The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-10-05

by Gustave Mollenhauer, the first clar-
met of the orchestra. Mollenhauer
looked worried.
Charley said he, ssdid you mean
it when you said you couldn't sing
higher than that top note in your song p
s'Fact, = replied Norton composed1y.
'sIt is fat. Why do you ask2''
because those fool violinists, led on
by that ill tempered coxcomb Schreiner,
won't let you sing B flat
'What the mischief do you mean,
Gus2'
''You may well use the word mis-
chief, Charley. Schrciner has put up
job on you. When it comes your turn,
every stringed instrument in the band
will be tuned up a whole note Schrei-
ner tells 'en that you want it that way
in order to make more brilliant eli
max. He wants you to break
Mollenhauer stopped abruptly, for
Charley was pale as a ghost. He had
awful visions of the break in his voice.
the ridiculous squeak that would occur
if he tried his top note at the high
pitch set by Schreiner. the laughter of
the audience, the modification, but,
above all, the exhibition of himself be-
fore pretty Mary Emerson in the pro-
scenium box.
Cant it be stopped3'' he gasped
Mollenhauer shook his head 81 tried
to say something he answered, "but
the conductor called me down for max
ing a noise. The thing wasn't cooked
| up till after the men got on the stage.
You II have to sing some other note. -
Sand ruin the climax? 1t won't dol
It would spoil the songl But, confound
it, what can DOR
For moment Mollenhauer was in as
great despair as Charley was. Then his
face ighte1-ed.
"Have you another copy of the song ?"
he asked. Charley shook his head
gloomily.
''How many measures is it from the
beginning to the top note2'' :
The composer singer counted his
manuscript and answered, ''Sixty-
seven H.
Gall right, then," said the clarinet
list, ''you go ahead and sing your sol. g
for 81 measures; then open your mouth
rs If you were going to lift the roof and
keep still. I'll do the rest. Here, let me
see your copy"
Feverish with excitement, Mollen-
hauer examined the song, committing
it's final measures to memory. Charley
saw what he intended to do, and, though
the singer was somewhat cheered, he
was yet very nervous. What if Mollen-
hauer should count wrong? What if he
should come in half measure too soon
or measure too later What if every
body should tumble
He was urging those doubts on the
clarinetist when I sent callboy to
| tell him that it was his turn. wonder
ed when he passed me on his way to the
stage why he looked so frightened, and
I wondered, too, why Gus Mollenhauer
went to his place just back of the violas
Gus was never known to sit on the stage
when he had nothing to do, and there
was no part for him in Norton's song
Nevertheless saw Gus take up his B
fat clarinet and test the tune of it to
the A that Schreiner was scraping on
his fiddle. Knowing nothing about pitch
I didn't dream that Schreiner was ,tun-
ing his instruments unearthly high, and
supposing Gus knew his business paid
no attention to him, but watched Char
ley, for I anticipated his success and
was eager to enjoy it.
The first part of the song was splen-
didly done. Charley s nervousness SEEM
ed to disappear after he had taken a
glance at the box where Miss Emerson
sat. In truth, as he told me afterward,
he was moved and steadied by despera-
| ton.
Just before the climax saw him turn
suddenly toward Miss Emerson's box,
and saw her smile encouragingly upon
him. I happened also to glance at
| Schreiner, who was saving away de-
corously, looking out of the corners Of
his eyes at his fellow performers. There
was a smile on Schreiner's face, too;
but I thought nothing of it till
it changed to an expression Of amaze
ment and unmistakable chagrin. Char
| ley's lips were parted wide, his face was
overspread with rosy color, his eyes
were fixed on the chandelier, all just as
| it should be for tenor climax, and the
top note of the song was sounding
| beautifully clear and sweet, without
suspicion of that forced quality that
sometimes injuries such effect.
thought I had never heard Charley
give such pure tone, and I was de-
lighted, but following Schreiner's
glance, for his keen ear had detected
the fraud instantly, was just, in time
to see Mollenhauer taking his clarinet
from his lips. Then understood.
The clarinetist was but five or six
feet behind the singer, and there was
not one person in the audience who
failed to believe that the top note came
from Charley's throat. A couple of
chords from the strings to close the
piece were inaudible on account of the
| tumultuous applause. Charley went out
to bow again and again, but nothing
could induce him to give an "encore "
He knew that the trick would not sue
coed twice. The ugly Schreiner would
have done something to spoil it second
time.
And up in the box Miss Mary sat
smiling, enjoying her lovers triumph,
and when, months after they were mar
ried and she taxed him for the reason
why he never could be persuaded to
sing the charity concert song, even in
private, he told her it was because he
never could produce again that silver
top note. Then he confessed how it was
done, and, like the true woman that
she was, she kissed him and told him
it wouldn' t have made the least differ
ence to her if his voice had broken in a
thousand pieces.
81 know that now" said Charley,
s'but it would have tickled Schreiner.
The trick was worth the fun for his
discontinue. frederick R. Burton in