Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-12-12
HERR IIbIhEl : AELi[AIO;
Tho story os %
Proposal b. Mnsie
BY ABRAHAM CAIIhN.


Wagner /; WIS So tall the front nart
of his ceiling VAS - low. a.id =. ;b,,
present moment ho waS in >ii..', q hu,.
~ that hr Jftcn htt lGs hra,i. i..it ti;.
didn't take much time. ~ h. rrall,
didn't mind il. l'ar worse ,.t.: 49, i;,,-
iuS To search his attic tor thi.... 81 hirh
ne had put away -p carefully tI.t lac
could moi hId them himself Sac HAD
hcch TWO uOtitS drrs~ih-. u Wa eel
uins wei on tu : O'Clock. ana ai th,.
thought ihat lac NIGH! lac hat. and have
TO turn back with his composition I'm
played an lis love unavowed hi. heart
sank with despair. Ills >hF, AMI his
collar Were satisfactory. but th,. vh,i,
tour-in-haud necktie-deuce iakr ia
gave Herr Wagner TO end uf trouble,
He lost half an hour tying 1t. ald ,h,
operation n 10 al c.umnlod "..f ans
thing hui snow white.
y; last he was ready. The second.
hand frock coat which Lc iad hought
in the mOraing FOR the great n-..iSion
was rather zoo short IN the slceves-so
short. indc Il, that il required constant
vigilance To keep them from catching
in his huge detachable cuffs. StllI. the
coattails were long enough. and IL WAS
the best coat Herr Wagner had ever
worn I'm America. So he was In good
spirits.
He had barely time to get To his dcs-
tination. yet he sat down to his piano
for last rehearsal of his declaration.
II was Al declaration without words. a
love message in melody Herr Wagner
was sure il would speak 10 her heart.
that she would feel It's meaning. And
not only was IL his message OF love. but
also an cpitome OF his great system. the
grand total OF his life work. the sum
and substance Of new theory which
was To rcvolutiOnize the world Of
sound. But OF this later on. and AT this
moment IL may De OF some use L. know
that Herr Wagner's attic was on East
seventh street. that IL was fair sized
trapeZoid shaped room full of books.
music. musical Instruments and dust.
He paid 10y the month aud his dropSical
landlady cleaned Tie room OH rent day
There were plenty OF furnished rooms
where the sweeping was done every
Saturday. hut this was the only place
where one was allowed to play his
piano violinS. flutes or clarinets after
midnight SO Herr Wagner was viii
ing 10 - par, cf the cleaning himself.
He had lived there until he came to
look upon IL. sloping front wall. dust
and ail. 0s part and parcel of his
genius. And truth L. tell. il did he
come him WI. As he sat lingering the
keyboard. writing or paciu,s tho floor.
now and again throwing back his long
light hair and half shutting his small
blue eyes in Il ha2y. farof y@zc. the
piles of dust covered books the inStru-
ments and the Sloplng wall seemed to
be as essential to his work aS his
cigarette stained fingers or his dis
colored cieri, nj face.
Herr Wagner slammed the door he
hind him and faced a chilly November
night. He had no ovcrcoat and ne
shivered. but while passing the barber
shop he saw through the window that
1t was even later than he was AFRAID
1t was. and his terror warmed him up.
On and On he strobe crossing streets
diagonally. on the principle which he
whispered tn himself. that q straight
line is the shortest distance between
two points; jumping over boxes and
knocking down little children. diving
under horses and lcaping over streams
OF coal. murmuring "Ach. pardon" TO
the animals rs we'll as to the ladies he
whisked past. running. putting for
breath, perspiring.
'Annchen. don't talk so much"
Zach. mamma. don't you talk so
much. You know don't"
"Annchen. you can't keep secret;
you leak like sieve"
~ leak like a sieve? That's rich!
You leak Ike our old coffee can. man.
ma. You can't keep secret half an
hour mamma"
"And yOu can't keep II ten minutes"
"And you two minutes"
An alteration OF this kind took place
nearly every day and nearly every day
each Of them unburdencd herself of
her most private thoughts or feelings
not only To the bOardcrs. hut also TO
some pf the men who came 10 inquire
about board.
One day Anpchen had a secret which
she made up her mind TO keep from her
mother. Well, she did not gggle. nor
even smile 10 herself. hui there must
have been something which showed
that she had secret after all. for
Frau Rinde was restless and eveUD
.ktie while said:
"Won't you tell il to me. .Annchen2
II won't go any further. assure YOU"
"But who says ! have anything to
tellT Annchen would return. aud aa
f----