Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-08-19

smiled frostily a. the prospect of
this pleasant addition to their fami-
| ly.
McIntyre who had been wander.
ing about three or four hundred
miles from home in search of "a quiet
place to spend the summer. con-
graduated himself on having drifted
to the very spot.
Although it was an expensive
style of drifting he remarked, with
a smile, as ho enclosed bank note
in an envelope to be sent to the
owner OF the little craft which had
slipped him out into the waves
abreast of the lighthouse
A week later, IS he sauntered
shoreward, there came to his ears a
wildly sweet strain of melody. As
he listened in amEzement, for he
had seen no musical instrument
about the place, he began to realize
that it was p.rt of Strauss artist
life wsltzes that he had heard-a
strain that he often whislled. He
stepped round the jotting of the cliff
and there, leaning against the gran
lite wall, was Lizzie, her chin drop
ded carelessly on little red violin,
as she drew the bow across the
strings. She flushed up like guilty
thing when she saw Mcintyre.
sYou whistled that the other day.
she faltered, 'and like it so much
1t haunted me all tho time
He stepped forward.
why, Lizzis Isit possible you
play like that without notes p
i don't play much now she
said, drawing her dark brows over
her eyes. A party of ladies and
gentleman came here to visit the
light house, once, and overheard my
playing. l heard one of the ladies
say, the idea of girl with a fiddle!
SO | thought perhaps it didn't look
WELL
Not look we'll, indeed + and he
laughed II mercy scorn. why,
child, did you ever hear of Camilla
Urso 2
sNo.'
well; she is a lady land she makes
the most exquisite music on the fid.
die, and thousands of people go to
hear her. Why, Camilla Urso her.
self would listen with pleasure to
your music, Lizzie,' said Mcintyre,
extravagsntly. who taught you
to play p
'No one. This violin belonged to
father and he showed me how to tune
it. pick up tunes thst l hear, but
| never heard anything half so beau
tifui as the tunes l heard you sing and
whistle
Mcintyre smiled. His repertoire
of music consisted of snatches of |
operas, waltzss, redowas aud Ger
man airs, which were dimly associ-
ated in his mind with nights of bril-
liant gayety; and he wondered
dreamily how this pure minded,
healthy souled girl would look upon
the elegant dissipation carried on by
the set of which he was the favorite.
A sudden glow warmed his heart as
he thought that not ore of the fine
ladies who had swung languidly
through the mazes of that very waltz
of the great composers could have
rescued him SO bravely from the
jaws of death as lizzie had-Lizzie,
who stood there SO quietly, with her
little red violin Rugged to her breast,
and her fingers straying lovingly
over the strings.
Tell me about Camilla Urso,' she
said presently. Did you ever hear
her play p
Yes, indeed l have paper in
my trunk containing little sketch
OF her life, which you may read for
yourself. and which will tell You bet
ter than | can of her TALENT
't'or a moment Lizzis's eyes met
his own, look of shame and distress
gathered in them.
Mr.. Mcintyre, that will be OF no
use-I cannot read
Lizzie p
Her violin slipped from her grasp,
and would have fallen to the ground
had not Mcintyre csught it, and she
covered her crimson face With both
hands.
Bat Lizzie persisted her compan-
ion, in some perplexity, Il do not un-
dsrstand. There are good public
schools in the city and surely your
father must have known that it was
his duty to give girl like you an
education, to say nothing of Neddis.
who is growing up such splendid
young fellow
st is very kind of you to say such
things of Neddie and me, Mr.. Nc
Intyre, but, after all, we are common
people, and ours is a common life
Neddie did spend two years with
our uncle who lives in York State.
He went to school there. But father
doesn't thiak much of book learning,
Aunt Jsne never had time to help
me, and Neddie is too restless to
keep still long enough, | suppose.'
She continued, quantity, you who
live out in the world look at these
things IN q different way /; bu, |
know of many who are just where
am. Why, there is whole family
on that island," pointing to a tiny
spot away to the eastward, who can
rot read or write. Once in three
months, perhaps, they go to the
main land. scarcely ever 90. /
suppose / shall always live right
here, and am contented-I thick
look of doubt gathering 10 her
eyes; at least was. But lately
have wished so much that | could
read and had 6ooks--for it IS so
lonely here in the winter
well, dear Child said the young
man gently, this gives me the priv.
ilege of paying my debts, doesn't it?'
Your debts? echoed Lizzie in
surprise.
Certainly. Did you not fish me
out Of the water week ago2 Well.
now you shall put your six feet of
drift wood to some service. | will
teach You to read and write.
After that Mcintyre proved the
most faithful of teachers, and his
| y.unu mazda staedv urorras. in dor