Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-08-26
AR TLyTS
w q II III II ~
fcODS -<C~Y 1901 6I



spent ten years of his life amid the
drums and horns of fourth rate bands.
| was inclined to reject the explana-
ton. Meanwhile the doctor had crit
ical eye upon his patient.
THE fellow is going to break down"
he said at last. 1T will be petty, pitt
full tragedy, won't it? He'll have to
give up his leadership of that little six
shooter of an orchestra that he's as
proud Of as If it played in the Opera
House He may kill himself III the
struggle to hang on, and if he doesn't
he'll go down the road he's climbed
with so much labor. And poor Martha
will 20 with him, for, by heaven, IL
know anything of human nature, she'll
never desert him, | can see her worn
with toll and him-wel, you know
what man becomes who loses hope
and ambition. But can't do anything
except give him tonic and send him
bill. | cant stop the noise in the
Mount Holly"
+ There's some other element in this
case. said 1. Your cause is too
small"
Whatever worries man is cause
; sufficient" said the doctor sententbus-
~ THE girl say it's the noise.
He relapsed into thought, from which
! he suddenly emerged to remark:
! DO you know, the fellow really plays
mighty well. He had his violin with
him at the Office one day and | made
him give me tune. 1t was great.
moment later l had to leave the
car, but throughout the day | carried
in my mind a thought of the doctors
musician. In the latter part of the
afternoon l drifted into a studio bui1d-
! ing, where | organized little dinner
| party. When we appeared at the
, Mount Holly there were eight OF us, in
GLIDING three ladies.
The orchestra was posted on the end
of the veranda, and our party secured a
table under the awning just below.
| From my seat had fine view of the
orchestra leaders face. Heinrich sat
/ placldly beside the railing of the veran-
da, waiting until it should be time to
play another selection.
Some girls from the Casino theatre
were laughing and chattering at Ia
bic near us, the walters were banging
dishes in a style Of unexampled reck
lessness. Carriages were arriving, and
men were shouting to the attendants
| who took care of the horses, and over
all arose the sound of laughter. Half
the people present seemed to be laugh
ing all the time.
But Heinrich was wholly undisturbed.
He took up some sheets of music and
! regarded the notes with gentle,
friendly interest. A waiter Just below
him was filing a tray with soileG dish
es, and the noise was like the fall of
the Tower of Babel, yet Heinrich re-
manned as calm as a COW. Noise makes
many lunatics and Stays not a few in
the big cities, but it seemed to produce
no more effect upon Heinrich than if
his head had been one of the large
wooden balls with which the end posts
OF the veranda railing were ornament
ed.
Presently the leader arose, with his
fiddle and bow. He made fine gesture
to his little force and called them TO at
tention. They played an operate Sc
lection fairly well, accurately at least,
and with considerable intelligence.
watched Heinrich all the time, and
| saw his eyes wandering over the as
sembly. Not a soul was paying the
slightest attention to the music except
myself. He looked Ter my head at
first, and his glance made a sort of
round. 1t was easy to see that the act
from frequent repetition, had become
habitual. Thus always had he scanned
the utterly irresponsible audiences of
the Mount Holly.
If there had been no music that even
ing fully half that assembly would
have felt aggrieved. 1t was to most of
| them only a noise in the ears. but they
had been accustomed to it. The Mount
Holly would not have been itself with
out music, and, by the same token,
some of the habitues would have been
uneasy if the din of conversation had
| been less or the walters had ceased to
rattle the plates. l saw indeed, few
| of the guests who were really enjoying
the music, but they were not doing it
in a way that a musician could under
| stand
Finally Heinrich caught my eye. and
| could perceive at once that he was
both surprised and pleased. Surely he
played at me during the remainder Of
the piece. and l fancied that his eXecu
ton sensibly improved.
| had not told my companions about
Heinrich, but when the music ceased
proceeded to do so. 1t is only fair to
say that the others at my table had
been as inatte1tive as the generality of
the Mount Holly's guests. But Ste all
listened when heinrich rose again to
! lead his little band. This time it was
not with him the customary forlorn
hope He showed the evidences of an
upiifted heart.
They played serenade Of Tits
which has long been dear to me, and |
10 hnf I ~
heard it so we'll rendered. Our party
had planned to applaud, but we were
/ all so thoroughly pleased that the act
had the full flavor of spontaneity. Doz-
ems of people around us joined in the
hand claiming and as most of them