The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-01-06
HIS DREAM.

very oppressive, although the window was
wide open. He went to the door and
opened it. A boy was coming up the stairs
and called to him, Are you the professorf"
Yes
"Then here's note, ;" and throwing it
on the table, he ran downstairs again, pre-
ferring the fresh air outside to the sugges-
tions of onions, ETC.. that were floating up
from the kitchen. The professor picked up
the note and opened it. 1t ran as follows:
DEAR SIR-Would it be convenient for you
to come and see me this morning at II o'clock
to arrange about music lessons for my
daughter Yours truly,
MARION H. HEwETT.
Fritz Dreifus ran his fingers through
his hair, already tinged with gray, and
murmured: ut is something. 1 will 60
I have heard of Frauleiu HeWett. It is
said she plays beautifully. Well, will
see. - He sat down at the piano and dashed
off q lively little waltz of his own compost
ton, then wrote a note to say he would
have much pleasure in waiting on Mrs.
HeWett at the hour she named.
The professor had not been many months
ct Westdean. He had a fair number of
pupils. He hoped to have more, and here
was a new one already. He felt more
light hearted than he had been for many
days When he arrived punctually at Wey-
lands, Mrs. Hewott' S house, he was shown
into her pretty, cool drawing room. She
was not there. So he sank into a comfort
able armchair and looked about him as he
waited. Flowers in picturesque vases
were everywhere, shedding their sweet
fragrance all over the room.
He was still admiring them when Mrs.
Hewett entered. She was a tall, good look
ing woman, her pretty gray hair was ar
ranged in thick coils round her head, her
hands were large and white, and her fin
gers were covered with rings, which
flashed and sparkled when she moved
them. After greeting one another they
arranged about the lessons.
When it was all settled, Fritz said: ST
should like to hear Fraulein Hewett play.
Is she at homer" Mrs. Hewett called her
at once
A tall, dark girl, very pretty and very
graceful, entered the room, and on hear
ing why she was wanted seated herself at
once at the piano and began. She played
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and one
of Chopin's waltzes. Then the professor
stopped her. His face was eager and his
tone excited. He had never heard such
playing-so beautiful, SO true.
" Fraulein, he said, II wish to hear
something of your own composition.
The girl blushed. Chow do you known"
she asked, striking few chords here and
there.
"You could not play like that and not
compose something - he replied. "Play. j"
She obeyed him, and after a few chords
began a strong minor prelude. CHOW
something else,' and Ahe complied. This
time it was dreamy waltz, carrying you
away with it as it rose and fell in its soft
cadences. The professor, sitting there, felt
as if in dream. The scent of the roses,
the cool breezes, and the faint, dreamy
music never left his memory. But the
a.
again.
Outwardly he was quite calm, but in
wardly he was all excitement He wanted
to be alone to think it all out, this won
derful playing that nobody knew of and
that he had found hidden away in this lit
tic country town. All, he would bring
her out in London. What a sensation
there would be- and perhaps just wee bit
of the fame would float his way, people
would notice him, and he would have pu-
pills to his hearts content, and when he
was quite rich he would
He was interrupted. ''WeIl?'' said the
girl at last.
"Ah, beg your pardon" he said 81
was thinking-yes, I like those pieces.
They are good. We will have our first les
son tomorrow, please, Fraulein, at the
same hour. -
Three months had passed and still the
professor went on with Miss Hewetts
music lessons, and still he dreamed his
dream. He would bring her out in Lon
don. She would be rich, but then very
soon he would be rich too, and then he
would go to her and say: "Fraulein, I
have loved you these many months. Let
US work together, dear, and love shall
make our music more perfect still, as our
lives GO on, till we come to the most per-
feet music of all, the music of heaven. -
Yes, it had come to this. The professor
one morning woke up to the fact that he
was deeply in love with Nancy Hewett.
He staid on, working, loving, hoping, and
SO the weeks passed. One morning they
wero seated as usual, the girl at the piano
and the professor in a chair at her side
They were deep in difficult passage of
new piece when the door opened and a
maid came in.
''Mr. Wentworth to see you, miss, she
said, raising her a voice little.
The girl stopped with little crash of
discordant notes that Jared upon the pro-
fessOr. She looked appealingly at him.
Co. he said shortly. Il will wait. -
Now, of all things, the professor disliked
to a music lesson, and his
pupils knew that well and were generally
careful not to have any, especially Frau
lein Hew EFT. He felt cross, therefore, at
this interruption, and as the minutes
flew he thought seriously of going in
search OF MS pupil, OUT voices at the door
arrested him.
''Don't forget, darling, - said a pleasant,
manly voice, E'this afternoon at 800"
"Oh, Frank, - said voice that the pro-
fessor recognized as Nancy's, "of course
shan t forget! Now, be a good boy and let
me 60"
'Just one kiss, pleaded the other.
There was a soft little sound; then the
door flew open, and Nancy came back to
her seat. The professor looked at her as
she passed, and she blushed very prettily.
81 am sorry 1 kept you waiting SO
long" she said gently. 'What is the mat
ter, professor? Are you iIl?'
NO. he said; "it's the heat, 1 think.
Fraulein, must stop our music lesson for