Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-07-07


unworthy brow and hand them over
to the man to whom by right they
belonged.
Yet, even when he had fully re-
covered, Goring, although his charac-
ter was not naturally weak one,
shirked the unpleasant task Of strip
ping himself of those rewards which
he had won from the world with a
single composition, part Of which was
not his own.
He felt it to be a matter of COM
mon honesty to proclaim the truth,
and yet he temporiZed, and finally
decided that, as an initial step in this
direction, he would place an adver-
tisement in the agony column of the
daily papers, and thus endeavor to
trace the mysterious composer Such
inquiries as he had so far made had
been fruitless. But while the adver-
tisement appeared regularly twice a
week, no answer came to it, and as
each day passed it became increas-
ingly difficult for Goring to stand
forward self-branded as a plagiarist.
Six months had gone by, and the
symphony had won its reputed COM
poser wider fame.
At private concert one night the
voice of Fate whispered in Goring's
ears, when his hostess introduced
him to tall, darl-eyed, dark-haired
girl, that here was the one woman
whose coming into his life would
change the whole world for him.
Chance threw them several times
together during the following weeks,
and the warmest friendship sprang
up between himself and Alice Severn.
And with his growing love for her
the last scruple of his conscience
died away. How could he acknoWl-
edge his false position, into which in
the first instance he had been be-
trayed by Arthur Mills's officious-
ness, and stand to be derided, an
object of mockery to the world, while
the woman he loved was there to wit
ness such downfall?
And one day he told her that he
cared for her-begged her to be his
wife. He was a confident lover, for
he believed that his cause would
prove successful But now he was
bewildered by the expression on her
delicate features-it was cold and
hard
Il cannot marry you" she ans
wered, slowly, yet with evident emo
ton.
He stared at her duly.
II dared to think that-that you
were not quiet Indifferent to me-" he
said, the glad, conQuering note fad
ing from his voice
Listen she interrupted, quietly,
''and I will explain why l can never
be your wife. 1t was my own brother
whose brain work you stole and in
troduced into your own symphony.
Now, need l say any more?"
He started. It was the very last
thing he had expected. He stood for
some little time at a loss for words.
81 should like to hear everything
he said, at last; "to know why he
never came forward to lay claim to
his work.,
''My brother is dead,'' she replied,
little brokenly. Tears were in the
deep brown eyes. "He quarreled with
my father, and left home, living in
some miserable fashion-denying
himself the necessaries of life
through foolish pride. He sent for
me, his only sister, but not until too
late. 1 found him dying. But while
he still had strength he gathered
every remnant Of it together, and
played to me upon his violin the mu-
sic that he had imagined would bring
him fame and fortune"
There was silence between them for
some moments. Goring felt that to
this woman, who had loved the gen
ius that had died before the promise
of his gifts could be fulfilled, it would
be almost a sacrilege to offer any
defense for his own part in the
wretched business of the symphony.
Yet there was one thing which he
could not resist mentioning.
why did you not tell. me this be-
fore?'' he asked. "Why did you let
me get to love you first? Was-was
it revenge you sought?"
She shook her head coldly.
81 had never heard your music
played until two days ago." she ans
wered. Il had meant to do SO many
times, but something had always pre-
vented it until then. l heard the mel
odies which the world thinks were
born in your brain, and l knew then
that you had won your place in life,
had lifted yourself high in the public
gaze, by-unworthy means. The mel
odies no more belonged to you than
the jewels in Bond street shop be-
long to the beggar who looks at
them from the pavement. II could
not believe it at first that you, of all
men, could have acted so dishonor-
ably"
The musical world received a shock