The San Francisco call., 1904-03-27
CHAPTER XIV.
THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY

establishment Thou hast showed thy people
hard things Palms
The third bOarder AT the Garcias' was
Isaac Pierpont. the teacher Of singing.
The Garcia house offered, at least. the
one recommendation Of being a place
wherein musically inclined dodgers
might make the welkin ring with the
sounds OF their industry and no voice
be raised in protest. Between the
pounding OF her own pupils Mariposa
could hear the voices OF Pierp0nt's as
they performed vocal prodigies under
their teachers goadings.
The young man was unusual and in
teresting. he had a "methoo which he
expOunded 10 Mariposa during. the pro-
cess OF meals. II was founded on
large experience Of voices in general
and q close anatomical study Of the
vocal chords. All he wanted, he said,
10 demonstrate its excellence to the
world was a voice. Mrs. Garcia, who
used TO drop in on Mariposa with her
head tied up in white swathings and a
broom in her hand. had early in their
acquaintance given her a life history OF
the two other bcarders, with a running
accompaniment Of her own, comments.
Pierpont had not her highest approval,
as he was exasperatingly Indifferent TO
money. being bound. TO the exclusion
OF all lesser interests, on the search for
his voice. Half his pupils were taught
for nothing and the other half forgot
20 pay. or Pierpont forgot to send in
his bills. which was the same thing in
the end. Mrs. Garcia thought
I can't see what's the gOod>ef work
ing" she said. daintily brushing the
surface of the carpet with her broom,
If you don't make anything by your
work What's the sense Of il, I'd like
"a know?'
As soon as the singing teacher heard
that MaripOss had a voice he had es
pied in her the object Of his search and
begged her 10 sing for him. But she
had refused. She had not sung a note
since her mothers death. The series Of
unforeseen and disastrous develop
meuts that had followed the
opening scene Of the drama in
which she found herself the
central figure had robbed her of all
desire 10 use the gift which was her
one source Of fortune. Sometimes,
alone in her room. her fingers running
over the keys Of the piano. she Won
dered dreamily what it would be like
once again TO hear the full, vibrating
sounds booming out from her chest.
Now and then she had tried a note or
two or an old familiar strain. then had
stopped. repeIled and disenchanted.
Her voice sounded coarse and strange
And while il quivered on the air there
came a rush Of exquisitely painful
memories.
- f1- - -
her encounter with Essex. she had come
in early TO find the lower hall full of the
sound OF a high. crystal clear soprano.
which was pouring from the teachers s
room. She listened interested, held in
z spell Of envious attention. It was
evidently a girl Of whom Pierpont had
spoken to her. who possessed the one
voice OF promise he had yet found, and
who was studying for the stage Lean
ing over the stair rail. Mariposa felt.
with a tingling at her heart, that this
singing had q finish and poise hers en-
tlrely lacked, and yet the voice was
thin, colorless and fragile compared
with her own. With ali its faWless
ease and fuency it had not the same
splendor OF tone, the same passionate
thrill
She went slowly upstairs, pursued by
the beautiful sounds, bending over the
railing 70 catch them more fully, with,
for the first time since her mothers
death. the desire TO emulate, to be up
and doing. to hear once more the rich
notes swelling from her throat.
Some day I'll sing for him." she said
20 herself. with her head up and her
eyes bright, 'and he'll see that none Of
them has a voice like mine
The stir OF enthusiasm was still on
her. when she shut the door Of her own
room. II was hard 10 settle to any
thing with this sudden yelling up of
old ambitions disturbing the apathy
following on grief She was standing.
looking down on the gsrden-a prospect
which had long lost its forlornness to
her accustomed eyes-when a knock at
the door fell gratefully on her ears.
Even the society Of Mrs. Garcia, with
her head tied up in the white duster,
had its advantages now and then
But il was not Mrs Garcia, but Mrs
Wfllers whom the opening door re-
vealed. Mariposa's welcome was
warmed not only by the desire for COM
panionship but by genuine affection.
as her best friend
They did not see each other as often
as formerly. for the newspaper woman
found all her time occupied by her new
work To-day being Monday, she had
managed to get of for the afternoon,
as il was in the Sunday edition that the
Woman's Page attained its most i'm
posing proportions Monday was a day
Of. But Mrs. Willers did not always
avail herself Of il. She was having the
first real chance Of her life and was
working harder than she had ever done
before. Her bank account was mount
ing weekly. On the occasions when she
had time to consult the little book she
SAY through the line Of figures Edna
awzng TO fine school in New York, and
then, perhaps. a still finer one abroad,
and back Of that sgain-dimly, as be-
came 4 blfssful yision-Edna grown a