New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1907-01-16
BY OHIO B. sENGA
Copyright. 1906, by c. H. sutcline

''She is the daughter of my husbands
brother. When this girl and my Fred.
erick were little children the brothers
promised each other that the children
should marry when they were old
enough. Frederick died, and after your
mothers death l adopted you. You
have taken Frederick's place in every
thing else You must in this. Promise.
Paul!''
''It is utterly impossibler' firmly.
Paul" temptingly, "she is very
pretty"
Alger smiled and shook his head.
"And, Paul. playing her trump card,
''she is musical
Music was Alger's passion.
/ "Yes?" indifferently.
/ ''Yes." emphatically. "She plays the
violin"
''What insufferable presumption i'm.
patiently. ga girl from the wild west,
brought up on a cattle ranch, you said
Doubtless she can ride broncho or
lasso a steer, but she shouldn't NEEDLE
with the violin. She probably never
heard of Bach or Mendelssohn and
wouldn't know sonata from a sand.
witch. Aunt, I can fancy her bringing
her violin in her arms and playing for
the delectation of the other passengers
in the Pullman. Ughr''
'You refuse. then?'
''Most decidedly
every wel.'' icily 81 accept your de.
cision as final.''
The next day Alger from his desk in
the library saw the girl as she entered
the adjoining room, where Mrs. Elliott
waited to greet her She was tall and
graceful, with a high bred air Of ease
that surprised him. Her voice was
clear and we'll modulated.
upon my word,'' he muttered, 81 ex
pected her manner of speech to be a
cross between cowboys yell and an
Indian warwhoop."
He saw the servant come in with a
violin case.
"Will madam have this IN the music
room Or
sob, no; here And Vera held out
her hands.
'sYou brought this yourself, Vera?"
Mrs. Elliott's tone held the slightest
suggestion of annoyance.
/ "In my arms literally" laughed Vera.
: Alger in his dim corner smiled
; Vera gently placed the case on the
floor and lifted out the instrument as
10 hovs he
from its cradle.
'Oh, Aunt Ruth fervently, when
you see it you will understanding
beautiful violin''
/ She clasped it to her bosom with a
gesture of tenderness. The beauty OF
the girl, the unaffected grace OF her
pose and her evident artistic apprecia.
ton stirred Alger to instant admira.
fion.
j He met the girl at dinner. She gave
him one long, earnest look that he felt
at once an inquiry and challenge,
and then she directed her conversation
to Mrs. Elliott
Alger was piQued. He was accus'
toned to more attention from young
women. She related some of the Incl.
dents of her trip.
"We had concert each evening.
There were three girls in our Pullman
coming to Boston to study music. They
sang we'll"
"And you played, I suppose, Miss
Elliotty' Alger could not forbear the
question.
She turned her glance upon him
briefly ooh, scraped my little best, .
coolly.
Alger felt the rebuff, but he shot a
triumphant glance at his aunt.
AS the evening progressed Alger be
gan to wish that he could win some
pleasant look or word from the girl
and to deeply resent his inability to do
so.
will you play for us, Miss Elliott?'
habit.
/ She was about to decline, but Mrs.
Elliott added quickly: For me, Vera:
dear. am so anxious to hear you.''
J The instrument with which Vera re
turned to the room caught Ayers dis.
terminating eye at once
Where did you get this, Miss Eli.
ott" almost abruptly as he recognized
its rarity and value.
1T is a gift from my master. He
had owned it for many years. He has
also a Guarnerius and an Amad. But
this was his sweetheart He always
called 1t sou
"A master OF the violin docs not pre-.