The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-03-18
The PRIZE IN MUSIC.

er: Leon rliGht not get the prize,
There were tlIcc other competitors be-
sides Anthony himself; but the chances
were I'LL in Icons favor.
Anthony began the ~oft-repeatcd plo.
cess of looking owe: his mlsic, not yet
decided as to which G}ccng his old
solos he should play at tic GIe}t con
cert, While again balancing III his
mind the laerits of two compositions.
between which his decision wavcred,
there was a EnocH 1T the deer. and in
answer to his sh1nlcd invitation to
come i'll, Roy Ninot, ol crcd tic door
ard poked his head in bciurc entering.
perhaps / can stand il if you're
only looking st tie music and not play
ing he said, cS lie prshcd The docl
wider and came in. Anthony tossed
the music over on th" table with Just Il
show of veXation in his manner. I'm
tired enough of it Ia be glad you've
come. what's the use in trying for
that miserable priza. when we all know
that Leon will set it? | don't call it a
fair show FOX the rest of us. We have
something else to do, and cant be prac-
ticing ali the time, as lao is"
You haven't heard about his violin,
have you:'
"No-unless YOU mean that old story
about his singing il tc Sleep
Roy laughed, not at the story, but at
tho startled questioning Gu A~ntl0ny's-
face.
Il AIN afraid he WI cry it to sic p to.
night, and himself, too, This afternoon
he broke a hole in tn back of it, ana
YOU can hardly cnll it Il violin any
longer. He wants tc give zip entering
the contest, but Manilcl won't hear OF
it. The rest Of Us have good viOtils,
and it will be our fault if some one Of
us does not win the prize"
After all, that's arGly Fair" said
Anthony, a Sudden sympathy for his
rival springing to life in his heart.
1T simply gives rs an eve chance
with him." said Roy. THE disadvant-
ages have been ours SO far; but now
he's getting his share. That's all there
is to it,"
That night Anthony could not escape
the remembrance that he had another
violin which he was not using stored
away in the little closet adjoining his
sleeping room There was no reason
at all why he should not let Leon have
it until after the concert, save that by
doing so he would be increasing his
rivals chances for the prize. Leon
could not afford to get a new violin.
He knew that well enough, and of
what use would the old one be with Il
hole punched in it's back? OF course,
Leon deserved the prize, Just as Roy,
of right. had the honor Of being cap
tain of the ball club. Still, it was none
of his affair il he broke his violin. 1t
was not a thing for which he should
make reparation, and why should he
trouble himself about one who had al
ready repulsed his kindness, OF. at
least, had invited it? He would
be quite Sure of the prize himself if
but Anthony could not bring himself to
think of being n party to Leon'S fail
IRE. The old viclin in the closet
seemed to send out Il lament beca use
the music in it's heart had been so long
unvoiced. He could fancy that the
spirits of those who in l%ong-gone days
had played in its moving tones tho
JOYS and sorrows of q vanished time.
And then-but Anthony could not think
of it any moro. He turned his thoughts
rCsolutely to his next days Virgil read
ing, a topic stimulating his fancy so
slightly that he Soon forgot it all in
sleep.
1t was three DAYS later when Antho-
ny went into Prof. Mandel's room. be.
fore the latter had finished the lesson
he was giving Leon. Both teacher and
! pupil were aggravated by the dull
tones of the cracked violin, and at last
Mandel handed Lem his own instru.
ment, upon which no pupil had never
before been permitted to play. An
thoDy sat down and listened for the
remainder OF the lesson hour. At first
his heart sank within him. He could
not so much as dream of being able TO
, play like that. Then gradually The
music camc over him with all its pow
or. lie wondered how so slight a form.
so bin and cthcreali2e & face, should
have for it's soul so much strength and
mastery. Directly he forgot to think
about This, ard by the time Leon had
finished he knew what he should do.
The shy boy hardly understood him
when he told him that he had an old
violin Of good quality, to j use Of
which he was welcome for the rest Of
the term; but Anthony himself played
better that afternoon than he had for
weeks,
Anthony did not enter the contest for
the prize. His father would be diSlp-
polltttr he hHFN BIl lt ldu IDl Tue
heart to bring his fumbling with the
bow into comparison with Icons mas
tory Of his instrument. Roy laughed at
him, and wen upbraided lin a little
for lending his violin, but Roy's laugh
ter and upbraiding were alike harm
less.
Blu after the :0ntCct. When the prize
had been awarded. Lcon's mother came
to him without an Introduction.
I do not know how t. thank YOU"
she said, AMI her voiCe was not SO
steady as il might have been. Giving
Leon the violin was moro 10 him than
The prize"
Afterward, when lhcy had gone to
his rUom together. Anthony told his
father why he had net played, and
With whose instrument it WAS that
Leon had His father seemed to
lac thinking Of ether things. only nod
d'n% his bead slowly Ia show shat he
was listening. Tli"n, 1T the conclusion,
ne spoke as if from II distance, his eyes
looking into II time Of which Anthony
lUvW not.
Tour uncle used Ia play ihnt same
Fantasia on the Old violin years AGO.
when we were boys together. | can
500 him dropping lis lead over tho
| strings now. He used 10 lingpr over
thar ulaGio until il seemed Ike ntpltinG
tones were melting Voices calling. and
oven the aTdaLt"'S p?m OF HUn.an long
in. barely seemed to bring him back
Il, oo,ib If il no Nrpplrr tina CHl1,.