The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-15
Copyright by Robert Bonner's Sons.
CHAPTER III.
CONTINUED.


Mrs. Porter went out in the garden,
where sfather" was at work, and held
a short consultation with him. The
result of this conference was fore
gone conclusion, however, as father
always deferred to his wife's judgme mt
and wishes.
"You can tell him that he can come,
then" said Mrs. Porter, when she
came back to the house. "That is, ef
he feels as eff he could put up with our
way O. ivin'."
"Oh, know he won't mind that, "
said Mamie, delighted with her sue
cess. Then she put on her sun-bon-
net and ran home, never stopping for
a word with Dick, who had been lean
ing on the fence, waiting patiently for
the conference with Mrs. Porter to
end.
"I wonder what's the matter now?"
he thought, as he saw Mamie come
out of the gate and walk straight down
the road toward home, without so
much as looking in his direction.
"Something about the singing-school,
I suppose, or its teacher" he added,
with curling lip. ''It's strange how
girls will act, all on account of a hand
some face and smooth ways"
From which remark you will under
stand that Dick was beginning to get
Jealous of Mr.. Wayne.
"Won't it be nice?" Mamie said to
her mother, when she got home and
told the news. tHe'll be so near that
I can run over real often to have him
show me about anything that bothers
me. mean to practice all the spare
time I get, and get ahead of all the
other girls. I know shall like him
ever so much"
When Dick came to supper, Mrs.
Boone told him about Mrs. Porter's
new boarder. Mamie, for some rea-
son, didn't come into the kitchen as
she usually did when he washed his
face and combed his hair.
"Coming to Mrs. Porter's, is he?
Well, I can't say as care great deal
about having him for such near
neighbor. Samanthy and I didn't take
much of fancy to him."
Dick looked at Mamie as he said
this, but she pretended not to hear.
Dick knew that she did hear it, for all
that, for her cheeks got triae redder,
and she gave her head little toss that
told that she was not greatly pleased
at the remark.
ct s'pose we'll be favored with whole
slathers O. music, afore long" said Mr..
Boone, as they sat down to supper.
"This gal, here" pinching Nannie's
plump cheek, 'thinks she'll have the
whole grammit or whatever you call
it, at her tongues end in less'n q
week"
"Well, it will be frst-rate chance
for me to learn" said Mamie, as she
passed the butter to Dick. ''He'll be
80 near, you know. I can run over to
Aunt Porter's and ask him lots of ques-
tions when come to something I don't
just understand"
Too near, Dick thought, but he said
nothing.
They walked down to the school
house together that night, but the con-
yersation between them was not what
could be called very lively one. If
Mamie talked of anything, it had to be
either the singing-school or its teacher,
and Dick could notwax very enthusias-
tic on such topics, therefore he pre-
ferred to keep still and let her do the
talking.
Promptly at seven o'clock the session
began. Any one who has ever at
tended singing school in the country
knows what the usual routine of work
is: An explanation of the scale, with
it's letters, its fats and sharps, and
ever-changing keys, its do-re-me's and
fa-sol-la's, and then, for the beginner
benefit, little easy exercises which
are to the study of harmony what the
primer is to the reading-book with the
student in the district-school. Every
teacher of music begins with these
a-b-cs of the science, but not one in q
dozen succeeds in making his scholars
understand much about them. The
''fun" comes in when they get to sing.
ing "pieces." Most of the students
can catch the tune from hearing il
sung by the teacher, and singing real
tunes is much more satisfactory to the
scholar than drilling on dry exercises.
This school was like all others in this
respect After the rudiments had been
dwelt upon for an hour, Mr.. Wayne
said they would practice little on
some old tunes for recreation and
variety. Had any one any choice of 6
tune?
Deacon Snyder called for "Wind
ham," adding, as sort of postscript
"That is, eff the teacher is familiar
with it"
Yes, Mr.. Wayne was quite familiar
with that tune. They could try it
And soon the audience was making
the air doleful with the mournfu
strains of the tune the deacon hat
selected.
GA little more expression would i'm
prove it, I think" said Mr.. Wayne
"Let me sing verse as / think /
ought to be sung"
He did so amid the profound silence
of the class. He had a smooth, clea
voice, and he sang we'll and with du'
regard for the sentiment of the words
The old hymn took on new meanin!
under his rendering of it. The girl
were delighted with his way of singing
it, and the young men wished the,
could sing like that; but Deacol