The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-06-26
A Costly
Symphony.
BY Edward B. Clark.


some sense with her millions. and she
thought, having handled much coin In
her day. that there wasn't the true
ring about the proposals which she
from time 10 time, and not much time
between times at that. had received.
The South Side youth had about given
her up when Billy Benson appeared on
the scene.
Billy was n white goods clerk, and II
he had measured his salary as he did
his cloth he wouldn't have needed n
yard stick. Billy, however. had good
address and possessed plenty Of assur'
ance. lie was talking over the matter
one night at the South Side Club with
four or five Of his chums. at least two
Of whom he suspected had. as he ele'
gantly phrascd IL I'm his thoughts, been
against the game and lost. Billy heard
much at every one Of these gatherings
Of Frances Marsland and her four mill
ions, and how the pick Of the south
town had tried to win both girl and
money. "The only trouble with these
fellows is" he said 10 himself. they
didn't go at the thing right" Then he
turned to Jack Masters and said:
"Jack, don't take any particular in
tcrest In this thing, but | wish you'd
tell me If this Miss Marsard that |
hear 80 much about has any fads."
"Shc has two, Billy" said Jack.
"Thcy are money and music, but as a
Of 1
money Is n poor second. Fannie Mars
land Is crank, If | may use s1ch n
word in speaking of girl with four
millions, on the subject of music.
She'll talk sonatas, rhapsodes, sym.
phonies 10 the end of the string. She
knows all about the old masters and
the modcrns and all that and she al
ways carries n roll of music rs big as
her roll of bills, and that's saying n
heap"
Billy Benson muscd He thought
muSing was the cminently proper thing
candid, Billy didn't know any more
about music than he did about Ara
malc, but Billy was n good buffer. 1t
was not long after this that he met
Miss Marsland. and he laid himself out
to play the part of Apollo with the
all the South Side circle and To the re-
jected ten particularly that this white
goods clerk had made an impression.
They didn't know, of course, that Billy
spent three nights Of every week in the
music room OF the Newberry Library.
skinned over the moderns. He
thought the modcrns were dead easy
Had Billy been musician he might
have learned that out of some OF the
dusty old Spanish and other Southern
European music manuscripts that he
turned over had come many an air
which has done much To give tleetng
fame To certain composers OF to-day
Billy didn't know anything about this,
however. and the public knows about
as little. so enough Of II. but Billy
crammcd. He had all the schools nj
his tongues end, He was bright
enough. and in the course OF month
he could talk adagio, andante, allegro
and all the other as and down TO the
rs. too, for that matter.
Billy Benson felt that at last his pur
pose II not his heart was tune like
that of the medieval troubadour whC
sang outside of his lady's latticed win
dow. For some reason or other
Frances Marsland thought she had
struck the right thing at last Billy
confessed To her that of playing h'
knew not n thing. but that he hat
made hard study of music, and there
In Billy told the truth. Whenever Mis-,
Marsand tested the metal of his must
cal knowledge the ring came right
Here at last was the man whose natur,
responded TO her own
Billy went nearly bankrupt In concer
and opera tickets. For the theatre h,
said he cared but little Music was tn,
spring from which his soul drank. |
Is indeed sad 10 relate, but music, hotl
vocal and instrumental, was to Bill!
Benson the worst ~ hores. He neve'
was quite certain whether the orches
ira was playing Home, Sweet Home,
or The Last Rose of summer" but tn,
program was always at hand, an,
when Il came down 10 names and com
posers William was right there
Ii was settled at last to ;he satisfac
tion Of the South side that william
Benson. clerk. was TO pick the persim
mon. The pcrsimmon in this case wa
n bit passe. hut persimmons are a frui
that is said to he better after IL ha
been nipped n little Ivy time and frost
and then again the persimmon Is
+ golden fruit. Billy knew he was a ny
! pocrite. hut he excused himself 10
: playing the part on the ground that
/ was the duty OF every woman wit
money 70 get married. and that IL som
/ fellow didn't play some kline OF a sam
I the Marsland millions would go event
ually to some home for decayed spins
ters.
Billy knew that the tim, was fast az
\ preaching when he would have TO pu
the test question. and that on the an
swer would depend either yard stick
and white goods for several more year
or Fanny Marsland and millions 10
life. He asked her 10 60 the last syn
phony concert OF the season with hin
| She was delighted. OF course.
You know. Mr.. Benson" she sal,
"they are to play the grandest syn
phony In all music. Every pulse Q
your being will be awake to the subtle