Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-18
Bhe Hrgus Daily Short Story
Harris Genius. by Colin S. Collins.
Copyright, 1so7,by NJ NJ. CHnningham)

last he found the right one and made
eager inquiry of the satternly woman
who announced herself as the jani-
tress.
They We're gone, she told him, the
little old professor and his daughter.
She did not know where they had
gone. They were annoying the other
tenants with their everlasting playing
and had been asked to move on that
account.
Great heavens gasped Hart. "You
would probably turn out Paderewski
himself"
I'VE don't take thin Hungarians."
explained the janitress. The little
Dutch professor was bad enough. Divil
another wan av thin comes in here"
Hart turned away heartsick and dis
couraged. Now that the girl was gone
he felt that he had let pass out of his
life tie one woman who would have
made him happy. All the evening he
| moped at the club, and III the days TO
| come the employees at the office asked
each other anXiously if the depression
| in stocks had impaired the capital OF
| the business. Only business worries
could account TO them for Harris irrI-
| liability.
Then came a night when one of his
| associates at the club insisted upon
carrying him off to Il vaudeville house.
There's musical act on that you
will like. You can't afford to miss it,"
| he urged, and Hart went for COM
pany's sake, though he detested the
musical offerings of vaudeville.
The seats were easy, smoking was
permitted, and Hart found himself
comfortably bored until the next to the
last number was announced.
This is great: something new" ex-
piained his companion, and Hart re-
garded curiously the black void of the
stage
| Nothing could be seen save the black
curtains with which the stage was
hung. The music was playing 4 weird
ly fantastic introduction. A flash OF
binding light ran across the front OF
the stage. sending to the flies a cloud
of smoke, which cleared to disclose a
woman CARRIED in white.
Hart started forward in his seat,
then fell back again. 1t was the girl
of across the way. Now a changing
robe OF white fell in graceful folds
from her shoulders, and her masses of
golden hair were left unbound. She
looked out at the audience with inscru-
table eyes and raised the violin to her
elm
She played the same selections that
| hn hn1 at,l i'm In oil Xrl1 I'm of
last the curtain fell and whir an
nounced the>commencemcnt of the mo-
ton pictures Hart sought out the man
ager. whom he knew slightly.
NO MASKING there" declared the
manager, with ldugh. when Hart
begged for an Introduction. Her ia
Their is with her all tue time"
i Il want to meet them BOTH" explain
ed Hart. The playing is wonderful
| have never heard the like"
Something in his earnestness carried
his point, and presently he was behind
the scenes shaking hands With bent
and withered little man who nervously
paced the stage while he waited for
his daughter. Hart was introduced as
an interviewer. and at his suggestion
the party, including the manager, adj
. journed to restaurant where they
could chat in greater freedom.
j To his surprise. the girl Che now
. knew her to be Mona Munth) seemed
to avoid talk of music, turning help
, lessly to her father as Hart repeatedly
brought the conversation around to
. that topic. A girl who could play SC
beautifully should be able TO talk vel
+ upon her beloved art.