Show j. j k kE r fC I If E THE OLD LADIES' LADIES 11 I ENTERTAINMENT By DELLA DELIA THOMPSON LUTES Copyright right Its Just dear of IOU you to go Miss Radford and you you ou too Miss Miss' Lockwood Lock- Lock wood Miss Vancouver Inthe in inthe inthe the private parlor of ot Miss Alicia Radford Radford Rad Rad- ford violinist soloist and vaudeville star Hotel Hote du Nord rose from the satin satin chair and dr drew drev nv her slipping furs up over over her h her r shoulders shoulders The poor old creatures creatures havo have so few tew treats you know Miss Radford and Miss 1 Lockwood pianist and accompanist accompanist rose roS also and looked their sympathy I think its it's good of of you Miss kilss Vancouver Van Van- Vancouver couver to go to so much trouble In preparing a treat for them And Abd nd what shall we e play asked Miss Radford Rad Rad- Radford ford moving toward the door with their guest k Oh Ob something good you ou know InQ Something classical vand and er er reli rell religious I suppose That's the kind of ot music old ladles ladies generally like Isn't It They're all aU real old od you know and ill some of ot them and they've really seen better days poor things and will appreciate good J music u lc Then Ill I'll say you'll come come directly the afternoons afternoon's performance is over she said sald Its so good of ot you you-I you I hardly hardly hard hard- ly dared dream ni you'd come Two such famous performers Its not so long since we were Infamous infamous In in- famous performers laugh laughed d' d Miss Lockwood and anyway were we're always always al a- al- al ways glad to do anything of the sort You'll let th them m know Ill go straight there now It It Il will willbe willbe be their dinner hour and Ill and Ill I'll tell them to assemble In n the parlor Is at at Is it four o'clock That will do nicely I be able ablo to be there myself at that hour and Im I'm awfully s sorry rry for Id I'd love to hear you but Ive I've an engagement a week old for four You wont wont won't mind The matron will take tako care of ot you A Four o'clock found half halt a dozen old ladles out of ot a membership of f 50 50 gath gathered red In the big parlor of t the home Wheres Mrs Brainerd asked one gen generally the first down when anything's going on on She said volunteered another quavering voice that she wasn't coming She said they always sang and and played the same old things and she's tired ired of f them Another er leaning upon a crutch h paused in in the doorway and looked inI InI inI in I had halt half a mind she she said sald not to come come down the st stairs for it I thought though beings being's they they're re from th the tha stage maybe they'd play something a little different The matron passed along an upper hall haJJ and noting the many occupants occupant of rooms who were no not taking advantage advantage advantage tage of the Invitation as asked ed the rea son Well hear all aU we want up here one informed her Its sure to be bev high class' music such as Miss 1 Vancouver Van Van- Vancouver couver considers good for the comfort comfort com corn fort fort and elevation of our old souls and I for tor one one can hear all I want from here Others voiced the same sama opinion in different manners and when punctual to the minute the Misses Misses' Radford and Lockwood appear appeared appeared ap ap- ap- ap pear d with music roll and violin box but few more than the original hal half half- dozen met them The Angels Angels' Serenade most soulfully soulfully soul soul- fully and exquisitely executed by Miss Alicia Radford opened opened- the program program and while up upstairs one old head bead nodded nodded nod nod- ded to another as if It to say I told you so so and here and there a door was closed not too quietly the parlor au audience greeted the finale with polite If It mild enthusiasm The Holy City and Jerusalem followed and tl their conclusion found three out of ot eight asleep r The Tho from II Trovatore L awoke the the and the piercing pierc ing lug sweetness sw of ot Its wall wail drew tears from eyes es whose brilliancy had lon long since been w washed dashed hed away Poor old Anna Fanning weak of ot Intellect and gentle of ot heart crept to 10 to a a stood in the tho l hall and sat wiping her eyes with per her apron apron pron and sobbing softly For heavens heaven's sake lets let's play something some some something thing more lively II whispered Miss lIss Radford to to her accompanist and broke broko into a gay little mazurka t to her her T relict Tellef h had d th the effect of of dispelling dispel ling to extent fP the gloom and moved old Anna Fanning to hitch bitch hitch her her stool a step nearer the doorIs doorIs doorIs door Is there anything In particular you'd like liko us to play asked Miss Radford Radford- gently when the mazurka was finished 1 For or a few teW moments no noone noone noone one spoke and then one more rotund of body and brighter of eye than the others others ve ventured tu d