Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-03-17
formance be dispensed with. and that


was flattering to the worthy country
folk to think of sitting solemnly in judg-
ment at the great church; and SO the
proposed plan was adhered to.
Finally. the weeks of anticipation
came to an end, the appointed day was
at hand. and. according to the arrange
ments previously made, at nine clock
In the forenoon. the three great doors
OF the church were swung open and the
throng, orderly and even digniiied. en-.
tered and filled the editice
The seats. which, in French churches
and cathedrals, are movable. had all
been taken away. and the crowd quite
filled the whole space. All male in
habtantS of the town who were over
twenty years of age were to vote, and
each. the town-Oi1icals and the poorest
artisan alike. had one ballot
The great and beautiful organ took up
nearly the whole of the large gallery
over the entrance and extended up and
into the clear-story until it was mingled
with the supports of the roof.
In the Organ-loft the candidates were
crowded together in eager expectation.
and the glances that passed from one
t. another were not the kindliest
Each of them had been allowed several
hours, at some time during the week.
for practice on the instrument, and
each doubtless considered himself de-
serving of the position.
Presently, when all was still, Mon
seigneur Jules Emile Gautier, a very
learned gentleman of the town, who
had been chosen for that purpose, as
cended two steps of the stairway which
curved up and around the richly carved
pulpit, and announced the name of the
person who was to begin.
should not be able to give, in de-
tail. the progress of the trial, for the
history of the affair is not minute
enough for that. But suffice it to say.
that the last name on the list was Raoul
Tegot; and the name Immediately pre-
ceding it was that of Baptiste La
combe.
At length. in his turn, Monsieur La
combe, his iron-gray hair dsordered,
his hands rubbing together nervously,
and his eyes flashing-as was afterward
remarked upon--with malicious fire,
stepped forward and along tothe organ
seat, and, for O few moments, arranged
his stops.
Then he began lightly and delicately,
creeping up through the varied regis
ters of the noble instrument, blending
the beautiful sounds into wonderful
combinations. now and then working in
sweet melody, and then again up
ward until the grand harmonies of the
full organ rolled forth. There was
something mysterious and awe-inspir-
ing in the effort. 1t seemed to the
people that they had never heard music
before.
The music ceased. The people came
back to their prOsaic selves again, looked
in each others faces, and said. with one
breath: Wonderfulr'
Gradually they recovered their sober
judgment, and then. mingled with the
murmurs of admiration were heard the
remarks. "That is fine, but Raoul Tegot
will make us forget it" "Yes, wait
until you hear Raoul Tegot"
Soon Monseigneur Gautier ascended
the two steps of the pulpit and called
the narle of their kind, generous towns
man.
All waited breathlessly. All eyes
were turned toward the Organ-loft. The
musicians there looked around and at
each other. But poor Raoul Tegot
could not be seen.
Where was he ? The people waited
and wondered, but he did not come
Monsieur Baptiste LacOmbe was greatly
excited. and was wiping the perspira-
tion from his heated face "Perhaps he
was afraid to come," he ventured to re-
Io,.ly 70 him ot hD IN
time looking out of window.
Several noticed his agitation. but they
only said, "Ah. Mon Dieu. how he did
play! No wonder that he is nervous"
The disquietand confusion in the nave
and aisles increased. A messenger had
been sent to look for the missing man,
but he could not be lound.
What was to be done?
Finally, some friends q QhMonsieur La
combe made bold to urge his immediate
election. declaring that he had far sur
passed all competitors; and they even
limited at cowardice on the part of Raoul
Tegot.
This insinuatlon was Indignantly de-
MED by Tegot's friends, who were very
numerous but helpless; they knew their
friend too well to believe him capable
of such conduct. He was. they said,
probably detained somewhere by an ac-
cident.
But wherever he was, he was not
present; and when a vote was taken,
hastily. by a showing of hands, Mon
sieur Baptiste Lacombe had ten times
as many ballots as any other person.
and, of course, poor Monsieur Tegot,
not having competed, was not balloted
forat all.
The people dispersed to their homes,
some in vexation that their favorite had
not appeared, others in little alarm at
his strange absence. Young Francois
TegOt had not seen his father since ear
ly morning. and could not conjecture
where he might be.
The next day the missing Organist did
not appear, and his friends began to in
Quire and to search for him. But they
were wholly unsuccessful. A little boy
said that he had seen him go into the
church with Monsieur Laoombe early
that morning; but Monsieur Lacombe
said, very distinctly and with some We
hemence that the missing man had left
the church an hour later to 60 to cot
tage at the edge of the town, where he
was to give lesson in singing.
So the affair lay wrapt in mystery.
There were many surmises, but nothing
definite was known. A few expressed
suspicion of the rival candidate, but the
suspicion was too great to be thrown
rashly upon anybody. Thus no prog
ress in the inquiry was made. A hu-
man life did not mean so much in those
stormy days after the Revolution as for
mcrly. and the mysterious disappear
ance, without being in the least cleared
up, gradually faded from mems minds
and passed out of their conversation.
Months and years passed away, and
nothing was known Of the young man.
His son. now come to the years of man.
hood. always declared that his father
would not have been absent from the
trial willingly. and he firmly believed
that he had met with violent death.
More than this he would not say; but
sometimes when he locked toward
Monsieur Baptists Lacombe-still the