Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-23

IL.
M" directly over the
- IH rather narrow
thoroug h fare.
Whether the condition of the individual
purses belonging to these two had any
Thing to do with the extreme altitude of
their habitations, am not called upon
10 answer but would venture to guess
that it had.
These two, then, neighbors only in
name, chanced to remove their respec-
tive lares and penates to this particular
quarter of the city at about the same
+ time.
There was not much to remove. The
: I}8e room of Genevra Pierson was sparely
furnished, yet withal it wore certain
delightful air of comfort, almost incon-
ceivable under the circumstances. An
indehnable, artistic tone seemed to per-
wade the entire apartment, and the
articles Of furniture, though few in num-
Der, each possessed an individuality
charming to see.
Everything in the girls little home
meant something. That it was a home
could not be doubted.
over the way it was much the same.
Paul Wenderhoff had lived his bachelor
life so long that housekeeping came easy
to him.
pensive and beautiful, though modest in
the extreme. The chief feature of the
the room, the piano-an old-fashioned
square-he would have nothing to do
with uprights-seemed to lend on air OF
stately old-time refinement to the lesser
pieces of furniture. A leather-covered
easy-chair; q hammock strung artisti-
cally across one corner; picture or two
big, round table, Uttered with musical
Journals, current periodicals.. and great
stacks of sheet music; low bookcase,
| fllled to overfiowirg with shabby, invit-
y ing-looking volumes; parrot in it's cage
in the window. This constituted our
herO's domain.
One morning when Paul Wenderhon
had returned from giving lesson to q
tiresome little piece of tyranny, and was
exceedingly weary with the effort of
forcing music into child who hated the
sight of piano, for old associations
sake, doubtless, he stretched himself
lazily in the hammock for half hours
siesta.
Jezebel, the parrot, which rejoiced in
the euphonious Scriptural name, he no
ticed, seemed much interested in some
thing across the street.
He watched her indolently few min
utes, and laughed outright when she
suddenly put her head on one side, and
called "Hellop exactly as the average
boy proceeds TO make friends with an.
other boy.
Wenderhoff sat up in the hammock and
glanced across the street to the opposite
house
The object of JezebePs admiration
proved to be canary hung in its cage
in the open window, trying to pick up its
spirits and sing its little song In this
: strange, unpleasant quarter of strange,
Aunpteasant city.
Jezebel's sympathies We're evidently
enlisted, and she carried on cnergetically
her end of conversation, reminding one
of &telephone.
Wonderhoff lay back again and closed
his eyes, wondering who his now visa
Wis might be. A lady, he was sure, for
on the window-sill a single plant, bril-
liant, blossoming geranium made a
bright spot in the front of the high,
gloomy building.
at last sleep came to his eyes. 1t was
not long in coming these warm days, and
Jezebel kept up her unceasing chatter
unheeded.
A music-loving nature responds readily
to music. There seems to DO peculiar
sensitlveness to sound and harmony,
even when the soul for time is off its
gaard
1t was so with Wenderhoff.
He opened his eyes suddenly and list
ened intently.
Violin strains came from over the
street. Some one was playing; no anna
teur, surely.
The touch seemed skillful, mastery,
full of character and expression
The melody, soft, subdued, plantive,
came over to him in little waves of
sound
1t was tender little air, the accom-
paniment of which he had often played
for his own voice when alone. Not dill
cult and snowy, but full of pathos and
|smeaning.
The player played it as though she
loyed it. How odd il this were So when
it vas one of his favortes among the
simpler melodies
He lay and listened till the player
ceased, thought little, then rolled ont
of his hammock and sat down at the
piano.
How could his fingers help It'll They
played the self-same air, then few rich
chords, and then, in his clear baritone,
he sang the words Of the little song.
/ Paul Wenderhoff's voice was beginning
] to attract attention among certain few
10 whose musicales he was occasionally
i invited
La her room across the narrow street
the girl sat silent, her violin still in po-
sition, her eyes filled with surprise lis
tening
The same melody, the same key, and
I that voice-what vibration, what feeling,
what expression
She slipped the mute on her instru-
ment, and followed softly the melody,
keeping time with the voice across the
street.
Il All, what roseate little touch of ro-
nance this Her cheeks flushed pink,
sepd her brown eyes laughed as she lis
RtnASd ahd played her part of the duet.
/ - last 1t stopped, Neither player