her ber desire Do you you can can you you play play Hiawatha watha she sho he asked timidly Th girls looked at one snottier another er antI ami smiled Hiawatha was a bit old and not exactly in their line but ut they could play It They w were re also to tell the truth somewhat amazed They had not been led to suppose that theold the theod theold old old- ladle of ot the V Vancouver home were acquainted with had a taste for popular music However they played Hiawatha and played It with a vim and nod spirit that brought a faint flush to to the still sUlI rounded cheek of ot the old lady who had proffered the request and caught the toe too of ot another softly beating time beneath the faded hem of t her bel go gown At Atthe the final happy and lightsome chords of ot the tho gay little In n there there were a dozen old 1 hadies ladies ladles la la- a dies where there had been eight A clapping of ot hands also rewarded the tho efforts of t the tho artists That was beautiful br breathed tho the admirer of ot Hiawatha Hla happily I I could listen to that all night You dont don't know What You e to Do When the Rent Comes Cornes Round t. t do you timidly Inquired a lary saint-like saint old soul leaning feebly forward from her rocker emboldened d by the s success of pt her predecessor The vaudeville artists laughed aloud They were beginning to get some fu fun tun n out of ot It Jt too I I should say say we did replied Miss Mir s Radford heartily and Rufus Ras Rastus Rastus' us brought more than one crocheted sUpper slipper slipper slip sUp per to beating time to his Irresistible e From ee every corridor came cam e gentle genUe creaking of ot doors and nod down the stairs came softly trooping a steady line of ot the lame the halt an anthe and d the blind When Rufus Rastus was finished d th there ie were were not halt half chairs chairs' to accommodate accommodate the eager and enthusiastic a audience Poor old Anna Fanning Fannin g had left off oft her weeping and stood a little back from the open door ste stepping step step- p ping lightly back and forth to the music music mu sic and humming to herself I dont don't suppose you you could could sing g something kind of of lively lively could you The questioner was bowed and crl crip- crip p l i Ho He Certainly Was Good to Me pled pled and old Her face was drawn with grief and her eyes were faded with weeping but her heart bespoke the Immortality of ot youth The girls looked at at- each other fi flushed shed and laughing This program was certainly different from what they had expected Singing time rag said Miss 1 Radford Radford Rad Rad- ford tord Isn exactly my style how I wish we had Jim 1 here she Inte Interpolated to her friend but I Iguess Iguess Iguess guess guess- She whispered a few tew words to Miss 1 Lo Lockwood who nodding and laughing swung her fingers off to the jolliest foUlest catchiest bit of time rag they co could d remember Miss 1 Radford laid ald her violin and her dignity both on top of ot the piano and assuming a coquettish cake walk air troll trolled d out in a voice that to tho the I hungry ears before her rivaled d any any Melba elba or Eames He lie Certainly Was Vas Good to Me 1 There were 40 eager listeners now nowhere where here had been eight and the other ten were leaning on their elbows heads propped up and ears strained to catch ev every ry blithesome note Back and forth pirouetted Miss Alicia Radford violin virtuoso and soloist and louder and louder grew the applause while tears again rolled down aged cheeks but no longer from memories aroused Never In to n all their lives JIves had anything so perfectly delicious dell deli clous cious happened to them When at last Miss 1 Radford dropped laughing panting and nod disheveled into a and Miss Lockwood turned flushed and laughing also from her ber stool ane an an- eager and happy throng surrounded surrounded surrounded sur- sur sur- sur rounded them Beautiful said one ne voice Its qualities revived as they had hadnot not been in years I never enjoyed mys myself so In all aU my life Ufa acclaimed another hobbling m two crutches to lay a wrinkled hand on Miss 1 Radford's shoulder From every aged face beamed smiles and glances of ot appreciative delight when finally finay Miss Radford had boxed her violin and Miss Lockwood had bad encased encased encased en en- cased her music It was supper time tilDe when the old ladies adles returned to the parlor and as asat asat at the sound of ot the gong gong- they flied filed hat haltingly tingly out to the dining room unwonted unwonted un unwonted un- un wonted smiles lighted the passage and the tho walls of ot the dining room echoed gayer laughter and happier tIon than ever their surfaces sur faces had done before Until the last light was out and thelast the thea thelast last a t aged form had bad crept away to rest there came at Intervals from unlatched door and from open ward a broken strain bummed hummed by long unused lips Up from He Certainly Was Was' Good to toMe Me t |