Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-07-29
MELODY
OWN Z
BY BELLE MA1JIATES
Copyright, 1901, by Belle Manidtcs


Copyright, 1901, by Belle Mandates Q
eseessesessees
Edith Wilmot looked into the open
fire, whose soft glow intensified her
clear cut features and softened the
meditative restraint in her beautiful
eyes. 1t was the night of her return
home after an enforced absence abroad
of six years, which time had been de-
voted to the care of an invalid father
Since his death had occurred, two years
before, she had aimlessly Travelled and
visited, until now she had decided to
open her old home, so long closed.
On Arnold Graves, organist Of St
Paups and teacher of piano, her young
girlish fancy had centered it's dreams.
The two hours spent weekly under his
tutelage before she had gone abroad
had been very happy ones to her. She
had met her teacher of music socially,
and their friendship had been fast
merging into closer relation when
fate had interviewed in the shape Of the
family physician, who had ordered Mr..
WilmOt to Switzerland, where their So
journ had been prolonged beyond their
original plans.
Edith had carried on spasmodic
correspondence with Arnold Graves;
but, owing to his sensitiveness, her nat
ural restraint and the lack of propin-
guilty, their relations had not changed.
Constantly on her journey home had
come the question to her mind whether
he would find in the woman Of twenty
six what had seemed to please him in
the girl of twenty. She had written to
that evening. He had done so, and
now, after his departure, she sat before
the fire musing on their meeting.
She had in these years sometimes
feared lest her girlish inexperience had
read him wrong and invested him with
qualities that lived only In her own
fancy. She thought she would almost
prefer not to meet him again than to
suffer the loss of her illusions. But
now her broadened nature and wider
experience found him to be all she had
thought him-and more. She knew, too,
that her youthful feeling for him had
quickly and suddenly become some
thing else something that was stron-
ger for it's long duration. She never
had felt quite sure of the place she oc-
cupied in his thoughts and feelings.
but tonight she had seen a strange
light in his eyes when he looked at
her. Perchance the expression had
been there in the days long ago and
she had been too ignorant to translate
1t. 80
She had pursued her musical studies
while abroad, and Arnold had asked
her to come to his studio the next
morning and play to him. She went
at the appointed hour, and after play
ing a few selections there suddenly en-
tered a most beautiful young girl.
miss Wilmot," introduced Graves,
"let me present my ward and pupil,
Miss Beth Forbes. want you to hear
her sing" he explained to Edith.
Then, turning to the girl, he asked
her to go into the adjoining room and
look for a certain aria.
He had written casually of a distant
cousin who had been left to his guard
ianship, but she had supposed his ward
to be mere child. Beth returned with
the music. So charmingly did she rem
der the aria that Edith felt her heart
going out to her, though with conflict
ing sensations. Riding home she sank
listlessly back in the carriage with a
dull throb of pain in her heart. She
passed a most wretched day, full OF
sharpened doubts 1t seemed to her
that Beth lacked no charm and that ne
man could withstand such loneliness.
Arnolds ruling passion was music, and
he must love the girl for her voice
alone.
She wondered if Beth cared for him.
She had seen nothing in the girls man.
ner to indicate that she had anything
more than an ordinary affection of
pupil for her teacher, but then she was
young, and her innocent heart had
probably not yet awakened. Edith
found herself consumed with an in
tense curiosity to know more Of Ar
nold's young protegee. Yielding to
sudden impulse, she sent Beth note
asking her to spend the following day
with her.
Beth accepted eagerly, and, fattered
by having aroused the interest Of an
older, more accomplished woman, she
was responsive in the highest degree
to Edith's advances.
In discussing a popular novel Beth
naively asserted that the woman did
not love the man.
what do you know about love,
Beth?" demanded Edith.
Nothing; only from looking on. Ar
mold says that when 1 sing love songs
tear passion to tatters and that
never can express the song Of the heart
until have been in love-"
"They say pupil never learns to
sing until she falls in love with her
fao ~,