Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1903-04-03

IlC llNtu lOE nlS NlOIlhl Dub AOtc b'N0
| for him.
1t was an odd companionship, these
three; Toto, with her dove-colored
coat, the violin, in its rich reddish
brown, ana kubeletsky, with long ra-
ven locks. These three alone in the
midst of the boundless, desolate ocean.
1t was the 18th of August that the
first break came to mar the happiness
of the trio, and it was a violin string
that broke, AS the sickening snap
of the string interrupted the obligato
that Kubelefsky was executing, he
paused and tears rolled down his
cheeks.
Poor thing! Poor thing!" he muir
INJURED, us he stroked the mutilated vio-
lin, and Toto, seeing his grief, came
and laid her head gently on his foot.
Thanks, Toto, sweetheart" he said,
you teach me to endure to be brave,
to be u man." and he dashed aside the
tears.
1t was soul-trying to play with one
string missing, but Kubelefsky was
wizard, and none but he would have
known the loss, so sweet were the
tones he drew from the remaining
strings. But the loss had taught him a
lesson, and he used the violin less and
gave Toto more attention.
But why should prolong this tale,
or render it one anguish long drawn
out? 1t is pleasant, l admit, to tell
of this trinity of dependence and love,
but my heart is panied as L write,
for cannot forget the sadness of
the climax, and l must hasten on.
One by one the strings of Kubel-
efsky's violin snapped, and each
catastrophe seemed like a swapping
of his heart string. When but one
string was left he confined his violin
exercises to n few short minutes each
evening, playing the Carnival of
Venice" without variations, as ar
ranged for one string by Bounod.
1t was not much, but it was some
thing, and without his violin Kubel
efsky would have been lost.
And then one evening the last
string broke!
The moon was nearing the west
ern horizon, and dark clouds were
crowding up from the east, buL a
flood of silver light still suffused the
: sea and the ship. Kubelefsky was
: leaning with his back against fun
nel and Toto was sitting in the
steamer chair.
When the last string snapped,
Kubelefsky let his hands fall to his
side, and and a depth of woe and
: horror passed over his face so great
: that Toto, knowing something was
amiss, sprang from her chair and
1 ran to him, mewing piteously.
AS the first paroxysms of HIS grief
l passed, Kubelefsky burst into tears,
and, bending down, seized Toto and
pressed her to his heart and walked
? back and forth.
n "You are my all now, Toto" he
S cried, my last hope, my only friend!
t You will not desert me, sweetheart.
1 You will not fail me. In you L can
|. trust"
S His cries were more like those of
one seeking assurance than of one
e speaking a fact, and Toto licked his
a hand and put soft paw against his
: cheek and sought in every way cat
S can to reassure him, and this gave
: him great comfort. Presently he
l. became quieter and seated himself,
4 while Toto lay in her customary
b place on his lap he fondled his mute
S violin as a mother might fondle her
: dead babe.
e Occasionally q tear would well in
e his eye, but he would dash it aside,
: crying:
t NO! 1 will be brave! I have my
d Toto"
t Again he would sway his body to
d and fro, crying:
my poor violin! My poor Strad!
d So dead, so silent! Oh, 1 am bereft,
am undone!"
d Thus he passed the night, with
S out sleep, and all the next day he
:. walked the deck constantly. He
/; would not allow Toto out of his sight
=, an instant. AS the evening drew
a near he became even more restless,
t and when the hour arrived at which
d he was wont to play his daily ''car-
l. nival," he fell under a, cloud of mel
ancholy. The longing to hear the
s. voice of his violin rent him in thou
a sand ways. He craved it as an opium
e eater Graves the drug, as a drinker
n Graves alcohol His nerves were un.
l. strung, his hands trembled.
IS "And this!" he cried. "Ail this be-
\ cause l have not one poor little
IS string, one piece of cat"
IS He did not complete the word, fol-
a, his eye fell upon Toto sitting at his
4 feet gazing up at him with trustful
N confiding eyes. Did she trembIe as
e he began the word, or was it his
e imagination that deceived him? He
Is tried to put aside the thought that
had flashed across his mind He
IS struggled with himself But power
is greater than himself seemed to urge
W him on. His poor, mute violin seemed
le to cry out to him. His fingers seemed
lt to plead for the touch of the strings