The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-10-07

and seemed to enjoy it.
Music was tabooed from the con-
versation, at his request.
II live in an atmosphere of music"
he said, "and l have come to Swift
erland for fresh air. l write stuff
that nobody wants to hear, and you
play stuff written by me So we are
bound together by the bond of eccen-
tricity."
She looked at him curiously. He
was not the first musician she had met,
from her notion of what composer
ought to be. His hair was not long
and his dress was not slovenly. He
looked like barris'ter or a doctor;
clean, cheerful and very like man.
This man puzzled her. She liked
him-quite apart from music. AS
they became more intimate, they be-
came more confidential. Mr.. Bar
nard heard all about the late Joseph
Weston, of whom she spoke with sin
cere affection, and she let him know,
in that indirect way only possible
to women, that she was wealthy.
you don't often hear of man
making a fortune by music" he said.
She was silent for moment, and
then said, But royalties on compo-
sitions should bring in a large in
come"
II have published twenty or thirty
little pieces" he said, with smile,
''and I can lay my hand on my heart
and state that have never carmel as
many pounds out of the lot"
Her face clcuded sympathetically.
"And yet you go on working?" she
said.
Il write stuff because like writ
ing it" he said simply. Charles Bar
nard always spoke of his work as
STUFF; he was perhaps one Of the
most genuinely modest men in the
world.
81 suppose teaching pays best" she
remarked.
ION the VI Sole it docs" he said,
some men lake quite respectable
incomes by i'll
He didn't me htion that he had new
er had occasiofl to give music les
son in his life, because he was not
given to discussing himself.
''It must be terrible to be Obliged
to waste ones powers and energy on
the drudgery of an art, when one has
capacity for really good work." she
said wistfully.
st is" he said thinking of one or
two good fellows he knew, who were
struggling for fame in the midst of
poverty. Il know more than one man
who might turn out really excellent
work if he didn't have to earn a liv-
ing"
And she treasured the saying in
her heart, thinking it applied to him
self
They fingered on for nearly a
month in the cheap little hotel-for it
was outside the beat of the ordinary
tourist-daily becoming more neces-
sary to each other.
OF course, he didn't propose. Men
seldom propose in real life. But it
came to much the same thing in the
long run. One night they were stroll
ling back to the hotel She was tired
and he made her take his arm. There
happened to be no othor visitors
about and they went out on the ver-
anda and gazed at the mountain they
had climbed some half dozen times.
He put her arm around her waist
and she submitted. 1t had not occur
red to him to do such thing before,
and If he had she would probably
have laughed at him and called him
to order. But the psychological mo-
ment had arrived. When she wished
him goodnight, he kissed her. She
laughed at him softly, but not a word
was said about deep, dignified pas
sion.
I'm afraid this mountain air is
getting into our heads" she said.
Makes one feel ripping, doesn't
ie?" he said unpoetically.
But the following morning he spoke
of their being married as if it was
all arranged.
Are we going to be married?" she
asked, raising her eyebrows.
eve are, If you think you can trust
yourself with me-" he observed.
II think I might be willing to do
that" she said quietly, eff you really
wish it."
Il do" he replied. 81 have never
before told woman loved her."
you haven't mentioned it to me
yet" she said with a twinkle in her
eyes; "but think understand what
you mean. What about your career"
He looked at her in establishment.
His career? He had never heard Of
it, and would not have thought Of
using such a word.
Perhaps my-my money may help
you to make name," she said, rather
timidly.
Then he understood. It accounted
for one or two odd remarks she had
made. She believed him to be
struggling musician, fighting long
odds.