The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-05

Gretchen blushed, stammered, then
sweet, clear, He freely expressed his
qualification, Wonderful Excellent
Force sweetness expression You
read music right off,"
TWAS u surleit OF praise to Gretchen,
Carl unConsCiously rubbed his hands
and looked pleased.
Here's my card, the visitor said,
Gretchen took the card upon II was
written, in bold hand;
PROF. ADoLPH KRONER.
She knew him by reputation. Praise
from him was worth something. Her
large, soft eyes rested on his face with
absorbed interest.
II want you to sing In my new Opera
of the Peri" he said, In an insinuating,
half'pleadlng tone. lyon are little too
stout for LaIla Lutinc, the Peri, but that
doesn't matter. Ah-your voice! twill
bring you fortune"
That was just what Carl had pre-
dicted.
"You will sing I.alla LutineP" Adolph
Kroner asked, "You will sing the SO.
prano2 you will come to the conserya-
tory and praCtice?"
Gretchen hesitated, and looked charm.
ing, In her confusion.
Twill compensate you. 1t will be the
stepping stone TO fame.
why, ofcourse you accept" whisper
cd Carl.
The matter was soon satisfactorily ar.
ranged. Gretchen studied her part, and
sang the leading soprano in the Opera
OF tho Peri before audiences. She was
much applauded and was highly COM
mended by the newspapers.
Carl heard her and was delighted; he
was proud Of her achievements; he
talked almost constantly OF her
rich attire, and the manner in
which 1t had softened the sturdy char.
acter OF her beauty: he clipped the no.
tices from the plpers, and read and
re.read them until he knew them by
heart.
But all this wasn't helping him any.
II lie really had genius, there was no
one to tell him so. Gretchen sang often,
and was well paid. She bought him
new canvas and fresh paints, and made
life comfortable to him in many res
poets.
One day another visitor called. His
business was with Carl, and not with
Gretchen. He asked to see the little pic.
ture with the tower, the tumble-down
old mill, tho rustic bridge, and the
round white moon. Who had told him
about itp Gretchen? NO-but Prof.
Adolph Kroner.
Carl placed the picture on the easel.
The visitor critically examined it. The
odd way otputting on the cOlors held his
lis Crudeness pleased him; its
bold, otE-hand dashinesS constituted its
charm.
"You are IN artist" Carl asked.
"Well, Hope so" the visitor said,with
u iaint smile. my name is Jacob
Decker"
"0hl" calculated Carl, his face bright
ening, for the visitor was u prominent
Berlin painter. SIS it good picturc?"
"You have genius" was the answer.
Remarkable genius, for you are but
boy. There is something pleasingly
original in your way Of using the colers:
What else have you to show me?"
Carl placed another painting upon the
easel.
"Ah-the effect in that Is g6odp OK.
claimed the painter. "Thestyle Of color
ing Is the same"
It was a scene In a Flemish market.
"You have genius" the painter said
again, with much earnestness.
Carl was trembling with pleased ex.
citement.
"It / had a tcacher" he said, visit
fully.
day, II you care to-" Jacob Decker said.
"As a pupilH"
"Yes."
20, thank you'll" cried Carl, swiftly
bringing his hands together.
He proved an apt pupil heprogressed
finely; he did not attain especial dis
tinction, but he accumulated compe-
tenCy.
He painted one picture with which he
would never part. 1t was Gretchen us
she had appeared as LILA Lutine, in
Adolph Kromer's Opera OF the Peri.
"Gretchen," he would sometimes say,
show oddly 1t all came about Suppose
you had not been singing, when the
Professor passed. the window. He would
not have been attracted by your voice;
he would not have entered he would
not have seen the landscape, and could
not have mentioned It to Herr Decker.
YOU see, owe allmy success to you, my
dear sister"
"No, Carl, not to me-" Gretchen hum.
ITO whom2" asked Carl, ilinging up
his head.
ITO God" she answered, with a rev.
crential look. "He gave me my musical
"Yes, accepted Carl, his eyes growing
darker. ".And He so ovOrrtiled 1t that
the Professor passed the house Just while
you were singing"