, 1898-11-10
10 added hastily. land l don't mean to.

ne added hastily, land ! don't mean to.
/ was just going to make a suggestion -
She was looking at him with such in
ter es, and attention that poor Wilson
could hardly continue, but he succeeded.
I'D like to give you a lesson or two.
You see, Miss Hapgooi. if your playing
took the form of regular practice in
stead of-er-what you were doing this
morning l think I could stand it, and l
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.
II don't play so very well myself"
continued Wilson, "but ] could teach
you the elements, and after u time you
would be able to pick ont tunes with
Observation-Disclosures Ter your
SELF"
81 should like to learn" admitted
Lucy, looking up with a most engaging
smile, ''aDd if you will give me lessons
l can manage my practioing SO that you
will not be disturbed. There's a piano
in the church vestry that | can use all
I want to, and / car practice there
"Finer' exclaimed Wilson, and so
rejoiced was he at the promising Sue
cess Of his experiment that he suggested
a first lesson forthwith. Lucy hesitated,
but eventually put aside her buster.
hunted up an old instruction book and
sat at the piano beside Wilson, listen
ing with docile attention to his remarks
about do, ra, 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
put down a single satisfactory sentence.
Well, such was the beginning. There
was a daily lesson for two weeks, much
to Mrs. H%apgood'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 r~eticent and almost freakish. One
day she jumped up suddenly. her face
scarlet, and bounded out of the room,
declaring that she vas done with it all,
and that she would never touch a piano
again as long as she lived.
Wilson's heart was in a 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 Eyes" 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 i'll b 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-
Ilcut the tAptessiuH VI HeI WeuitH u
woe. Presently she stopped in the mid
die Of II passage, put her face in her
hands and moaned, "Oh, l am so
ashamedi'
but, Lucy" said Wilson, tenderly,
as he carossed her hair, Il love you.
dear!'
Then she stood up, reached out her
arms helplessly, and their lips met.
II couldn't help it. Arthur" she
said, a little later, "when l saw that
you mistook Molly's ignorant pounding
for mine, | meant to have a little fun
with you, that was all. Mamma scolded,
but l wouldn't stop. l am afraid you
think l haven't any principle at ALL"
O the contrary, dearest, answered
Wilson, 81 knew that you were impelled
and guided by the principle of love. 1t
reminds me of the professor in college
in whose hands m experiment went all
to smash. Gentlemen said he to the
laughing students, the experiment has
failed, but the principle remains the
same. "-Chioago News.