Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-11-30
NIITTIEsL!NI!JITIJITIJLTIIII

WVlY3WW Observation-Disclosures OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
TOR many years after fate parted my
i Carl and l, remained in the Kai-
ser Museum, situated on Linden
Strasse, in the city of Munich, sus-
penGed from a brass hook screwed in
the top of very tall glass case.
This museum was a dull place, the
other instruments there being exceed
ingly inferior to myself, except, per-
haps, for decrepit cello who claimed
to have been created by Nicholas ANA
Ii, and who was SO overbearingly con-
ceited that it was a WEAKNESS to con-
verse with him. So l spent the long
hours that hung SO heavy in wonder
ing if my glorious voice would ever be
heard again, and dreaming of the old
days-and Carl. How we'll | remember
the time l came to him! Fretting
over my sorry lot, 1 had been lying,
dusty and neglected, in my case for
more weeks than l like to think about,
on an out-of-theway shelf in dingy
pewnshop, when one day my prison
was opened, and l looked for the first
time on Carl Schilling's face.
l shall never forget that face!
Young, fair, with dreamy, tender eyes
that revealed the violin-soul hidden in
their blue depths; and good-ach Colt!
such a good face. My heart leaped
with hope, for / knew intuitively that
he was a musician, and fearful that
the gloom of the poorly lighted shop
would deceive him as to my real worth
as was being put into his hand l con-
trived to slip so that narrow beam
of light from the small window would
fall squarely into my left F hole; for
beneath it, on the inside"of my back,
is scrawled the signature of the mas
ter, Antonius StradivariuS
Carls hand tremblcd on my neck
so l knew that he had seen what
wished him to see, and all at once a
panic seized me, and | almost re-
GREETED my slip-I was afraid his agi-
tation would betray my secret, and
that the Jew who owned the shop
would suspect my real value, and put
such price on me that the boy could
not pay it for Carls youth and neat
but threadbare clothing showed we'll
enough that he was not wealthy. l
might have spared myself the lear,
however, for the pawnbroker sold me
for two thalers-(thinlz of that, viii
you, two thalers-for meD little
dreaming of the fortune he had let slip
through his grasping fingers, and
left the detestable place under Carls
arm.
A life began for me then, l can
tell you. In week my new master
had fathomed my every mood, and
responded to his touch with my whole
scUl-Gott in Himmel! the boy could
play like an angel. He was only
first violin in the Odeon theater, but
when he tucked me lovingly under his
chin, whispering that l was his "lit-
tie sweetheart" l would pour out my
soul with joy and pride until the Herr
Director himself would turn about in
his high chair to look at us-indeed
he offered Carl thaler upon thaler for
me, but my master only patted my
neck and laughed.
''Nein, mein Herr" he replied, hap.
pity; lit is useless There is not
enough money in all Germany to buy
my little sweetheart"
After a time Carl found another
sweetheart dear little sunny-haireC
fraulein, who soon loved me almos
as well as Carl did, only 1 think she
always stood little in awe of me
: which is not to be wondered at, con
sidering who / am. Was l jealous
Not a bit of it. Elsa was so swee
no one could have helped loving her
and when she and Carl were married
] tried so hard to hum the wedding
march that my G string snapped OF
close to the nut.
Sometimes, on an evening whel
there was no performance at the thea
ter, Carl would lift me out of my oil
box, while Elsa sat smiling at us wit
her knitting. and would sing to then
(you cannot imagine how beautiful
would sing) of the grand, mysterious
terrible Alps; of the somber pines an
cleaning ice-gorges and Edelweis:
with Gods wide blue sky over all
songs the wind had whispered to tn
pine-trees in far-off Switzerland. fro1
whose nbers half my being had com,
shortly hushed, eager expectanc
Cell on cur little home, that mad
elsa shy and nistful and Carl hold b