River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-04-02


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
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, | 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 spapplng
of his heart string. When but one
string was left he confined his violin
exercises to a 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
food of silver light still suffused the
sea and the ship. Kubelefsky was
leaning with his back against fun
mel, and Toto was sitting in the
steamer chair.
When the last string snapped,
Kubelefsky let his hands fall to his
side, and a depth of woe and
horror passed over his face SO great
| that Toto, knowing something was
amiss, sprang from her chair and
ran to him, mewing piteOusly.
| As the first parOXysms of his grief
passed, Kubelefsky burst into tears,
and, bending down, seized Toto and
pressed her to his heart and walked
back and forth.
You are my all now, Toto" he
cried, my last hope, my only friend!
You will not desert me, sweetheart.
\ on will not fail me. In you ] can
| trust"
one seeking assurance than Of one
speaking a fact, and Toto licked his
hand and put soft paw against his
cheek and sought in every way o cat
can to reassure him, and this gave
him great comfort. Presently he
| became quieter and seated himself,
while Toto lay in her customary
! place on his lap he fondlsd his mute
violin as a mother might fondl4 her
! dead babe.
Occasionally a tear would well in
his eye, but he would dash it aside,
crying:
! No! l will be brave! 1 have my
Toto"
Again he would sway his body to
and fro, crying:
MY poor violin! My poor Strad!
| So dead, so silent! Oh, | am bcreft
L am undone!"
Thus he passed the night, with
| 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
near he became even more restless,
and when the hour arrived at which
he was wont to play his daily car
nivaI," he fell under q cloud of mel
anchoIy. The longing to hear the
voice of his violin rent him in a thou
sand ways. He crayed it as an opium
eater Graves the drug, as a drinker
Graves alcohol. His nerves were I'M
| strung, his hands trembled.
cause l have not one poor little
string, one piece of cat"
He did not complete the word. for
| his eye fell upon Toto sitting at his
! feet gazing up at him with trustful,
confding eyes. Did she tremblc as
he began the word, or was it his
imagination that deceived him? He
tried to put aside the thought that
! had flashed across his mind He
| struggled with himself But power
greater than himself seemed to urge
! him on. His poor, mute violin seemed
| to cry out to him. His fingers seemed
! to plead for the touch of the strings
| All the musician, all the artist. urged
him on. But when he glanced at
Toto-his friend, his companion, his
| sweetheart-he paused.
1t was midnight before the strng-
gle was ended, and through it all
Toto sat patiently at his feet i'll per-
feet trustfulness, purring a love song
When at last he moved his body
! swayed and he staggered like one
, drunk with wine, and for the first
time he shut Toto out as he entered
! the cabin When he came on deck
again he carried a bottle in his hand,
and the label bore the legend,
| "Chloroform!"
Toto had wandered away, but as
Kubelefsky's foot touched the deck
she came running toward aim.
Come, Toto" he said. They en-
tered the dark cabin together, and he
closed the door.-N. Y. Times.