The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-09-12
! HERR Z|MMEL' s MEMENTO'
The Etory OF @
Proposal by Music.
BY ABRAHAM CAEIAN.

Wagner II was so tall the front part
of his ceiling was 80 low, and at the
present moment he was in such q hur-
ry that lie often hit his head, but this
didn't take much time, so he really
didn't mind 1t. Far.worse was his hav-
ing to search his attic for things which
lie had put away so carefully that he
could not find them himself. He had
been two hours dressing. It was get
ting we'll on to z O'clock, and at the
thought that he might be late and have
to turn back with his composition un-
played and his love unavowed his heart
sank with despair. His shirt and his
collar were satisfactory, but the white
gave Herr Wagner no end Of trouble.
lie lost half an hour tying 1t, and the
,;c.-::...cn left st MI rrrmnled and any
thing but snow white.
At last he was ready. The second.
hand frock coat which he had bought
in the morning for the great occasion
was rather too short in the sleeyes-sO
short, indeed, that it required constant
vigilance to keep them from catching
i'll his huge detachable cuffs. Still, the
coattails were long enough, and 1t was
the best coat Herr Wagner had ever
worn IN America, SO ne was in good
spirits.
He had barely time to get to his des.
tination, yet ne sat down to his piano
for last rehearsal of his declaration.
love message In melody. Herr Wagner
was sure it would speak to her heart,
that she would feel Its meaning. Aud
not only was 1t his message OF love, but
also an epitome of his great system, the
grand total Of his life work, the sum
and substance Of new theory which
was to revolutionize the world Of
sound. But Of this later on, and at this
moment 1t may be OF some use to know
that Herr Wagner's attic was on East
Seventh street, that 1t was a fair sized
trapezOid shaped room full Of books,
music, musical instruments and dust.
He paid by the month and his dropsical
landlady cleaned the room on rent day.
There were plenty OF furnished rooms
where the swesping YVES done every
Saturday. but this was the only place
where one was allowed to play his
piano. viOlins, flutes or clarinets after
midnight. So Herr Wagner was will
ing to do part OF the cleaning himself.
He had lived there until he came to
look us>01 ii, aloping front wall, dust
and all. as part and parcel OF his
genius. And truth TO tell. Z It did be-
come him well. As he sat lingering the
keyboard, writing or pacing the hcor,
now and again throwing back his long
light hair and half shutting his small
blue eyes In hasy, faroR gaze, the
piles OF dust covered books, the instru-
ments and the sloping wall seemed TO
be as essential to his work .as his
cigarette stained fingers or Aia dig
'-olored clerical face.
Herr Wagner slammed the door be.
hind him and faced @ chilly November
night. He had no overcoat ana he,
shivered, but while passing the barber
shop he saw through the window that
1t was even later thnn he was afraid
1t was, and his terror warmed him MP.
On and on he strobe, crossing streets
diagonally, on the principle, which he.
whispered to himself. that q straight
line Is the shortest distance between
two points; Jumping over boxes ana
knocking down little children; diving
under horses and leaping oveG etreams
OF coal, muPmuring each, pardon" TO
the animals as well aa 60 The ledles he
whiaked past, summing. pufflng for
breath. perspirirg.
"Annchen, don't talk Go ,nucgs 9 q
Ach. mamma, don't you talk 60
much. You know donst.u
"Annchen, you can't keep q secret:
you leak like q isieye.'' e g
Il leak Ike q sieve7 That's rishi
You leak like our old coffee can, mann.
ma. You can't keep q secret half am
hour, mamma 81 IS lsi.ss: e ~
And you can't keep & ten minntes.s e
And you two minutes = +,
An alteration of thia kind took place
nearly every day, and nearly every day
each OF them unburdened herself of
her most private thoughts or Feelings
not only to the bcardess, hut also TO .
some of the men who came 10 inauire
about board. n W. 4
One day Annchen had q secraE which |
sne made mp her mind to keep from: her
mother. Well. HIie Old Mot eiasie. nor
even smile TO herseif, but there must
nave been ething which allowed
tnat she had d secret, after an enr
FRAU Binde was restiess ana every 1
little while said. /. i.s. S. 8
>. Won't yoti ten 5it to- me, Annchen7
Ae won wont go; any further I assure you.s:
..ra,. - nave anyIulIg %
'en = Anilchen ysould return, and as !
sne did 20 che swonld t,.ys her mother