Show Short Telegram Story S INSPIRATION By David E. E Adams My dear did you see ee the paper lh this morning Kate Hyde scanned the luncheon menu and tried to signal a waiter Not thoroughly what do you mean Across the table Dot Crawford Crawford Crawford Craw Craw- ford slipped back baek her fur coat and anddrew anddrew drew out her compact Sylvia Towles is making her de debut debut debut de- de but at the Metropolitan nex next month Kate said ald Sylvia Towles that Towles-that that dumbbell in our high school cl class 1 Must be the one Says she's from Everett Dot do you remember remember remember ber the way she sang that night a at graduation Wasn't it terrible And do you remember remember- Yes I do And Ive I've never felt fel about it Oh well she never knew Tl ru bet none of our crowd ever saw law aw her again Her people lived away down on the other side and her fa father father father fa- fa ther was a a. store clerk or some some- thing Well It seems she's come out outon outon outon on top after all Do you suppose she sho he really is good My dear people dont don't do what wha she's doing If It they arent aren't or else somebody's somebody sinking a fortune fortuno in her I Look I have an idea Do you suppose sh shed she'd d give a recital for our club for the tho hospital fund It would be good advertising for her her her- home town girl makes good and so 10 o on She might After all she aha grew up hero and It might just appeal to her Charlotte would be just the theone theone theone one to introduce her too She has the clothes clothe and the gift of ot gab Well VeU she cant can't do more mon than say no Sylvia Towles did not say ay no She wrote that that- she would be glad to come to Everett and to sing ng for forthe forthe forthe the benefit of ot the hospital fund under the tho auspices of the Womans Woman's club She stipulated only that she have a comfortable suite reserved at a good hotel and that she re receive receive receive re- re no visitors before the con con- cert Dot and Kate were jubilant If It a trifle shamefaced In private How about Charlotte Do you think shell she'll do It 1 Of Ot course shell she'll do it well we'll well we'll go and see seo her right now was not so 30 sure ure Dont you suppose she he ever knew how we ve felt about her Well Wen heres here's her her- acceptance She wouldn't come If it she he didn't want to Ill Til do the best I can The Tho evening of ot the concert came and Sylvia Towles Towle was duly registered registered regis regis- ered In tho the late afternoon at the Plaza laza The city hall hail chartered for forthe forthe the ho occasion lon was sold out Kate and Dot gave the stage a last ait critical critical critical cal survey It was only a little dingier than on graduation Uon night eight years before re But tho the roses roes for or which the they had scraped together er a small private fund from Sylvia's Sylvias Sylvias Sylvia's Syl Syl- vias via's classmates were lovely At 8 o'clock every seat scat was taken The curtain rose Charlotte gracious gracious gracious gra gra- cious in a mulberry velvet gown moved toward the footlights and w waited for the rustling of programs to o cease Citizens of Everett It Is a pleasure pleas pleas- ure tire to welcome to her home community com corn a Do daughter of this thi- city Sylvia Sylvia Sylvia Syl Syl- via Towles known to many of you I receiving her education in our pubic public public pub pub- lic ic schools has attained the highest hight high- high est cat t place in her profession She returns to share wIth u us the tho gift of her great talent and we are honored by her presence The applause died away then was vas renewed as Sylvia bowing to Charlotte entered from the wings followed b by her accompanist Her full sweet soprano filled tho the room and the plaintive tenderness with which she succeeded in rendering the he old familiar songs left left- them somehow with a n. feeling that she herself hersel had bad plumbed the tha depths of the ho human heart The Th single l encore en encore eOn en core with which she ahe closed the pr program pro pro- gram fram Loves Old Sweet Song left eft them breathless for tor a long mo mo- ment Then the applause was over over- whelming At the stage door Charlotte Dot and Kate waited in trepidation What would Sylvia 83 say It probably probably probably ably would be a bad moment but the only decent thing to do was WILS to face tace It squarely Sylvia swept up to them and paused pawed She was no longer the store clerks clerk's daughter from the other side of town There was wa a glint of steel te l In her eyes and her mouth was Wa hard Dot stepped forward and pressed preMed a a. great bunch of roses rose into Sylvias Sylvia's arms Sylvia Syvia it was wonderful I want we we want you to know how we to appreciate your willingness I come Were We're so 80 glad about your great success There was sincerity sincerity sincerity sincer sincer- ity in every word Sylvia burled her face In the roses rosea roses then raised her head The cold gleam was gone from her eyes melted of ot all things thing by y tears Girls she said gently I dont don't know what to sa say I didn't come here to be kind I 1 came to take revenge And believe me I had planned to the last word just what Id I'd say uy to you ou three The Corners of ot her mouth quirked in the old humorous humorous hu hu- hu- hu morons way they all aU remembered And OlAnd now I cant c seem scent to say It iL You know I 1 was in the coat room the night of ot graduation years ago And when you imitated by singing Charlotte and nd the rest laughed laughed- well I cried all night The he next I Iday day I went to work determined I that some jome day Id I'd make you take back every word you said But now well well now I can see ue that that was tho the best thi thing g that ever happened happen d to me For the first time I knew how bad badI I was So she smiled Into Int three stricken faces she burled buried her face In the roses rose again lets Jets just be befrIends frIends again Good night Copyright for tor The Telegram |