Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-01-20
NINA.
BY F. z. BURTON.

dieds of aesthetic bat thirsty listeners sat
at tables and slipped hear. They were rot
always as attentive to the music az George
could wish, for he was inspired by q truly
artistic feeling and his whole soul went
forth upon the garden air when he blew
the solo in ''Old Folks at Home" or filed
his less prominent part in Dancing in
the Barn. To his ardent temperament
it seemed as if ell the world should stand
still at divine mus;c's call, but he had
learned TO be content with tie heartfelt
applause Of the few who came more to lis
ten than to drink and gossip, and he blew
and blew again, forte. piano, staccato, with
a the various shades of tone and fealing
that Icy in the pDssibilitisJ of his nickel
plated instrument.
Bat there was special cause for Georges
most effective execution. As the weeks
passed he had become conscious of two
persons in the audience who came With
great reulariiy night after night. One Of
these was a rosy checked, plump, demnre
looking German girl. This was Nina.
but George didn't know it. He only knew
that PAIR Of fat little hands patted each
other gsily, and that particularly petty
mouth got bewitchiDgly mixed up with
some desp dimples whenever ne made Lis
bow ut the conclusion Of solo. The other
person was Minna's father. George sur.
missed as much, but be failed TO feel any
interest in him or inspiration from his
presence. 1t was for Minns he blew, and
it got 50 at last that he always looked for
her when he rose TO play, and if by some
mischance size was not present., he blew
with q pathetic melancholy that affected
the mora sensitive Of his hearers to tears
and made the Others go blue that the leader
of the orchestra reprimaudsd him for his
lack of life. Ii was getting to be serious
matter for George, when one evening as he
stepped TO the front he bowed directly at
little Miupa iastsad Of to the sudienca ct
large, as was his custom. She saw it; her
ewes twinkled, and she hid her rosy mouth
aud blushing cheeks in big beer mug
But she raised her eyes from the white
capped beverage and glanced at the extited
George over the rim Of the glass. There WAS
inspiration for you Ny! didn't the music
fairly rush in torrents from his cornell
He blew until the walters stood still in
wonder; the nosiest gOssipers became
quiet perforce; the very dust on the rafters
danced in ecstasy and came sitting, settling
down on the heads OF the entrsnced audi
ence. Applause is moi the name for the
demonstration called forth by Georges eff
fort. Encore after encore followed until the
musician could blow no more from very
WEAKNESS.
1t was q great triumph, and when it was
all over George ventured to look once again
at Minns. There she wac, radiant and
smiling, and smiling at him, too.
"By the bust of Mozirt," said George to
himself, as he turned to an imago that had
been once the color of bronze and was now
let black, 81 will know her."
No sooner had this ardent resolution
been formed than he bsgan to take much
greater interest in the person who always
sat with the little lady in the garden.
There must be no crooked work about
this" thought George, wisely and hOrora-
bly,. so he determined that the old gen
tleman should introduce him to his daugh-
ter. The difficulties of this task occurred
10 him and he shuddered, for he was not
yeIsed in the wiles of those young men
who make acqusintances as readily as they
breathe But his mind was made up and
he would lose no time. He would set
about it during the next intermis5ioD.
George was dumbfOunded. He could
not say word.
"Vy." continued the German, 'mOost
1? Vst for tink you dot play? Vat for
say you dot I MOST soma eenstrumsnt
play, YOU suppose, eh ?''
oh" said George at last, comprehend
ing the difficulty 81 did not mean to say
that you play any instrument; l meant to
ask do You play one"
"Ach, ach, " responded the German sat
isfied. He replaced the pipe in his mouth
whence it was taken to ALLOW for mis- longest
speech. looked again towards the ceiling,
and af er putting three times ehook his
head slowly and sadly. Tat was his
reply and the intermission was over.
George returned to his place very doubtful
whether be had made any progress, and
he Law awake till morning debating it.
The next evening Minna and her father
were in their places as usual. Mlnna
locked slyly at the anxious cornetist, and
when she saw he was staring directly at
her she turned away in apparent confusion.
OF course George was puzzled. WasAshe
displeased at his b Did efforts? o. was II
shrewd announcement to further trlalsF
What lover ever had trustworthy chart
of the expressions, facial or verbal, OF the
oirl who had shared him? The musician
determined not to be b3tH3d, and wnen
the intermission came ne went down aud
sought to renew his acquaintance with the
father. 1t was lot Sd difficult az On the
evening previous The taciturn smoSer
nodded TO him, and in the course OF ten
minutes said of least 80 many words'
Then ne alowly rose to his feet, and ed
dressing the maiden said:
"Komm', MinDa, wir muassen helm
gehen."
George knew enough about German by
bearssy to understand that his friends
were going to depart and that the yourg
lady's name was Minna. This he regarded
"a great progress but his heart almost
STONED beating when Minna turned
towards him as she walked away and ac-
knowledged his presence with nod ana q
smile.
That night George saw nothing bat Min
ma everywhere. A frescoed goddess OF
wisdom on the wall oil the garden became
Mime rather than Minerva; the names on
the signs of The streets that he saw on the
way home resolved Themselves into Nina
if they began with NJ; and in his dreams
the letters M.I-N-NA paraded before
him in sill the forms known to the printers
as we'll as in forms not classified; there
tIey were in capitals, italics, lower case,
old roman, long primer and scrip; Ms
dancing about on spiders legs, Ms with
fas GsTman faces; AS shapsd like beer
mugs with pretty face behind them; I9
like dainty fingers, piquant noses, and all
shifting and Transporting themselves TIL
TO the sleeper the whole world seemed q
maze of alp habets and smiles.
Forseyeral evenings after this George
.:-o5 t,;s ol a 70 With the biC German,