Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1903-01-27

had made him tire Of if, perhaps he
had not reached his ideal.
He arranged with noted singer
to produce it at the vaudeville house
the following week. Then he called on
Miss Merton and invited her to attend
the theater with him. She was there
to hear the music for the first time
The girl was radiant hat evening.
More than once John Nanders caught
himself staring admirngly at her.
Once she unexpectedly turned her head
and looked straight at him with her
great brown eyes. II made him think
Of some perfect chord of music, that
ihrobbed and throbbed through his
heart.
Suddenly the pipe organ began to
play a new air, softly, sweetly. = was
their song.
ITS ours" he told her, yours and
mine"
She looked at his face, all aglow with
expectancy, and down in her heart she
feared His hand, nervously rowing
over the arm of his seat. touched hers
and closed about it, So. hand in hand,
like two children, they sat through
the song. And when it was ended and
the meager applause came tardily she
felt the hand of the man quiver in dis
appointment. The song had failed
Slowly and silently they walked out
of the theater. Not till they were
in the carriage did John Varders
speak.
1T lacks something" he said; ''it
lacks some thing; don't know what"
"Yet it was almost"-she stumbled
about for a word-"almost grand"
"Almostl" He turned savagely to-
ward her. Gas well an utterfailure as
mediocre. tell you it failed 4"
The girl drew her breath sharply.
She was not in the habit of having men
speak roughly to her
John Vanders OWNED at once that he
had hurt the girl. and it came to him
with overpowering suddenness thatber
friendship was all he had left. With
the warm impulsiveness that char
acterized him he took her hand.
81 beg your pardon" he said. grave
". ~ did not mean to wound you, but
the song meant so much to me-"
"And to me-" said the girl.
81 know" he answered; ''it was halr
yours"
20! l didn't mean that" she said,
softly But l was sorry for your
sake"
He leaned toward her.
"Alice," he said, "there is one thing
I would rather possess than all the sue
cess the song could possibly have
brought me- II is your love"
81 am glad, she whispered, "that the
song failed if my love can take the
place of its success"
1t was well after midnight when
John Vanders reached his room. On his
face there was no mark of failure. In
stead he was radiantly happy.
without a seconds delay he seated
himself at his desk with pile of music
ruled paper before him. One note fol-
lowed another in rapid succession till
the first few strains were done. Then
he rose and played the air on the piano.
1t was the music of which he had
dreamed.
Daylight had flooded the room before
he finished, but when at last he rose
he breathed a sigh of relief. After all
his work he had finally accomplished
something at least self-satisfying.
They sat in the theater one evening
soon afterward, both happy, both
filled with hope Once more the great
pipe organ began to play, Once more,
as he had done before, the man said:
Its ours, yours and mine" Then the
first notes of the song welled out and
the whole audience listened reverently.
When the song ended the house was
bedlam Of noise. People clapped
their hands stamped their feet, whis-
tied, cried, applauded in every conceiv-
able manner. Again and again they
encored the singer. When at last quiet
reigned the man turned to the girl and
repeated the words:
Its ours, yours and mine"
at is grand" said the girl; sit only
fell short before for want of-for want
Of"
"For want of love, finished the man.