Orange County observer., 1903-07-30

\ vu1 I of them all told who one
9 8 after another tried to get
4 Frances Marsland and in
TcS cidentally her four millions
Frances was South Side belle if she
wasn't South Side beauty She had
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 to 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 white goods clerk, and il
he had measured his salary as he did
his cloth he wouldn't have needed a
yard stick. Billy, however, had 4 good
address and possessed plenty of assur-
ance. He 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 phrased it in his thoughts, been
against the game and lost Billy heard
much at every one Of these gatherings
of Frances Marsiand and her four milk
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 to himself. ''they
didn't go at the thing right" Then he
turned to Jack Masters and said:
Jack l don't take any particular in
te-est in this thing, but I wish you'd
tell me if this Miss Marsland that I
hear SO much about has any fads.'
she has two Billy said Jack.
"They are money and music but as a
matter of fact. my boy, think the
money is a Door second. Fannie Mars
land is q crank. if I may use such
word in speaking of a girl with four
millions, on the subject Of music.
She'll talk sonatas rhapsodies, SYM
phonies to the end Of the string. She
knows all about the old masters and
the modeins and all that, and she al
ways carries y roll Of music as big as
her roll of bills, and that's saying a
heap
Billy Benson mused. He thought
musing was the eminently proper thing
to do III a case like this. Now to be
candid Billy didn't know any more
about music than he did about Ara
maic, but Billy was good buffer. It
was not long after this that lie met
Miss Marsland, and he laid himself out
to play the part Of Apollo with the
lyric prominent. It was apparent to
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
he dug into the old masters and he
SKINNED over the mOderns. He
thought the moderns were dead easy.
Had Billy been a 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 f1eeting
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 it, but Billy
crammed. He had all the schools at
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 il not his heart was tune like
that Of the medieval troubadour who
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 he
knew not 4 thing, but that he had
made hard study Of music, and there
n Billy told the truth. TWhensve1. Miss
.Aarsland tested the metal OF his musi
ca knowledge the ring came right
'Here at last was the man whose nature
responded to her own.
Billy went nearly bankrupt in concer7
ana opera tickets. For the theatre ht
SAID he cared but little. Music was th'
spring from which his soul drank. /
~ indeed sad to relate, but music, botl
vocal and instrumental, was to Bill.
benson the worst of bores. He neve
was quite certain whether the orches
I'd was playing Home, Sweet Home,
Vt The Last Rose of Summer" but th
program was always at hand, ant
"l'en 1t came down to names and com
s'sefs William was right there.