Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-03-16
CHAPTER II,

| CHAPTER II.
sMr. Vane, permit me to make you
| acquainted with Mr.. Thompson said
| Mrs. Earle to Philip, as he came into
| the house from a stroll the following
| Saturday evening and found stranger
present.
The gentlemen mutually acknowl-
edged the introduction, and then Mr..
| Thompson remarked:
- trust you will pardon any seeming
| forwardness on my part, Mr.. Vane, but
have a great favor to ask of you. This
afternoon our organist received dis
patch that necessitated his departure
/ for Bangor, and l have come to ask if
| you will officiate in his stead tomorrow,
at st. Marks? Miss Alling informed
me that you are an organist, and since
| have been here Mrs. Earle has said
sufficient to convince me that you are
quite competent to act in that ca
pacity."
Philip had no doubt of his own abili-
ty, and, as he was an Episcopalian, he
was versed in the service and would ex-
perience no difficulty in performing his
part thereof. How Miss Alling had
learned his skill he could not imagine
possibly from Mrs. Earle. At any rate,
if he accepted this invitation, it would
give him an opportunity to become &C
quainted with the soprano-a thing he
earnestly desired; so he consented to do
as requested.
awe have our rehearsal this even
ing" observed Mr.. Thompson, after
thanking Philip for his kindness in COM
plying with the demand made upon his
services, sand, if you please, we will go
to the church, where the singers are
waiting, anxiously, doubt not, to learn
the success of my mission"
The two gentlemen at once went to
St. Marks, and, having been introduced
to the members OF the choir, Philip
seated himself at the organ to study the
"stops'a for moment, then ran his fin
gers lightly over the keys, thus showing
the perfectness of his touch, and causing
all to watch him wonderingly.
When the rehearsal had ended, Miss
Alling said:
"Last Sunday evening I heard you
sing Come unto Me- though you were
not aware that constituted one of your
small audience. think it would sound
grandly in this church. Are you willing
to sing it?"
elf you wish," and, after soft pre-
lude, he began.
While he sung, the silence of death
reigned throughout the building, and,
when he finished, there was not dry
eye in the church save his own.
81 thank you very much" said
Florence, in as firm a tone as she could
command.
$50 do t. came from all the others,
their voices tremulous, too.
Naturally, Philip offered to escort
Florence home, an offer that she ac-
cepted; and, bidding her ''good- might"
at her door, he felt that he was more
than repaid for having complied with MIR.
Thompson's request, in the formation of
an acquaintance with her under such ia
vorable auspices.
Thenceforward they were in each 9TH
er's company nearly every evening. She
came to Mrs. Earle's and they sung to-
gether, or he assisted her in overcoming
various defects which, of herself, she
never could have mastered, but which
his proficiency in music enabled him to
detect at once and as Immediately to
show her how to surmount. And his
assistance was proffered in such way
that he, rather than herself, seemed the
obliged party.
They were invited to all the social
gatherings, no soiree being considered
s'the thing unless these two. supplied
its musical features, and every one men
toned them in connection with each
other The gossips, over their tea, said,
swell, she has found a beau at last"
while the less sarcastic observed: "A
match between them would be NICE"
Of course, neither of those most inter-
ested in these remarks heard them. But
Philip, by degrees, came to have the
sincereSt regard for the ''little GIRL" as
he acquired habit of calling her; ''not
love-" he thought, when bordering upon
the matter. Absurd, indeed, would it
have been that he, a "wealthy, refined
gentleman" of twenty eight, should lose
his heart-heretofore intact-to ''mill
girl of sixteen or seventeen.
As for Florence, she was happier than
she had expected ever to be, and her
happiness reflected itself in her manner
and the expression of her countenance.
Her exact feeling with reference to Mr..
Vane she did not stop to analyze; pos
sibly she could not have done it had she
tried. She knew she had found a per-
son who appreciated her tastes as no