Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-11-24

rush and noise of business there carne
the sound of music from the Auditor
ium, across the way. Some one was
practicing vocal lesson. In an instant
one pen in the Office stopped travelling
The pretty face of the young girl next
to the ambitious fellow on the stool
was turned wistfully and dreamily
toward the window. She rested the
end of the penholder against her lips as
she listened, absorbed, following the
voice in its wanderings among the
trills. "She Jtdtted there" Unconscious
ly the girl spoke aloud.
II beg pawdon, did you speak to me,
Miss Quivey?"
mo, oh, mol was just thinking
aloud, )" replied the musical voice. Then
she bent again to the work before her.
''Thinkingi' Mr.. Groovelet-the ma
chine-looked at her in a puzzled, com
miserating sort of way, as he carefully
dipped his red penholder into the red
ink and returned to his figuring
At last the clocks long finger pointed
downward to six and the short finger
hurried along and posed between the V
and VI. The scene changed. Down
went the pens! The clicking of the
typewriters ceased. Machinery and ma
chimes all stopped.
Quietly, Miss Quivey walked into the
ladies toilet room, where the group OF
stenographers were noisily talking
''shop''-wondering who would get the
next raise" and if Ibis royal nibs'
would give them ''vacashe."
Ont and away from it all walked the
young girl. humming as she hurried
down the street to the doorway marked
Entrance to the Elevated" Up the
stairs she ran, running a scale at the
same time in low, sweet undertone,
each step tone to her music-loving
fancy. She was soon in the train. On,
on, on whizzed the elevated, down
alleys and past the back windows OF
houses of all sorts and conditions. On,
on to where 1T was stiller and rents
were cheaper.
At last our pretty little music-box
left the elevated and walking quickly
down a street, was soon climbing more
stairs in fiat" building. Up, up she
went, not humming now, but going
softly down the hall and into a room at
the end.
Margaret Quivey was Scotch-I Irish
American. Born of musical family on
both sides. small wonder that her soul
vibrated to all melody. Her mother
had sung always. it seemed to Margaret,
with the ease of bird. The father had
been an organist in their home town
and musical composer. He had rec
ognized Margaret's gift and always
called her his little music-box. He died
without the means to show his precious
little music-box how to use her gift.
After the fathers death, Margaret
and the mother turned their faces to-
ward Chicago.
The mother gave piano lessons at the
conservatory, but overwork caused
Margaret's duty to care for the mother.
They struggled on together. One of
the professors at the cons ervatory had
heard Margaret sing an said: go to
Costello, the tenor"
So Margaret went daily to the office
to help her on her way to Costello
How she struggled! How much the
lessons of all sorts cost heri A wealthy
colored family lived some blocks away
Margaret gave their little boy singing
lessons in the early mornings before
she went to the Office.
She practiced nights. her mother
playing her accomplishments.
Lately an advertisement had appeared
in one of the leading dailies want
ed: A position as soloist in church
choir; a soprano voice sweet and sym
pathetic"
Margarets teacher told her she had
climbed to the point where she was
worth twenty-five dollars a Sunday, 50
he had written the advertisement for
her. Day after day passed and no an
swer came.
The night on which Margaret had
come back from the days weary grind
at the Office, her mother held up let
ter with a smile, saying: Perhaps it is
good news, daughter, for it looks like
Ferdinand Costello's writing.
1t was good news, for it said:
Come to my rooms at Your lunch
hour tomorrow and sing for rev j. {.
Gilbert and the musical committee Of
his church. If you suit hem, the po-
sition Of soloist in their choir win BE
yours. remain, Yours respectfully.
''FERDiNAND COSTELLO.
She went. The pastor was music
lover and music connoisseur. She SANG.
The last sweet sound died away, and
there was a stiffness in 4 Groom broken
at last by the low-tone voices Of the
committee and the pastor
It seemed an age to the ambitious
little singer leaning against the piano
before the minister took her hand ia his
and said: