The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-04-18

DoUIA00D. GOG11uX OUU1U Do u1ooks
mamma, than the way M. Perkins
hslped me over the crossing; It was the
most natura1 thing in the world. You
know how muddy it Is on that CORNER
by the church. / didn't know how to
get acEoss; I was quito in despair, when
saw Mr.. Herkins with . board on hts
shoulder, and in the twinkling Of an eye
he had thrown it down and made .
bridge Of it for the p~assers-by."
"For yos, you mean,n said Ars.
Paret, sternly. III it had been ZONE
poor old lame beggar woman. he'd have
kept his board immaculate. What right
has this person to offer You any civil
TYP What right has he to know Ct
your existence Ito look ct you at ALP
It was at this juncture Of the CONVEX
sati0n that Mr.. Paret spoke. "a cat
may look It q King said Mr.. Paret,
And these few words Of his had the ef-
feet of a bomb bursting in the enemy's
camp. Mrs. Paret started and stared
at her husband, Peregrine's fork paused
in mid-air. and even Gracie's eyes grew
round in wonder. His opinion had not
been asked. The little group, in fact.
believed him utterly oblivious and I'M
different to the Perkins question, and
this singular and trite remark threw
CONSERVATION in their midst
But Mrs. Parct rallied sufficiently to
stammer out, "a King is not supposed
to look at a cat"
And Mr. Paret, who had'by this time
finished his meal and reached the door
of the dining-room, turned upon the
threshold, and said, "That depends
upon the taste and policy of the King
and the character of the cat" With
this Parthian arrow he went out and
shut the door.
The next day Miss Grace went into
the parlor to practice the openingpiece
for the following Sunday. Miss Grace
was. the soprano in the ~aristocratic
church ON the muddy corner below, and
it was generally conceded that fol-
sweetness and compass the voice Of
Miss Paret had no peer in Riverview.
MI. Perkins himself in passing the
| church the day before had paused, with
the board on his shoulder, and list.
ened, with his heart in his mouth, to
the clear, sweet, ringing notes that fell
upon the balmy air of that delicious
morning. And very thankful he was
that he had waited long enough to b
of service to her in any way. M
thanks to me-" he had said, while sac
rificing his board; 81 should have beer
half a mile ahead if your voice hadn''
rooted me to the spot"
"I thought l could get my part bet
ter if 1 tried it in the church." sale
Grace; 'sbut it was SO big and gloomy
there, and it's SO hard to practice alone
the tenor ought to be there, at least
These words of hers-as, indeed, al
her words-remained in the memory o
Mr.. Perkins; and on the following
morning, while he was experimenting
the papering of the reception-room OF
the other side of the hall, and listenin;
to Miss Paret's voice from the parlor
he became more and more convinced
that she really did need the assistance
of the tenor; the rest could be got alonj
without, but the tenor was indispensa
BILE. He'd been humming to himsel
all the time, but of what service wa
this to Miss Paretp On the spur of tn
moment he walked across the hall an,
through the open door into the parlor
He saw that her color rose, and tina
she turned upon the piano-stool an
quickly confronted him, and for q mo
ment he wished that he had neve
learned to sing. If this impulse of hi
should cost this loveliest and best Q
Gods creatures the least disappoint
ment, or even surprise, his epiglotti
might as well be the most ordinary il
the world-he would never sing again
But her voice held no indignation in il
nor her face, which was the purest, tn
g~entlest, the most winning, Of faces.
"Shall I call mamma?" she said.
"Oh, no." he replied; 1.-THE paperin,
is going on nicely; but | thought. j
you'd allow me, I'd just supply the ten
or for you. I can see that the absenc
of it is a great impeachment. If yor
wouldn't mind, Miss Paret, l think yo,
could make out with my voice for tn
time"
And he began without further pre-
amble to sing the solo. Miss Pare
followed him with the piano accom-
paniment, her musical soul in he
ears. Oh, how vastly, immeasurabl
superior was his voice to the tenor sh
had been accustomed TOTO any tenor
any voice! Presently he ceased, an
tt emblingly, but sweet, she took u,
the refrain. Then he joined in wit
her, and for about ten minutes or 8
the paper-hangers on the other side o
the corridor, the maid-servant in tn
kitchen, aid the man-servant in tn
hall, listened, open-mouthed, to thes
seraphic strains that seemed straigh
from paradise. Unfortunately the
scared up into the sitting-room above
where Mrs. Paret was making up he
domestic accounts, and so engrosse'
was she hat she did not at first real
ize that a mans voice was minglin,
with that of her daughter. When sh
did, she made up her mind it was MI
Barnes, the church tenor. But Mrs
Paret was a musical critic. and YER
soon concluded those full rich note
did not belong to Mr.. Barnes. Be
side, he had gone to the city; she say
him go to the train half an hour before
Who could it beP The voice was Ger
tainly a strange One-wonderfully fine
but strange. Mrs. Paret dropped he
book. put her pencil behind her ear
and went down into the parlor. I'm
agine her horror, her dismay, her in
dignation, to find that wonderful,
fine but strange voice in the posses
sion of Mr.. Perkins! And to find he
daughter, the acknowledged queen 0
Riverview society, deigning to mingl
her voice with his, and accompany hin
while he sang!
The poor girl hung her head whel
she saw her mamma. She knew Their
wasn't q bit of harm in the situation; i
was only the impulsive kindness of MI
Perkins and the yearning for harmon,
which besets a musical soul. If sh,
could only tell her mamma-explain t
her Mr.. Perkins motive and her own
But she could zee that Mrs. Paret wa
growing redder and redder; that he
usually rubicund complexion was deep
ening to q rich mahogany; that she wa
swelling up, SO to speak, with rage an,
indignation.
MI. Perkins could see this for him
SELF. and hastened to apologize.
ut vas merely q musical intrusion
daughter needed q tenor, and, withou
pausing to think, offered it to her."
"Tm sure Mi. Perkins is always yer,
kind" faltered Grace.
"Kindr' echoed the exasperate,
matron. "rm about sick Of Mr.. Per
kins and his kindness. He'd oblig,
me by taking it and himself out of IN,
| house. and never enterinp IFS door