Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-02-11


blond, untidy looking fellow who so ad-
mired her at first sight. But Herman
was O handsome fellow despite the
careless manner in which he dressed,
and the new stenographer often glanced
at him approvingly when she knew he
was looking the other way.
Mr.. Drummond, the senior partner In
the firm, introduced Herman to the
new stenographer- He knew Herman's
reputation fer shyness and only by
great effort kept down q smile when he
saw the big German blush conspicuous
ly upon meeting the frank glance Of
the young girl. The introduction over,
Herman promptly turned to his books,
more for the purpose Of letting the
blush die away than for spY ather rea-
son. As he porea over the books he re-
aected with delight that the girls name,
Helen Dumont, was a name that emf
nently suited her.
1t was not until business hours were
over, his dinner eaten and the violin
and himself In close companionship on
the little balcony that he decided he
was at last in love. Then he took the
violin into his confidence, cuddling 1t
up to his chin and playing very softly
a little love song Of the Rhine country.
1t was light thing, ripping and sum
shiny, and II seemed ta express his feel
fhgs.. he wondered IL Helen was mu-
sical She must be. her face was 30
sensitive. he decided.
a. he played he heard n window
raised In the house next door and re-
fected uneasily that some one would
probably shout across to him to keep
his fiddle playing for tie daytime.
However, no protest came, and he
changed the air he was playing to
Schubert's serenade. Scarcely had he
taken up the measure of this than he
beard a voice accompanying him. No
words WaIs sung; IT was sort Of hum
Inipg. but In q voice of so pure a So
prano quality that he was thrilled
through and through. Then he played
one Of sauer's peasant love songs, and
the voice still accompanied him, this
time singing the words very softly.
But other windows in his own house
were raised to protest at the music.
From the window where the siRger sat
silvery laugh ioated out, The win
dow closed, and the voice accompanied
Ills music no more that night
Next day at the office he stole many
turtive glances at Miss Dumont and
tried to decide whether he was in love
with her or with the voice he had
heard the night before. Already he
was beginning q think OF 1t as The
,uleo, mentaffy capitalizlng the words.
Before the day was over he decided
that he was In love with Helen Du-
! mont. The graceful turn Of her head
and the purity Of expression IN her big
bEown eyes seemed 10 him worth all
the voices In the world. But In the
evening The Voice again accompanied
his violin playing, and for an hour he
was near to forgetting Miss Dumont.
This went on all through the spring,
and Herman began TO lose flesh undet
I the straiu OF trs1ng 70 decide whether
| he was In love with beautiful girl
or q beautiful voice. Time and again
he wrestled unavailingly with the shy
ness which prevented him from get
ting better acquainted with Helen bu'
Inout. he otten met her on his way
home in the evening and knew that
she lived somewhere close, but he
could never quite get his courage up
to the point Of asking permission to
call on her,