Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1898-12-10
FRosTBURG, Md, SATURDAY. DECEMBER 10. 1898.
stand that kind of music right along,

don I yOu know.
81 felt sure of it," she answered,
with equal frankness. "It shall not hap
pen again, Mr.. Wilson"
But should hate to deprive you of
the pleasure of playing the instrument.
he added hastily, land don't mean to.
was just going to make suggestion. "
She was looking at him with such in
terest and attention that poor Wilson
could hardly continue, but he succeeded.
"Id like to give you lesson or two.
You see, Miss Hapgooi, if your playing
took the form of regular practice i'll
stead of-er-what you were doing this
morning / think | could stand it, and |
never feel in the least disturbed when
-er-the performance is fairly cor
rect.
Lucy turned her gaze to the floor,
and her glorious color heightened
81 don't play so very we'll myself"
continued Wilson, "but | could teach
you the elements, and after time you
would be able to pick out tunes with
more-er--satisfa to-er your
self"
81 should like to learn admitted
Lucy, looking up with a most engaging
smile, land if you will give me lessons
can manage my practicin2 so that you
will not be disturbed There's piano
in the church vestry that | can use all
want to- and can practice there.
"Finen exclaimed Wilson, and so
rejoiced was he at the promising sue
cess of his experiment that he suggested
first lesson forthwith. Lucy hesitated
but eventually put aside her duster.
hunted up an old instruction book and
sat at the piano beside Wilson, listen
ing with docile attention to his remarks
about do, ia, me, the names of the
keys and the lingering of the scale He
showed her how to hold her hand, find
ing it necessary, of course, to place her
fingers in position with his own, an
operation that so bewildered him that
wnen he went to his writing he couldn't t
put down "a single satisfactory sentence.
Well, such was the beginning. There
was daily lesson for two weeks, much
to Mrs. Hapgood's amazement and ap-
parent objection. though she said moth
ing and much to the further disorder
of Wilson's mind. Lucy evidently prac-
ticed long and we'll, for she improved
remarkably, and she continued to be
docile until toward the last, when Will
son observed that she was uncomfort-
ably reticent and almost freakish One
day she jumped up suddenly, her face
scarlet, and bounded out of the room,
declaring that she was done with it all,
and that she would never touch piano
again as long as she lived.
Wilson s heart was in tumult He
had learned days before this what was
the matter and the prospect of losing
those sweet hours at the piano was in
tolerable He followed her, found her
struggling against tears in the dining
room, and, going straight to her, he
told his story Lucy listened with an
expression of unutterable anguish, tried
to say 'Y es, " and "No," at the same
time and at length broke away from
his tentative embrace and fled back to
the parlor.
For one painful moment Wilson re-
manned where he was Then upon his
astonished ears came the sounds of that
most beautifully melancholy nocturne
of Chopin's the one in major, and
played, it seemed, with more perfection
of technique and feeling than he ever
heard it. He tiptoed his way into the
parlor and listened there, while he
watched Lucy wiring from the iustru-
ment the expression of her wealth of
woe. Presently she stopped in the mid
die of passage, put her face in her
hands and moaned, "Oh, | am so
ashamed''
But, Lucy" said Wilson, tenderly,
as he caressed her hair, II love you
dear!''
Then she stood up, reached out her
arms helplessly, and their lips met.
81 couldn't help it, Arthur" she
said, little later, "when l saw that
you mistook Mollys ignorant pounding
for mine, meant to have little fun
with you, that was all Mamma scolded,
but wouldn't stop. am afraid you
think l haven't any principle at all. "
"On the contrary, dearest, answered
Wilson, 81 knew that you We're impelled
and guided by the principle of love. 1t
reminds me of the professor in college
i'll whose hands an experiment went all
to smash. Gentlemen, said he to the
laughing students, the experiment has
failed, but the principle remains the
same. "-Chicago News