The San Francisco call., 1898-02-19

| fort
 ] 's, As he boarded a car he saw Dobson l sail by in hack, and heard a shout
 Were on his track"-as the horse
 clattered on.
 When he reached the concert hall
 his face had settled into deep lines of | disgust and weariness. He was on | time, this time, and he sat dreariIy | through the programme, listening to a
 sounding cataract of symphonies and l fugueS and concertos, one so like the l other to his ears that the ''Shouter's" ] musical critic. ceased to consult his | programme, and lay back and longed 1 for death.
 l As the evening wore on, once more 1 Germaine took up the unintelligible | card that had been of so little use to
 him. At>the end he caught name that | interested him. Gorgioni's Polonaise. | At least, he should hear again that beautiful melody.
 l Patiently he waited, now, and at last | the number was reached. Germaine I breathed blissful sigh of anticipation.
 But the heavenly strains he longed | for came not Instead, confused | cackle of sound came from the pianist S | fingers, an intricately classical, unintel- | ligible tumble of notes, with odd ac- centuation, meaningless pauses, and, to | poor Germaine, utterly destitute of | plan or harmony.
 ..The beast!" Germaine muttered. He could have thrashed the great 1 Rizzoforte for changing his pro- l gramme In deep disgust, as soon as | he could, he made his way to the door. | He turned here, maliciously pleased to note that the pianist's last number had 1 not been we'll received. People were l evidently unfamiliar with this horrible l thing They knew not the end hao | come till Rizzoforte left the piano ana
 walked from the stage. Then they
 burst into ashamed, belated applause. | Germaine grinned sardOnically. But, in response to the prolonged hahd- l clapping, the pianist returned. l In Germaines perturbed mind con- l fusion of subdued oaths rumbled. But as his ear caught the first strains from the piano his face changed wonderfully. He had made mistake, of course; had l confused the second movement or some such technicality of piece with the next number, or Something-lt dldn [ matter what. For now all was Dl1Ss | again, and Germaine leaned back and listened and joyed in melody. An, 1f he'd always play things like that one might spend the night listening!
 Germaine left the hall and started downtown. Despite his shrinking dis taste at writing up the concert, a sort of laissez-aller had taken possession of him. The lulling charm of that ex- quisite polonaise had once again taken possession of him; it's rolling sweetness
 was a sort of buffer which stood be- tween his drugged nerves and anything in the outer world which might have irritated them.
 He sat down and wrote, finding, to his surprise, that it was easier this time. As his pencil spun it's way along ! sort of sardonic triumph lit up the critics face. It sounded like good stuff, ! after all though only heaven and Ger maine could fathom that critics ig- norance of his topic. AS he read 1t over he discovered that 1t was mainly Gorgionfs polonaise over again, but even this did not much perturb him.
 When Germaine came into the office
 early the next afternoon he was told that Boggs wanted him.
 In the city editors office he was in- troduced to Algernon Johnson, the
 great RiZzoforte's press agent. For a
 moment an awful fear of detection came over Germaine, but a glance at
 Boggs' face-that Boggs, who never yet had failed to stand by his men brought confidence.
 MT. Algernon Johnson had called to thank MT. Germaine, personally He
 was amazed, yes, amazed to find in this far western city a critic so appre- ciative, so superior, so discerning, so delightfully."- aware of what was best in music. Rizzoforte himself, who never read his papers. had remarked upon the strangeness of the "Shouter's" critic being so enthusiastic over Cor gioni's polonaise, composition which is so far above the comprehension of the mere dilettante that few. audiences can really enjoy it. Yet this marvellous polonaise was so great favorite with the great Rizzoforte, and he, himself, was so thorough an artist that-occa- sionaIly against his managers advice it must be admitted, here in confidence, of course-he insisted upon it's being placed upon almost every programme, that its repetition might finally edu- cate the ignorant masses up to appre- citation of it's beauties. MT. Johnson in conclusion. had only to congratulate the "Shouter' upon it's good fortune in possessing so eminent critic, and to assure MT. Germaine of his profound esteem and his entire willingness to be of service to him at any time.
 Boggs burst into roar Of laughter as the door closed upon the agent
 "Your face, man. he explained to the mystified Germaine.
 Well" the critic answered slowly, T am puzzled"
 What's this thing he talks so much about? Did you really enjoy 1t! who gave you the tip to boom What's-his- names polonaise? Whats polonaise, anyway? I thought it was something women wore. Say, old man. after this you're booked, you know. No more ex- cuses You'll just take charge of the music-I'n make it all right with the business office. You'll expect a good salary, being so eminent, you know. Oh, never mind your modesty. Just keep track of concerts and things your self. I'm glad to wash my hands of the stuff. It's always been nuisance"
 Having had musical greatness thrust upon him, there was nothing left for Germaine but to live up to his role. By degrees he became expert in writing musical criticism. Tn time he grew ut terly shameless in his pretense to criti- cal virtuosity and became an authority whom none questioned. He never men toned Rizzoforte's name without ring ing in heartfelt bit about Gorgioni's Polonaise, and when the great pianist left town he sent the Shouter's critic a Burne- Jones portrait of himself, in the corner of which he had writtensthe first few bars of the beloved Polonaise, above his signature.
 A copy of this portrait was printed in the ShOuter The Pacific Lyre made