The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-07-24
~ AN EXPLANATION.
BY c. Harry Clandy.
How an ImpecuniOus Bohe-
milan Won the Mu-
steal Prize.

terie in the Bohemian club, in whose
rooms we were, had related some per-
sonal ghostly experience or had drawn
on memory for tales of spirits in other
lands. When Jenkins turned to me
with request that add my mite to
the evenings entertainment, protest
ed that thought I should be let off
that 1 had done my share in playing
the piano for them all evening-but
they would not have it SO. 1--WE have
seen the artist all evening". said Jen;
''let us have look at the Van we used
to know" still begged to be excused,
but the crowd, merry one at best,
would not have it so. "The story or no
more champagnep' "Well, gentlemen"
said, 81 do not know of anything
ghostly and cannot tell story with
clanking chains and gliding shrouds,
but If you insist upon being amused 1
will tell you of the only queer thing
that ever happened to me. I will offer
you no explanation. do not profess
to understand it. 1 can only tell you
just what happened and let you judge
for yourselves"
81 was studying hard" continued,
Gin the winter of 1877, hoping to pro-
gress far enough before June in my mu-
steal studies to be able to take a few
pupils in the summer in order to earn
enough to continue at the conservatory
In the fall. l was poor man then.
Five cents then often meant dinner
for me. A dollar was untold wealth.
| walked often three and four miles to
save car fare, and have known what
it means to go sneaking up a side
street in order not to meet friend
lest he hurt my pride by asking me
let him be my banker. ! have gone
ragged and hungry, have been cold and
without shoes, that / might pay the
rent of the piano loved and in some
way struggle on toward my goal, that
Of musician who should win not only
money, but fame. Rather large am
bition for a poor man of "a, with no
prospects but work and debts, no hope
for anything but in the distant future,
and nothing to warrant that but an
Unborn conviction that there was music
in him and the kindness of some of his
teachers. My parents, most of my
friends, all told me repeatedly was
fool / had had good chances to go
into business, could have been young
man of some social prominence and
have had all the luxuries that l lack
ed at that time, but preferred music
and starvation. tell you all this that
YOU may realize what 1t meant to me
when a Mr. Elliott offered prize of
$1,000 to the pupil of the B con-
servatory who should in three months
time compose and play the most meri-
torious composition. l thought that II
/ could win that prize my troubles
would be over indeed. There was
enough to keep me two years at least
from want and pay for my musical
course into the bargain.
81 soon saw the list OF entries for the
competition, and, while finding many
names that had not expected to con-
tend with, was not utterly disheart-
ened until / saw the names Of two OF
the most promising of the senior class
1t had never occurred to me that
should have to compete with scholars
out of nv own class. l was Disguised,
and had it not been for the comfort OF
one friend, the only friend who was
never too tired to give me word OF
announcement, the little girl whom
knew believed in me-had it not been
for her | must necessarily have be-
come so discouraged as to give 1t all up
and go into business after all
81 had three months to work In, three
months to compose, learn and play
composition which should be judged
the best out of 40 entries, quite task
at the least l went to work, but
whether it was owing to the hunger
that often kept me lying sleepless In
my bed l do not know, but all my ef-
forts appeared to be tame, poor, what
we call colorless.
"It was at this time, when used my
last shred of patience, that Elsa, my
little friend, was killed-killed by the
drunkenness of a switchman, murder
ed by the carelessness of a railroad
| company who will employ such man.
Yes. lust a common railroad accident,
but 1t killed Elsa, and any hope I had
Af winning that prize went like Hash.
/ had no room in my heart for any
thing but grief.
~ had not withdrawn my entry for
the competition; had simply intended
| rot to appear. In the light of future
events, it was fortunate thing that
did not; perhaps it was all a part OF
the strange experience that am about
to tell you.
at was cold March night, had been
out to see my friend Jim there old Jim
nodded his head and gulped down
glass of champange), and he had beea
trying to cheer me up, but with Ill sue
cess. had reached my home about
half past II, and gone up to my room
and dropped YEARLY into chair, with
out even troubling to light the lamp.
But l was restless, and soon rose and
went to the window, throwing it wide
open 1t was clear, the moon was near
| ly full and almost directly overhead.
AS gazed out into the cold, clear air,
heard a clock strike II, and then an
other clock farther down town struck,
and then clock in the house-it seem
ed as if all creation was made OF
clocks, all striking II. l turned, in
tending to go to bed, when my atten-
ton was arrested by cloud, passing
over the face of the moon. You know
how fanciful man will get at times
well, | thought that cloud had the
shape of Elsa's head, and then, as 1t
Dassed, it seemed to me as If, for
a moment, the moon was not so bright
as it was. 1t was as If some one had
turned down the light of the Lady Of
| Night. l laughed drearily to myself,
thinking it was trick of my eyes, and
do not know that 1t was not. am
merely telling this as 1t happened
ssWell, as l say, was about to close
the window and retire, when was
suddenly assailed with the conviction
that the room was not as had left 1t.
Something was different; l could not
say what, but l had distinct idea
that there was a difference. Puzzled,
l started to light the lamp, when l
most plainly heard the sound of low
minor chord-a chord struck with a
slight roll from treble to bass-a chord
that was the beginning and the ending
as well of little song, a poor little
thing at best, but one that had COM
posed and given to Elsa, and one that
only. she and had ever heard.