The times., 1899-04-09
HU MP HR E US


one of the chairs a man rose slowly from
seat under the platform. 1t was the strang
er. He nodded jauntily at us.
Good thing you come he announced
cheerfully. Il don't know how long I could
stand that girl. l guess she's related to
the other, and he shambled up the steps.
His unsteady walk his shaking hand as he
clumsily pushed the chairs out of the way.
told their disagreeable story. He walked
straight up to the girl, and looking be-
yond her, said Excuse me, miss. but I'm
goin' to play little for some friends O.
mine, an III have to ask you to quit for
a while The girl looked undecidely from
him to us, but we had nothing to say.
Come, come" he added impatiently, you
can bang all you want in few minutes,
with nobody to disturb YOU JUS now Inn
going to do my own turn
His assurance was so perfect. his inten-
tion to command obedience so evident, that
the child got up and went slowly down the
stairs, more curious than angry. The man
swept the music from the rack, and lifted
the top Of the piano to its full height. Then
with an impatient twitch he spun the mu-
sic-stooI a few inches lower, and pulled it
out. The Nice Boy leaned over to me.
THE preparations are imposing, any
| how he whispered. But / did not laugh.
l felt nervous. To be disappointed again
would be too crueli | watched the soiied,
uutidy figure collapse on to the stool Then
| shut my eyes, to hear without prejudice
of sight the opening triple-octaye scale of
| the professional pianist. For with such as
| surance as he showed he should at least
| be able to play the scales.
| The hall seemed so large and dim. | was
so alone-I was glad of the Nice Boy Sup
| pose it should all be a horrible plot, and
| the tramp should rush down with re-
volver? Suppose-aTd then 1 stopped
| thinking For from faraway somewhere
came the softest, sweetest song A woman
| was singing Nearer and nearer she came.
over the hills. in the lovely, early morning:
louder and louder she sang-and it was the
| Spring Song!" Now she was with us
| young, clear eyed, happy. bursting into de-
| licious flights of laughter between the bars
Her eyes, | know. were gray. She did not
| run nor leap-she cane steadily on, with
| swift, strong, swaying, lifting motion. She
| was all odorous of the morning, all vocal
with the spring. Her voice laughed even
| while she sang, Iandidhe perfect, smooth
succession of the separate sounds was un-
like any effect have ever heard Now
| she passed-she was gone by. Softer,
fainter, ah, she WAS gone? No; she
turned her head. tossed US flowers, and
sang again, turned, and singing left US
One moment of sofrheehe~-and dthen lit was
still. N -5-
/ breathed-for the first time since 1
heard her | thought. l opened my eyes.
1t was all black before them. they had been
closed so long. did not dare look at the
Nice Boy There was absolutely nothing
for him to say. but / was afraid he would
try TO say il. He was staring at the plat
FORM His mouth was open, his eyes very
large. Without turning his face towards
me, he said solemnly, and | gave him 10
wichesI'
Suddenly / heard sobs-heavy. awkward
sobs | looked behind me-, The girl had
dropped forward on to the chair in front
and was Historically chattering into her
handkerchief. II played that l played
that she walled. "Oh, he heard mel he
did, he did, l felt suddenly, bitterly,
horribly ashamed for her. How she must
feel A child can suffer SO.
But the man. at the piano gave a little
chuckle of satisfaction, and ran his hands
up and down the keys in a delirium of
scales and arpeggios. Then he hit heavily
a deep low note 1t was like a great, bass
trumpet. crashing chord-and then the
love-song of Germany, and musicians
caught me up TO heaven, or wherever peo-
pie go who love to that tune-perhaps it
is to Germany-and l heard a great, mag
nifcent man, singing in a great magnifi-
| cent baritone, the song that won Clara
Schumann's heart.
Schubert sang sweetly. wonderfully.
cry like baby when one sings the sere-
made even fairly well. And dear Franz
Abt has made most loving melodies. But
they were musicians singing-this was a
man. 'Du meine Liebe du''-that was
no piano; it was a voice. And yet no hu-
man voice could be at once so limped and
so rich. so thrilling and so clear. And now
it crashed out in chords-heavy broken
harmony. Possession, rapture, absolute
glowing. pulsing ioy-but these are adjec-
tives. and that was love and music
! don't in the least know how long il
lasted. There was no time for me. The