isa-normaladvance-1913-00210

Description:	210THE NORMAL ADVANCEJlanagtng tije <0rpfjeusiCLARA GOLDMANM r\JOT gloomy, are you? questioned Bob■*■ ™ Gordon as he blew into the near-mahogany-finished office of the Orpheus.No, not gloomy, came from between theclenched teeth of his partner. Not gloomy atall. Bubbling over with joy. And as heswung himself around in his near mahogany-finished office chair, Are you happy?Happy doesnt express my feelings. SayDon, Avhy shouldnt Ave be? Tavo young fellows with nothing better than two lawyers degrees, running the prettiest little three-reels-a-day house of day light pictures, air-changed-every-three-minutes picture shoAv in town. Andwere famous for our music Music? Yrou dont know anything aboutthe music. Youre tending to the films and receipts, and Im tending to the music. Andthats where the gloom comes in. You knowBob, when we started this place, Ave decidedAved go in strong for the music, didnt we?And Ave did, too. E\Terything from organ doAvnthrough piano, violin, cello, to the xylophoneand drum. Well, I might as well have undertaken to run a matrimonial bureau, understand?A matrimonial bureau. Thats what Ave havehere. First the violinist marries the pianist.When Ave have this place filled the drummermarries the celloist. Last Aveek the film operator elopes with the ticket seller, and noAv—noAV, Dons face Avas growing purple, nowcomes the glorious news that the organist isseeing the soprano home every night! Andfrom the look on Dons face, it was well thatthe organist was at his organ sending out thesoulful strains of a wedding march rather thanthat he were within calling reach of the near-mahogany office.A long, low whistle came from Bob. Why,we cant let the girl go, can we?Let her go? yelled Bob. Let her go?Why we might as Avell let the whole plant go.Shes easily the biggest attraction. And thatsexactly what gets me. Shes just a baby.Oughtnt to think of going home Avith the organist ! Oh, if I could only talk to her, or toher father, or mother, or—or—or to that organist, and Dons fist clenched.Bob jumped up excitedly. Thats it, Don!Great idea! Talk to her. Keep them apart.When he plays, shes out here and Avhen hesout here, shes singing, see? And when its timeto quit talk to her, man. You take her home,and ■ ■Dons eyes bulged, his jaw fell and his bodystiffened. Robert Gordon, he said slowly,you are—well to say the least youre funny,extremely funny. Donalds upper lip curleddown most sarcastically.Merely a suggestion, came from the other,coolly. No affair of mine, you know. Myreceipts are O. K. and my films But Bob, dont you see that 1 cant, because—well, because!Of course I see, consoled his partner sarcastically. Just let them alone, and theyllget married all right. Dont interfere at all.Surest Avay to stop them.By jove, Bob, I think youre right. Hate todo it, and all that, but—if Ive got to do it forthe sake of the Orpheus—Avell—Ill thinkabout it.And that evening the organist forgot tochange The Dixie Rag to Home, SweetHome, when the convict in the picture gazedthrough the AvindoAv at his old mother. Forthere in the little cloak room he could see Mr.Donald Rush clumsily assisting the sopranowith her coat, and then walking out with her!That was all right. He Avould fix it up tomorrow, after she sang, and they were both off.But tomorrow came, and not an instants chanceto talk Avith the soprano. And that night theorganist played In the Sunny Southland
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34655
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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