Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-09-19
A DIMINISHED SEVENTH.
BY EUGENE L. WOOD.

long crucihXion. Crippled and de-
formed, there stretched behind her
record of suffering; before her the
prospect of greater torture still Ma
ture had used her cruelty, for while
her puny and misshapen frame i'll
spired ridicule, or, at best shuddering
pity, she had been lowered with
capacity for affection that burnt itself
into fercer intensity waiting the love
that never came. Misunderstood. she
had gradually retreated into a little
world of her own, with nothing TO love.
Nothing? There was her violin, but
that could hardly be considered apart
from Ida's own individuality. 1t was
her violin that expressed more elo-
quently than herself could ever have
done the loneliness and the loveless-
ness of her life.
at speaks for me-" she once con-
fessed to the old doctor, who under
stood her better than anyone else.
What other people feel they can eX-
plain in words; but seem to have no
power of expression except through my
violin"
DIR. Marshall was silent for a mo-
ment; then he asked presently: "Did
you ever hear my boy Austin play?'
Ida shook her head. She had he ard
no one. Her morbid consciousness Of
infrinities prevented her from attend
ing any public concert, and Austin
Marshall, as she well knew, was n pro-
fessional vio linist of repute.
''You ought TO hear him. They tell
me his execution Is remarkably good
and, besides, geniuses like you two
ought TO know each other. I'll tell
you what I'll do" he added kindly;
"Ill bring HIM round one evening to
see you, il you like, when he isn't
busy"
Not many days elapsed ere the doc
tor kept his promise, and Austin Mar
shell, tall and strong, held the small,
wasted hand Of the diminutive musi-
clan, and wondered the while how the
perfect soul his father had described
had managed TO find itself In that mis-
shapen little body. And later on,
when Ida had completely astounded
him with her rendering of Dvorak's
"Romance"-wild, intense and heart
breaking-he told himself that such
thing was monstrous. Here was an
untutored genius, beside whom him
self would pale into comparative insig
nifcance, doomed by nature TO perpet-
ual solitude while, Orpheus-like, she
ought by her music to charm into life
the rocks and trees.
You want some lessons TO correct "A
few technical errors" he said at last,
"and then you ought TO be able TO hold
h.1
with the best Of them. II / could be-
lieve in the transmigration OF souls,
would swear the lost soul Of some re-
pentant sinner Is Imprisoned in your
violin"
lie spoke with the generous enthusi-
asm Of genius, mere talent Is sparing
OF praise and begrudges success
~ can never play In public" she an
swered, briefly, with painful flush
that testified TO her sensitive rccogni-
tion OF physical defects.
"Ida on public platforml Why they'd
never see herr interpolated jovial
elder brother with the brutal candor
admiring friends had some times mis-
taken for frank geniality. owe call
her the Diminished Seventh" " he added,
with conscious smile thnt betra yed
the originator OF tile questionable
pleasantly
Poor Diminished Seventh She
WINGED as from blow, and Austin,
with the intention Of covering her con
fusion, observed with ready tact:
81 suppose becauRc the minor har-
monies are most perfect and least un-
derstood."
That evening was but the forerunner
OF many similar. Scarce day passed
without Austin Marshall contrlving 10
spend some time with the deformed
IN usician. And as the days lapsed into
weeks, and the weeks into months, IL
was noted that when Ida played alone
her airs were moro roman tic than be-
fore. And even her unmusical family
became infected with their gaycty; her
mother (who frequently alleged she
could enjoy good music as much as
anyone-if she could only get IT. was
chcercd TO the verge Of joyful antlclpa-
tion. For who knew that Ida might
not attain the supreme height OF In
spring dance-music, such as her
mother loved, and abandon forever
those ghoulish walls she said were
classical
But when the old doctor noticed tho
change he shook his head IN apprchon-
sion, while tears Of pity filed his eyes.
Ills profebBion had trained him 20 read
the longings OF the heart as well as the
inhrmitics ofthe tenement IL Inhabited,
and II all he thought and dreaded
were true Had things been differ
cntl II Ida had not been distinctly
isolated by nature from the nweetost
gifts that life can hold
And one evening came the crisis the
good doctor feared.
III nhall miss all this dreadfully when
I'm away" Austin said as he turned
over II pile OF music for II particular
duet. "Pm going north In day or
two, you know-dtdn't tell you2" ho
added, answering tho unBpoken qucs-
tion.
Next autumn, whom | am back
again" hc said. presently, feeling
vaguely that something was wrong,
"wc shall have some more pleasant
evenings together, hope"
Ida spaltc not For a momont sho
was conscious Of naught save n terri
bic sense OF absolute despair and GU
rious buzzlnR In her head like tho re-
| peatcd twangiug OF the q atrinR.
| Going away--and until the autumnl
| Why, by that time sho might DO dead
and buried. She looked round vacant.
ly, M ono Rropea blindly in tho dark
for some familiar object She tried To
epealf, but tho words refused TO come.
Something like Il dry sob robe and wnn
Btrnnglcd In her throat Then, with
out single word, hhe took up hcr
bow again and drew IL noftly across
the vibrating btrinRa Austin looked
up In momcntary surprise. Then lac
bat spellbound while hhe played the
weird Romance" OF Svcndbens, once
heard, never forgotten.
He had heard IL played by more than
one finished musician; but this WAS u
deBpairlng cry Of lusty bwimmcr
falling close % shore, or the wall Of n
lont soul striving 10 escape from the
Bea OF torture and driven by II host
OF fallen angels. In those strains hc
read her heart plainly, hn though
Bpecch had passed between them; hG
knew the bittcrncsB OF her lifoi hs
bhv the vista gray and barren before
her, and when tho last notes died
away he learnt In brief glance from
Ida'b cycs all the strange dlBcOrds had
not confeABcd.
| II wns but for nm instant. For iu