The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-12-12

rosy red as she asked the price OF Tue
best one he had. She felt very foolish
"It would be a sight of company
she argued to herself Almost uncon.
sciously, her mind wandered back 10
the many, many years that had been
spent in almost solitude.
81 will buy one" she said, land
plenty of songs and few speaking
pieces, too
When she reached the wharf, the
sun had set and the whole Western
sky was soft pink which was fast
fading away. There waiting for her
Was her horse and phaeton, and Steve
coming toward her. He did not ex-
plain why he bad come down, when
she had distinctly said that she would
not return until the next night; neither
did be say he was glad to see her.
Something in the cool air comforted
her. and she felt it was nice to have
some ope who looked after her interests
and happiness as Steve did. She held
out her hand sraciously. Il could
not stand the city, she said, smiling.
81 knew you could not was all be
replied, failing to see her out-stretched
hand. sSbe somehow resented this
quite as much as she had his kind,
solicitous speech Of the morning.
Going home she explained all about
her new purchase. TO her enthusiasm
Steve said nothing, but when she in
vited him to hear its first performance,
be shook his head. II amt got no
time fer seech things, nohow."
"Steve knows how to speak correct
ly as we'll as do," she murmured to
herself, land 1 wonder why be persists
in using such vile English"
She had often wondered about it, as
if he spoke correctly it was only when
he was not thinking especially what
he said. Then sometimes he would
incorrectly repeat the sentence.
When 'he graphophone arrived and
was set up in proper shape, Miss Ann
tested all the cylinders.
ut is wonderful!' she exclaimed.
1t was nearly midnight before she
realized it, and hastily taking off the
horn, she st,l. quietly to bed.
The next night the whole perform
ance was repeated. After time she
selected her favorites and they were
repeated many times. Finally they
narrowed down TO one, a soft, low love
song, followed by lovers impassioned
speech 10 his cold and disdainful sweet
heart.
She was glad Steve had refused to
come in, for this gave her unbounded
pleasure, and she would not have heard
it as often if he were there.
81 am old enou gu to be sensible"
she sighed to herself.
During the long years since Steve
had lived at Wesley Hall, Miss Ann
bad never asked him to come into the
cherries, stiff parlor. He was content
to sit in the dining room, by the big
wood fire. Watching the shooting,
darting flames, he must have had
dreams, but what they were she never
asked him.
"One Of my cylinders is out of or
DER" she said one morning, "and it is
my favorite piece, too."
"Pcrhaps can fix it," Steve volun-
teered.
She brought it to him and he rubbed
it carefully with silk handkerchief.
That night she put the roll ON and it
worked all right.
For weeks and months the love song
and lovers speech entertained her eve.
nings. She began to look forward to
the time when she could listen to the
graphophonc's pleading. She realized
how lonely her life had been before she
bought the plaything, but she forgot
the many rolls of songs tucked under
the lounge. The graphophone' > roper
toire had narrowed down to the one
love song AMI lovers impass;oncd
speech. Almost mechanically. she
filed in the pauses by telling the un-
seen speaker all her heartachcs and
about her loneliness Softly she an
swered the low impassioned pleadings.
The grapl,pphone s;o,,d close to the
outer door which led to side porch
not in use any more Miss Ann used
it to cover up the door, and as Winter
the wind blew throu yh the
cracks 50 badly that she thought she
would have it lightly boarded up Be-
fore doing so, however, she had the
graphophone moved. Steve was away
at the time, so she called in one of the
colored men, first carefully locking up
her silver spoons. She was not used
to any man coming in the house, ex-