The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-12-18
THE LESSON OF A SONG

WDDyrlgnt. l.U5, Dy w, II. iie5i9tl
Mrs Palmer is not locking as well as
Usual this evening""
Hardly, although her gown is pertec-
ton"
The trouble is that the light has gone
cut
That happiness is the light of beauty,
and that Mrs. Palmer is not happy
II thought it was an ideal match
$50 it was and is. Morgan Palmer is
! the best fellow l ever knew. A little ms
| tit in temperament or views, 1 suppose.
We hope it will speedily be adjusted.
Watch the child now. In spite OF her
! thorough good form she cannot hide the
fact that She is under some stress
The stout dowagers turned their lor-
! gnettes and their amiable, inquisitive eyes
upon . thin, large-eyed debutante who
was making a school room courtesy to
her hostess, and Addie Palmer trailed her
pale pink chiffons across the waXed floor
and sank upon a low chair behind a nigh
bank OF palms.
81 am so glad to get away from those
boresome people. Why did I come? And
way am L SO out Of tune with every
thing""
H@ color rose and two deep lines
formed between her eyebrows and two
others slanted along her set lips. Al
though she had often been called the belle
of their little city, Addie Palmer was not
pretty at that moment. She was startled
as her eyes caught sight in a pier glass
'opposite CT the brooding, petulant face.
Mindful of prying eyes, her features
Strengthened instantly, but all the pain
and rebellion in them fed to her brown
eyes. She sat erect, her head far back
and her foot tapping nervously under the
pink rufles. Plainly Addie Palmer was
miserable, but she was angry as well.
The hurt her heart had held for months
grew bigger under the smart of her anger.
The waltz had ended and the dancers,
drawn by one impulse, Were crowding to-
ward a central point. They were stand
ing as near as might be to the piano, and
a slight figure in black was making its
Wy slowly through the crowd. Mrs.
Palmer remembered that q famous bal
lad singer had been engaged for a half
hour interlude at the ball. It was a tri-
umph for her hostess, this ball room in
novation, for the ballad singer was to the
concert stage what Nine. Sembrich is to
grand opera; hut although her hostess
was her dearest friend, Mrs. Palmer had
quite forgotten that signal achievement.
She was fascinated by the face the singer
| had turned toward her and which she
watched breathlessly through the inter-
sticcs of the palms. The face was dark
t and pain, but n it was the glory of VIC
Z tory. 1t flashed back emotion, as a lakes
surface reflects the sunshine or the storm;
but in the dark eyes and upon the full,
l firm lips peace had set its seal. She was
y ''Ai" 49, l'tN+ NLIC ~ u
life, and their sum to her was serenity.
Addie Palmer's troubled face peered
through the palms eager IS a child's IN
moments of crisis she talked to herself
IN childish fashion. She whispered now
With quick, Sobhing catches of her voice.
she has felt as l do now, and has come
out of it and is happy. Oh, what will she
sing to mc?'
Her small hands luttered in her lap. as
white lilies in a wind. Her lips parted.
@ Itnr foo 11rAc ~ .,,.1 r;4 49,.
The singer smiled. and with a deep in
take of breath and a lift of her small head
began to sing. The woman behind the
palms trembled. The ballad was The
Quest of Hearts Desire"
To the work that Il man shall do,
Be he peasant, or knight, or king"
The ru,sing contralto was strong, full
and buSle-like as it repeated the words.
ITO the work that a man shall do,
Be he peasant, or knight, or king
The deep, serene eyes smiled on as she
sang,
rs 10 strive Away, in toll and fray
The pain in Addte Palmer's eyes was
hidden by a sudden mist. ITO strive al
way, in toll and fray" she whispered soft
" as the singers rich voice poured itsel
into the ]ong-drawn note.
It'll at last his hands may bring
To her he loves the prize she loves
The deep, splendid tones that had sung
b~ell-like, as she sang of work, now sanl
to q caressing cadence, with the tenderness
of love.
Though little or great the thing
Soft, i~nsistent clapping of gloved hand
demanded an encore, and the singer re
peated the simple stanza:
For the work that q man shall do,
BE he peasant, or knight, or king,
Is 10 strive Away. in toll and fray,
Till at last his hands may bring
To her he loves the prize she loves,
Thc'2%h little or great the thing
Tears dropped in sudden rainfall upo
her laces as Addie Palmer bent her hea
behind the screen of plants. Happy teal
they We're, though, and the light can
back. The tall, tired-faccd man WI
looked down upon her from above II
screen thought. when she turned her fat
upward of a dew-washed pansy brighter
ing in the sun.
vi. Come here, Morgan" she whispere
nst and when he stepped into the leafy co
nlv ners, smiling, but wondering. she rest'
, a her round, white arms upon his shoulder
FOR. Dear husband!' she murmured, lookil
a.. sllyly into his eyes, that woman is
angel. SHE sang straight from her hea
10 inlhe. Dla you near the sohs
mo, Addie, | have just come; and sor
rde one told me you were here and l came ov
+ = and found you crying
az, Because 1 was happy The shinil
If chestnut head was high. The brown ey
giowed. The song was all about you a
me, Morgan. 1t told me again what y
have told me often, but l never quite /
ale, lieved that after all this hard work a
or these business schemes that keep us aps
and that leave me lonely and that Ike
are you away this eveling-you were SO go
be to come at last, dear-are all for n
so That's what she said, dear. She said
straight to me-"
,r+- The white hands drew his face down
~, hers. Her lips pressed his.
&c AS the dark-robed singer passed j,
~ the hall on her way to her carriage s
"Ao was met by a tremllous, bright-faced
tie woman in pink.
was Thank you SO much for the song.
ston helped me more than you know"
nan A smile lit the depths of the SINCE
ally, lark eyes.
ken II believe l understand" she said.
GER
Speakers Wives.
The speakers of whom any social hist,
~ is mentioned owe it TO their wives, W
like Mrs. Henderson,. kept up the tra
led tions of the position by receptions, {
i NTr- Corlic1aE r1,o5 o har t.aipn. acEtN