Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-09-26
"By Just Exchange"

BY inst exchange. one to the othtr slNel'
So she sang. but when she reached thus
far she paused. and her hands lay idle on
her lap and her sweet voice was silenced
and there was Il mstincsS about her eyes
"Somc folk are fortunate" she told
herself Some folk get a heart for a
heart-0h lucky, lucky people, And |
give money, ever 50 much money, and
among it | have slipped in a heart 1t
isn't noticed: it isn't wanted: poor, little.
overlooked heart! But / cannot take Il
back" She brushed the mistincss from
her eyes And | wouldn't she ended,
IF / could For half a loaf-thc worst
half of the loaf even. the half that is
merely crumb, with no nice. hard, crisp
crust to it's better when you're, oh, SO
hungry than no bread" Then Snc went
o. singing:
hold his dear. and mine he cannot miss,
There never was better bargain driven.
Then she paused again. Singing duets
by oneself is rather poor fun.
Bargain she said, lis a horrid
word. 1t has sordid, an everyday
sound, and is too suggestive of debts and
worry. Yet it is il word ! find very ap-
propriate to my case: it is the only az
propriate thing in the song. / give the
money, which he counts and | do not,
and the heart, which | count and he does
not and what does he give me? Com
panionshir and tolerance~-ycs, tolerance.
lie keeps my heart and gives me tolcr-
ance! And | am such q poor, weak thing,
| accept the little he gives me. and it il
moro 10 me than all the love in the world
bcSdc.' She lummed the last line of the
Nerse-an amended version without az
compartment
There never was harder bargain driven
Then she began the old song afrcsh and
sang FROM beginning to end without in
terruption. But not as it should be sung
For duet rendered by one voice is a
rather poor thing.
Just before She finished. Il man came
III and shut the door softly behind him
tall and handsome man whose face had
lightened wonderfully at the sound of her
singing. lie came to her side. "Ah. you
nave that old canon" said he. Let us
sing il together. Get up"
Why should ! get up:" she ques-
toned, trying hard not TO smile and not
accomplishing it; determined not to
spring up at his curt bidding. and JUST
managing that.
Because | play SO much better than
You do he smiled down at her And
then, when she had given him her place
rs Il reward for his pleasant audacity.
he added, And. since You sing so much
better than ! do, it is only fair that |
should balance things when can"
When YOU cant she echoed. drawing
pack IN her thoughts, but he did not seem
to hear.
Instead he began to play with brill
lance and a sureueSs of feeling that made
his playing a very different thing from
herS. SO that. almost against her will
Sh" was drawn to lend her clenr voice TO
the musicS completion. and then, when
MS voice joined hers, singing the same
sweet words after her. she forgot for the
moment that they We're not true--or only
SO one-Sidedly true-in her pleasure in
| taxing her part III the production of SO
much exquisite sound.
they sang it 10 the end and it was
Wen done Ia quite exceptional degree
| ana then he startled her with his com.
mcnt
lie twirled half around on the piano
stool and put his arm about her waist.
drawing her 20 him. and lie looked into
het Eyes, straight into them. with no
shame in his
Sweetheart" he said. those words
We're written for us for YOU and me
See how they fit
My true love hath my heart. and have
hers
There never was a better bargain driven
bciter%'
She did not answer him. except mdi-
feciiy with look she tried 10 hide aud
could not. but perhaps he was hardly eN-
PetlInS an answer, for he Went ON speak
iilg NJ once. quickly and earnestly. His
words were as old~far Older, indeed,
IMAM the words of the old song. vet they
were new on his lips. new i'm her ears
and for that SIMPLE reason words that
may hardly be written. They held all
ms !tNe. his passionate worship of her
Tor her graCiouSResS and beauty; they
a In -
exchange for her heart safe in his keep
lhG. They were words such as she had
lost hope of hearing in the bitter sweet
month of their engagement. and they
hiled and enraptured her. lifted her to
heaven: And then a stray thought.
something unvoCed but strangely prick
ing set her on her feet again. Past and
mtier disappointment rang coldly and
clearly in her voice
How am different today" She
asked, from what | was yesterday and
all the other dayS%"
You are no different" he declared.
lhen YOU the change il in your"
She spoke very low and she hung her
head, Tor she hated the necessity to say
H. Tour love has come So suddenly
ana 81 late, | find il 4 little hard To be.
i'Ne IN, w hen YOU asked me to marry
YOU. YOU We're careful TO omit all mention
Of il then. We have met 4 great many
tsmeS since. and have heard nothing Of
It. l.oh, 1t may be shameful thing
nut / nave never been able To hide that
l care TOR you'll cannot now, And
Nuuiu rather Ndu loved me late than nor
nc al. But"-her voice tremhIe,i-"I
should much rather you had loved me All
II have loved You an the time"' no
CRED. Before heaven swear ;tt'
men ne waited for her very natural