The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-02-21
Stories of an Inland State.

II It had not been (as the old stories go)
for the pin in the piano it might not have
happened. The pin had slipped into the
great square rosewood instrument and was
rot to be discovered except when the player
struck G below middle c, when it danced
and tangled furiously.
Algernon Burr, the man nlusic-teacher,
had made several expeditions in among the
wire strings and felt hammers for this dis
cordant and garrulous little stranger, but
without rescuing him.
It was along well in the dreary afternoon,
and he ceased the search and looked out
upon the street below and the town which
desp;sed him so. He often wondered why
Surely these town-builders, these pushing
westerners had music in their souls some
where if il could only be reached. The
wl1istling loafer on the street corner with
his weird Improvisation certainly had lin
gering somewhere within the rudiments of
melody Then why should this good for
nothing loafer, along with the rest OF the
town, make up his mind irrevocabfy that
music as profession and as a pleasure
was only fit for women? Or was the anti
pathy to the piano alone? A man could play
a violin in the town and receive applause,
but piano-never.
These were progressive people, too, much
as they denounced men piano players. Why
was it then, that the Hungarian and Rus
sian peasants could appreciate classical
music and these fcilow-:ownsmen of Burr S
designated it, angry with hearing it, as
''rot?" No man can withstand pressure
OF public opinion. 1t is the greatest thing
n the world. A majority of the people OF
the town believed the acceptance of his vo-
cation by a masculine professional piano
instructor was confession of imbecility,
# not depreciation. The pressure of this
sentiment was So great that Algernon Burh
came to accept it as just. Had he not
loved music he would have become a gro
cery clerk, or a gardner. be he loved
the great passions which slumbered among
the shining strings of his piano, which he
could call forth, and rather than leave them
with their solace, he would accept the ver-
dict of inferiority from the town, confess
its business, and go on still as a man
music-teacher."
A man who Is under a community's heel.
as Burr was, exaggerates its sentiment
against him. Fear OF contempt and open
insolence brings a self-condemning diff
dence, which still further brutalizes the
community and encourages 1t in its taunts.
So Burr had been driven to covert and only
came out prowling, lurking and sneaking.
There was no doubt the community despis-
ed him for his calling, but defiance, on his
part, would have gained him admiration
from his enemies. But defiance with him
was unknown except in little starts of ner-
yous collapses.
He loved his pupil Clara Drew. Whether
she loved him or not he did not know. He
could only guess and base his conjectures
on the most indirect and vague evidence.
He felt that his love was pure and deep.
1t battled always TO be proclaimed, but he
denied il, denied it with Spartan rigor.
Sometimes he believed it had circumvent-
ed his vigilance, and, had whispered in the
voices of the music they played together
its eager suit. In the fierce passionate pas
sages of symphony, he fancied, what his
lips denied utterance, his fingers through
the keys revealed. He had seen the girl at
his side flush family at these moments.
Possibly only the exerton of playing, he
assured himself.
Still 1t was fear Of an unrequited af-
fection which held the itching declaration
back. Marriage to her was impossible for
him. Her parents would do anything to
prevent it. But then might ne not over
come their opposition? Possibly. But the
community? The agreement of the Drews
TO the marriage of their daughter with a
man music-teacher meant the birth Of an
insolent, unjust suspicion, which would
grow to a scandal and as a lie 1--we longer
in the community than If it were the truth.
The charge of seduction added TO the igno-
rlinty of music-teaching might mean lynch
ing.
Loves blindness, however, is partial. 1t
is blind to perils wholly. Burr guarded
himself closely. He did not suffer himself
to be long in Clara's presence without play
ing. There the music gave a vent to his
silenced affections which he feared he could
not otherwise restrain. When she came In
they played together and when they had
finished he invited some excuse to leave
tie room himself or In induce her to go.
Clara Drew came in with a happy face
as Burr sat looking out the window. He
talked to her a moment and seated himself
at the piano. Clara brushed the yellow
wisps of hair from her flushed cheek and
sat down beside him. They began to play.
The pin tangled on the third measure.
There's something horrible in there
she said.
II know it, said Burr I've been trying
to find it, but I can't. It's pin. 1t won't
bother us much"
But it will bother u.s." said the girl aris-
ing and taking a seat near the window.
He insisted. She resisted and would not
play. Then she said playfully:
''Mr. Burr, you want me TO go, don't
you?'
lie did not answer.
"Why?" she asked.
He stood beside her.
Because it is better" he said
There" she said. Il made you confess
you wanted lpe to go. Well, I won't go.
Do you know you are very strange, Mr..
Burr?''
II guess I am he said.
The young woman caught. in his tone,
the condemning Interpretation he had plac-
ed upon her words.
II don't mean that" said said warmly.
''Don't think that, please"
The girl touched his hand
The nlusic-teacher lost himself The eyes
of his discretion were dropping 10 sleep. He
placed his hand on her soft hair and let II
rest there. 1t was a moment OF bliss to
him. He spoke:
Clara he said. 81 love you"
His hand still rested on her head. She
did not move. He gazed down upon her.
He was battling heavily with himself. He
won over self. Then he went on, his eyes
resting as they were.
Il love you more than words can tell Oh
so much, so deeply. so sincerely
His voice was that OF a boy in recita-
ton remembering the words and not their