The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-08-20

bow across the strings. She flushed IN
like guilty thing when she saw McIn,
tyre.
"You whistled that the other day, ;
she faltcrcd, "and liked it SO much
it haunted me all the time"
He stepped forward.
Why, Lizzie Is it possible you
play like that without notes?"
81 don't play much now," she said,
drawing her dark brows over her ewes,
Aparty of ladies and gentlemen came
here to visit the light house, once, and
overheard me playing. | heard one Of
the ladies say. 1.-the idea Of n girl with Il
fiddle! $50 | thought perhaps il
didn't look well"
"Not look well, indeed I" and he laugh
ed i'll merry scorn. "Why, child, did
You ever hear of Camilla Urso?"
mo"
"Wcll. she is II lady, and she makes
the most exquisite music on fiddle,
and thousands of people go to hear her.
Why, Camilla Urso herself would listen
with pleasure to your music. Lizzie, u
said Mcintyre, extravagantly, "Who
taught you to play ?"
"No one. This violin belonged to my
father, and he learned me how to tune
it, l pick up tunes that | hear, but
never heard anything half so beautiful
as the tunes hear you sing and whistle. VI
Mcintyre smiled. His repertoire OF
music consisted of snatches of operas,
waltzes, redowas and German ails, which
had dimly associated in his mind with
nights of brilliant gnyety; and he won.
dered 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
that not one of the fine ladies who had
swung languidly through the mas OF
! that very waltz of the great composer i
could have rescued him 30 bravcly from
the jaws of death us Lizzie had-Lizzie,
who stood there 80 quietly, with her lit
tie violin hanging from her breast, and
her fingers straying lovingly over the
strings.
tell me about Camilla Urso," she
said, presently. Did You ever hear
her play"
Eyes, indeed! I have paper i'll my
trunk containing n little sketch of her
life, which You may read for yourself,
and which will tell You better than l can
of her talent"
For n moment LizZie's eyes met his
own, II look of shame and distress gath
ing i'll them.
"Mr. Mcintyre, that will be OF no Use
i cannot read.
"Lizzic?"
Her violin slipped from her grasp and
] al % ln Il
Mcintyre caught it, and she covered her
face with both hands.
But Lizzie" persisted her companion,
i'll some perpleXity, ~ do not under
stand. There are good public schools in
the city; and surely your father must
have known that it was his duty to give
a girl like yOu an education, to say moth
ing OF Neddie, who is growing up such n
splendid young fellow.
at is very kind of you to say such
things of Neddie and me, Mr.. Mcintyre,
but, after all, We are common people,
and ours is II common life. Neddie did
spend two years with our uncle who lives
| III York state. He went to school there
But father doesn't think much of book
! learning. Aunt Jane never has 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 ut these things i'll diff
fercnt way; but know of many who are
Just where / am. Why, there is whole
family on that island, pointing to n tiny
speck AWAY to the eastward, "who can
not read or write. Once i'll three months,
perhaps, they go to the main land.
scarcely ever go. l suppose l shall
always live right here, and l am content
cd think" look of doubt gathering
IN her eyes; sat least was. But lately
have wished so much that / could read
and had books-for it is so lonely here i'll
! the winter.
"Well, dear child" said the young
man gently, "this gives me the privi-
lege Of paying my debts, doesn't To-"
your debts ?" echoed Lizzie in sur
prise.
Certainly. Did you not fish me ont
of the water week ago? Well, now
Won shall put your six feet of driftwood
to some service. | will teach you To
read and write"
After that Mcintyre proved the most
faithful of teachers, and his pupil made
steady progress in her lessons. Neither
WAS the violin any longer in disgrace.
Lizzie played to attentive ears while
learning deeper lesson than eth
er at fest realized. Mcintyre wis the
first to wake up. He was a man Of the
world, and understood himself or thought
he did, thoroughly. Accordingly he
started, one morning, for stroll along
the beach to it all over.
"As the case now stands. he sOlilO-
quized, az he lit cigar and threw away
the match, I" 1t is either Lizzie or the
world; and j confess, the world has
charms for me-" Then came thought
which caused his heart to beat faster,
and send the hot blood to his brow. But
he shook his broad shoulders indignant,
ly, and lifted his hat to let the cool sea,
breeze sweep through his hair. 81
must he II greater scOundrcl than
am to work so great wrong on that
dear girl. FAITH" and he laughed in
bitter scorn of himself, "that would he q
fine way to rccompense her for saving
my life. She might better have left me
to feed the fishes! Could / take hel
home with me as my wife ?"
His gaze wandered absently over the
swelling waves, and fingered upon far.
off sail that dipped and rose, and dipped
again, until it sank below the horizon.
His lpcurled involuntarily as he thought
of the delicate ladies in his set, and how
wretched they would make the poor girls
life in their own high-bred fashion. Ne
but would they, though ?"
A faint amusement fingered in his face
as he recalled Lizzie's rather stately car
riage and stately dignity that redeemed
her from being commonplace. He laugh
ed out.
at would be fun to watch her among
all those peacocks. Poor Lizzie! What
n shame that she has been neglected! Il
she had received half the advantages o.
any one Of my acquaintance she would
have surpassed them all. Well, well, il
is high time / returned home. l have
been here six weeks. Yes, l will e
away tomorrow, and forget her, as sh'
will forget me.
So saying, Mcintyre threw away the
end of his cigar and started into brisl
walk along the shore, coming directly
upon the object of his thoughts, wht
was pacing to and fro, drawing plaintiv,
music from her violin. She wore
scarlet jacket over her gray dress, and
white handkerchief tied over her darl
aud under her chin. His heart throbbet
faster ut the sight of her.
Fool!' he muttered, "to think
could leave her. Now, then, my man
.Ifs all for love, and the world well lost"
Lizzie greeted his approach with I
A l. Il ~