Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-06-25

more than l can give. Do you know one
whose terms are not very high9"
You don't mean to say that you think
he would have me?n I asked
Il do, indeed, BERTHE, dear-I'm nearly
sure that you would suit him, and you
know great deal Of the tenor parts-but
| OF course you wouldn't accepts
i wouldn't what?" cried, frightened
out OF propriety of. language at the idea
why, 1t is the very thing in the world
that | should like best"
throughout life idle in every other
particular, bad enthusiastically INDUCED
my love OF music, and studied diligently
llttle dreaming that one day my industry
would be turned to account; so I seized
the notion with delight, and we filled UP
the time till Betterton arrived by building
| castles in the air of the most magnificent
pro- a,ftions and superb architectural de-
tail
vi J aeart echoed his knock at the door
as he; arrived at the appointed hour. He
seemed pleased at Alice's acceptance; re
cely.ag the announcement of my candida
ture with equanimity. 30
sung a good deal as an amateur? No
thanks; don't care much for newspaper
CRITICISMS" he said, in answer to an offer
which made of showing him some "Pd
rather hear you, if you will kindly sing
something for me. May [ look through
your music, Miss Rawnsley?"
He selected agnes, ma jouvencelle,' p
from ezra Diavolo," which said [ knew
and seating himself at the piano, COM
menced, with perfection of touch, to play
the symphony; and then for the first time
realized the position, and, trying to
q ri p Al, ~,
none to draw. His deft fingers pressed
the keys, and l saw that in two bars-in a
bar and d half-in one bar, [ must COM
mence. / have no idea how / did so, but
suddenly heard the sound of my own
voice; and, hearing it, little confidence
came to my aid 1t was not a very diff
cult song [ feared only one passage;
and as Betterton turned the page ! saw
the little ambush of black notes thickly
clustering together, with big wide open
one at the top of all, which seemed to be
lying in wait to entrap me. AS [ came to
them Alice laid her hand on my arm, and,
summoning up all my strength, | attacked
my enemies. The little ones fell easily
before me, and then with fresh breath [
engaged the big one, and VIGOROUSLY over
came him, he offering no resistance, for |
held him aloft, and he was quite steady,
and easy to manage; though full, strong,
able bodied note for all that
[ don't think any grunt was ever so
difficult of Interpretation as Betterton's
when he struck the last chord. Whether
it meant utter contempt or lively appre-
citation, | could form no idea; but there
was smile on Alice's face which led me
to hope that / had not failed; and / was
cOmtOrted.
"Faus" was open on the piano, and
the manager carelessly turned the leaves.
You know this, | suppose 20 he said,
as he came to the duet in the garden scene
''Do you mind trying it with Mr.. Heytes-
mere, Miss Rawnsley?" &
We sang the rec:tative; and I COM
81 ammi ancor, dammi ancor
Contemplar il tue viso,''
the perfectly beautiful air which follows
Then Alice's voice rang out sweet and
clear:
20 siIenzio, Q mister,
Ineffabil mistero;''
and then we joined, both of us, loving the
music, singing with heart and soul
Betterton ran his fingers up the key
board when he had finished, and for a
moment | feared that he was dissatisfied :;
DuI LII was not SO.
"Thank you, Mr.. Heytesmere Yes,
am happy to offer you the engagement"
he said; and he proceeded to arrange
terms, etc. We were to join him at Ma
verford in three weeks time; leaving us
a week in which to settle the wedding,
and a sufficient balance to admit of our
spending two quarters of the honeymoon.
inwardly blessed him as he made his
odteur, and soon retired myself; for, under
the circumstances, [ thought it probable
that Alice would like to go upstairs and
cry; and | wished to be alone also, and
realize the rapid changes which the last
few hours had brought about
1t would have been a great convenience
to me it my uncle had seen fit to postpone
his indignation until after quarter-day
Perhaps it did not occur to him; or per-
haps he thought that [ should prove ex-
ceptionaliy amenable to reason about the
both of March; for though a ten-pound
note and change for sovereign are very
good things in their way, they hardly
constitute sufficient ballast wherewith to
embark on the voyage Of matrimony [
was turning this over in my mind when I
reached my rooms, and found Charlie
Mather reclining in an easy-chair, study
ing the sporting intelligence of the morn
ing paper.
If Charles intellect had been in proper
ton to his goodness of heart Shakespeare
and he might have tossed up for the first
place: if his goodness OF heart had been
in proportion to his intellect-but it is
needless to pursue this consideration, for
there would have been hardly enough
goodness to mention.
"Readin' the paper, old fellow" he said,
after the usual greetings. "'Top-knot can
tered in an easy winner by five lengths.
The others close up, except Amaryllis,
who trotted in with the crowd That's
nay mare-ran at Epson yesterday"
very sociable animal,' I suggested;
'fond of society,""
"P'raps that's it," he answered cts
bad weather for horses, Daycott says
and for men, too, | think, when they have
to pay such trainin' bills for nothin'.
Corydon's runnin' tomorrow at Windsor
Will you come down?"
IN afraid | can't, thank you, Charlie
The fact is, l am going to be married on
Tuesday, and my wife and 1 play in the
of Mar a, of Il J, ~