Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-16
nism modified, the woman's olsen

Then subtly over and through tine
bird song another sound became audi
Bile. At first it merely repeated the
three notes family like an echo, but
with rich, sad undertone that brought
tears. Then timidly and still softly it
elaborated the theme, weaving in and
out through the original three the gilt
ter and simmer of a splendid web of
sound, spreading before the awakened
/ Imagination broad river of woods i'm
ag1nary that reflected on its surface all
the subtler moods of the forest.
With the first sigh of the wonder mu-
sic the girl had started and caught her
breath at the exquisite pleasure of it.
AS it went on they both forgot every
thing but the harmony and each other.
"Ah, beautiful she murmured.
"What is it?'' he whispered, marvel
ing
"a violin-played by master"
The bird suddenly hushed, and at
once the strain abandoned the woods
note and took another motif. At first
it played softly in the higher notes, a
tinkling, lightsome little melody that
stirred kindly surface smile over a
full heart. Then suddenly. without
transition, it dropped to the lower reg
lister and began to sob and wall in the
full vibrating power of great pas
sion.
And the theme it treated was love.
At last the poignant ecstasy seemed
slowly, slowly to die. Fainter and
fainter ebbed the music. Through it as
through mist the solemn aloof forest
began to show to the consciousness of
the two. They sought each others eyes.
: gently smiling The music was very
soft and dim and sad. They leaned to
each other, with a sob; their lips met;
: the music ceased.
And over behind the trees, out Of the
light and the love and the beauty, lit
, tie Phil huddled, his great shaggy head
bowed in his arms. Beside him lay his
violin and beside that his bow, broken
, He had snapped it across his knee
That day he had heard at last the
: heart song of the violin and, uttering
, it, had bestowed love. But he had that
g day lost what he cared for most in al
the world-bis friend.
, Little Phil disappeared utterly, TAX
: ing with him his violin, but leaving his
r broken bow. Thorpe has it even tt
j this day The lumberman caused
: search and inquiry on all sides. The
r cripple was never heard of again.
: II saw you long ago." said Hilda t
: Thorpe long, long ago, when l wa
Y quite a young girl. had been visit
8 ing in Detroit ana was on my way al
J. alone to catch an early train. Yo
It stood on the corner thinking, tall an
J. straight and brown, with a weathe
e beaten old hat and weather beate
l. old coat and weather beaten old MOI
!. casins, and such a proud, clear, vi
d daunted look on your face. l have r.
+. membered you ever since"
II And then he told her Of the race
10 the land Office, while her eyes gre
II brighter and brighter with the ep
e, splendor of the story. She told hi
n that she had loved him from that m
II ment, and believed her telling, viii
g be- the unsentimental leader Of me
persuaded himself and her that he ha
to always in some mysterious mann
he carried her image prophetically in b
W heart. So much for the love of it.
e. In the last days of the month Of d
II light Thorpe received second lett
e; from his partner, which to some exte
d. awakened him to the realities.
"My dear Harry" it ran, Il ha
~ made startling discovery. The 9th
On fellow is Morrison. l have been bin
til stupid dolt and am caught nicely. Y
ne can't call me any more names than
OF have already called myself. Morris
ed has been in it from the start. By an
cident learned he was behind the t
n low who induced me to invest, and it
m he who had been hammering the sto
down ever since. They couldn't Ii