The Kalispell bee., 1902-05-21

"The man was certainly well content.
and yet he was just as surely suffering
from some severe mental strain. The
cause was a mystery. l came to the
was himseH."
81 should think it might be remorse
If / hadn't seen the man." said l, con-
templating the gentle, earnest, spiritual
countenance of the musician.
'You will laugh when tell you what
1t is" responded the doctor. Martha
has solved the riddle. She told me yes
.terday afternoon. It's the noise"
"What noiseT
"Why the noise in the cafe. Have
you ever dined thereF
l had not done so recently, though
the place is much frequented by some
of my acquaintances. 1t is a restaurant
in the park, and in the warm weather
there are tables on the veranda beyond
it, under great awning that stretches
down to some steps where in the din
ner hours gay equipages or rumbling,
rickety cabs are all the time discharg-
ing or taking on their human freight.
1t is a laughing, rollicking crowd that
gathers at the Mount Holly, but
should not have supposed that its noise
could shatter the nerves of a man who
had 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 a crit
ical eye upon his patient.
"The fellow is going to break down."
he said at last. "It will be a petty, pit
iful 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 in 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 go with him, for, by heaven, if l
know anything of human nature, she'll
never desert him! l can see her worn
with toll and him - well, you know
what a man becomes who loses hope
and ambition. But can't do anything
except give him a tonic and send him
a bill. 1 can't stop the noise in the
Mount Holly"
There's some other element in this
case" said l. "Your cause is too small"
"Whatever worries man is cause
sufficient" said the doctor sententious-
ly. "The girl says it's the noise"
He relapsed into thought, from which
he suddenly emerged to remark:
"Do you know, the fellow really plays
mighty we'll. He had his violin with
him at the Office one day, and made
him give me tune. 1t was great"
A moment later l had to leave the
car, but throughout the day l carried
in my mind a thought of the doctors
musician. In the latter part Of the
afternoon drifted into a studio build
ing, where l organized a little dinner
party. When we appeared at the Mount
Holly, there were eight of US. includ.
ing three ladies.
The orchestra was posted on the end
Of the veranda, and our party secured
table under the awning just below.
From my seat l had fine view of the
orchestra leaders face. Heinrich sat
placidly beside the railing of the We.
randa, waiting until it should be time
to play another selection.
Some girls from the Casino theater
were laughing and chattering at table
near us, the walters were banging dish
es in a style of uneXampled reckless
ness, 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 laughing
all the time.
But Heinrich was wholly undisturb-
ed. He took up some sheets of music
and regarded the notes with a gentle,
friendly interest. A waiter just below
him was filling a tray with soiled dish
es, and the noise was like the fall of
the tower of Babel, yet Heinrich re-
mained as calm as a COW. Noise makes
many lunatics and slays 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
| EHZ/I|%/|%ZM#yIM%/Z///<NZM#/I//%%