Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-08-25
ABILENE WEEKLY REECOR Abilene KANSAS AUGUST IS 9OWvt PAGES

| lhu ). voice Hacked something,
Let me sing It with you" said Ethel
going to his side
Looking at her suspiciously and won
dering, he started again. Before half
dozen bars were finished the violin rang
with new vigor, the voice of the lad had
steadied into more certain tone, while
passers by stopped to listen to the Won
derful harmony. Before the song was
finished a small crowd had gathered
and the hat was filled with silver har-
vest.
ut is all yours" said the lad, holding
up the capful of coins.
NO" said the girl, only enough for
a lodging"
"Who are your" asked the lad, won
dering.
"Only homeless girl who can sing a
little replied the girl. "My name is
Ethel"
mine is Pietro," replied the Italian.
let us sing some more and divide the
money"
So was formed the new partnership
and day after day and evening after
evening the two sang on the streets and
divided the capfuls Of silver each night.
One morning Pietro counted his
hoard and found that he was rich be-
yond his early hopes. But he did not
contemplate going home to Italy as he
had intended. No, for his veins ran
with liquid fire as he heard In his heart
Ethel singing a love song. He had
heard her night after night and thrilled
under the magic Of her voice until pleas
ure became pain and he could scarcely
draw the bow over the violin. Her
beauty had grown on him until life held
nothing for him excepting her. He
could stand 1t no longer. He would
speak to her He would tell her his
great love- They would be married and
sing on together forever.
She listened to him at first annoyed,
then frightened at the intensity of his
passion. Then she rose sorrowfully.
u am sorry, Pietro," she said, II
cannot understand 1t at all. We have
been very happy in our work. Now I
will have to go away again. Good-by."
And so she left him beating his head
with his hands. Again she went to a
distant city, this time wiser and older.
Straight to great manager-this time
Rosenbaum. Would he hear her sing.
Oh, yes, he would, II she did not take
too long about 1t. On his feet, hat in
hand, at the first notes. Would she
sing again-and again-and again. To
be sure he would make a place for her
If she did not come too high.
No she would not be exorbitant. In
fact, he could fix the price himself. Only
one thing must be guaranteed. No
ogling by manager or other artists. II
any person annoyed her In this way he
was to be discharged. As for Rosen-
baum-well, she told him the story Of
Oppenstein. He, as we'll as all others.
must keep their distance.
And so her work began again. She
became a great hit at once and Rosen-
baum's purse waxed plethoric. Society
crowded the theater. Rosenbaum was
besieged to permit her to sing at
select social affair at the Landervlips.
The manager saw it would be great
advertisement. 1t was. Other similar
engagements followed Ethel was
pressed to enter into the social festivi-
ties. Men and women eagerly sought to
meet her. She was courteous, simple
and cold.
One night at one of these social func-
tions, after she had sung, man of
new type was among those who crowded
to her side. He was big and broad
shouldered and tanned. He wore his
clothes indifferently. His hands were
big and broad and the fingers rather
stubby, instead Of being long and slim
like Pietro's and those of most OF the
men she knew. His eyes were keen and
There was sense Of power
In his every movement. He said few or
the nice things about her singing which
the other men said, but he was eager
and insistent and she found herself car
ried away to the refreshment room by
him. His name was Gray-Raymond
Gray, and later she learned that he was
a civil engineer who had won great fame
obstacles Of nature In the
ar west, and now was eagerly sought
by engineers the world over for advice
and assistance. He attracted her as no
other man ever had-but she could not
ell why or whether she liked the at
raction or rebelled against It.
She saw much Of him after that He
lad the entree to exclusive society and
jeemed always to be where she sang.
Also she saw him often at the opera.
He never complimented her on her sing
ng. This piqued her and made her
furious. Other men could not say
nough. Why did he follow her so per-
istently?
One night after she had sung at her
Iery best and had sent the music lovers
present into ecstacies of despair, Gray
ought her side and took her into the
observatory. She determined to wiring
word OF praise from him.
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