The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-02-14
)MERsET. Pa. WEDNESDAY. FEBRUAF

for sixty-seven measures; then open
your mouth as If you were going to lift
the roof, and keep still. III do the rest.
Here, let me see your copy"
Feverish with excitement, Molten
hauer examined the song, committing
its final measures to memory. Charley
saw what he intended to do, and,
though the singer was somewhat cheer
ed, he was yet very nervous. What if
Mollenhauer should count wrong !?
What If he should come in half a
measure too soon, or a measure too
late? What if everybody should tum-
BILE
He was urging these doubts on the
clarinetist when sent eall-boy to tell
him that it was his turn.
1 wondered when be passed me on
his way to the stage why he looked so
frightened, and 1 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. Neverthe-
less saw Gus take up his B fiat clar-
met and test the tune Of it to the A
that Schreiner was scraping on his fid-
die.
Knowing nothing about pitch, / did
not dream that Schreiner was tuning
his instrument unearthly high, and
suppOsing Gus knew his business l
paid no attention to him, but watched
Charley, for / anticipated his success
and was eager to enjoy it.
The first part of the song was splen-
didly done. Charley's nervousness
seemed to disappear after he had taken
glance at the box where Miss Emer-
son sat. In fact, as he told me after
ward, he was moved and steadied by
desperation.
Just before the climax saw him turn
suddenly toward Miss Emerson's box,
and / saw her smile encOuragingly upon
him.
happened also to glance at Sehrei-
ner, who was saving away decorously,
looking out of the corners Of his eyes
at his fellow performers. There was
smile on Schreiner's face, too; but /
thought nothing of it till it changed to
an expression Of amazement and un-
mistakable chagrin.
Charley'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 eli
max, and the top note of the song was
sounding beautifully clear aud sweet,
without a suspicion of that forced quail
ity that sometimes Injuries such effects.
thought had never heard Charley
give such pure tone, and wGs delight
ed; but following Schreiner's glance,
for his keen ear had detected the fraud
Instantly, was just in time to see Mol
lenhauer 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 insudible. on ac-
count of the tumultuous applause.
Charley returned to bow again and
again, but nothing could induce him to
give an ''eneore." He knew that the
trick would not succeed twice. The
ugly Schreiner would have done some
thing to spoil it a second time.
And up in the box Miss Mary sat,
smiling, enjoying her lovers triumph.
Months afterward, when they were
married, and she taxed him for the rea-
son why he never could be persuaded
TO sing the charity song, even in pri-
vate, he told her it was because he
never could produce again that silver
top pote.
Later, he confessed how il was done,
and like the true woman that she was,
she kissed him and told him il wouldn't
have made the least difference to her
if his voice had broken in a thousand
pieces.
81 know that nOw," said Charley,
"but it would have tickled Schreiner.
The trick was worth the fun for his dis
comfiture. ."-Chicago News.