and
talked about things that happened
in Paris: that's in France. And
where's that other town where they
waltz all day? Vienna, Well, maybe.
1t helped a lot to make the dinner
nice, because nobody else was doing
so we'll at conversation.
Finally Elva said we ought to drink
our coffee in the front room - I'd
been dying for mine all through dinner
- and she led the way. There was a
little hush while Elva poured it out
and this Rudolf passed it around in
the little cups. But when we had
drunk it, Elva turned to the foreigner
- of course this Rudolf was for
eigner, too. but he didn't look so
solemn and his hair was shorter -
"Meestro," said Elva, gravely, will
you - will you play for us again?"
nearly jumped off my chair when
heard her using that funny word to
him. but the old man didn't seem to
notice. Guess he was used to it.
But Abe said. why don't you
play, Elva? You can play the piano.
Play the thing you call 'Warum' or
else that You are the Rest or maybe
that one l like, 'Awvy Maria"
She said, II wouldn't play tonight.
This is one night in all our lives. We
will never hear such music again."
She turned to the old foreigner and
looked him straight in the eye. still
with that puzzled little frown she'd
worn all evening.
The old man laughed. mo, child.
l have played and now it is your turn
and you must show me what you
learned at the Conservatory"
Well, even l could see you wouldn't
want to argue with him. and Elva
didn't. She didn't seem to want to
play, though she could play fine. But
this Rudolf took her hand like it was
one of their best glasses and he led her
to the piano and pulled out the chair
and kind of pushed her down into it.
He stood there smiling at her. after he
had moved the lamp so she could see.
She looks around kind of helpless
and flutters her hands and then she
plays a nice little tune - very short.
We'll done," said the old fellow.
THAT is very we'll done, and there are
probably not more than five million
people that can do as we'll. Now play
me something" What she had played
was Chopin's Fourth and still claim
it was better than that Kammeny
thing.
The young man said something in
Elva's ear. because she was beginning
to look kind of desperate. like she
might get up and run. So then she
laughed little and pulled herself to-
gether and lifted her shoulders and
she went Observation-Disclosures
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