The Press., 1908-04-15

who did not simply buy admission
tickets and listen to others. She was
in it all, in the world of music from
which Miss Amy had always been ex
cluded by the iron key. marked duty.
"HOw-how do you manage to get
into a choir or league or anything
of that sorI?"
The girl felt fattered as she looked
into Miss Amy's kindling face.
''Oh, they're always looking for good
sight readers with fresh. clear voices
In the big choirs. Sometimes you get
paid-sometimes you don't. l didn't
get anything last year But the easiest
way to get in is to take lessons from
the choirmaster-private lessons. Then
Mr.. Weston will put you in the choir
to jolly you along, whether you can
sing or not You're new to New York,
and you wouldn't believe the graft
The clang of the supper bell drowned
the latter part of the sentence, and the
girl rose abruptly. Miss Amy followed
her down to the dining room, but
scarcely knew what was spread before
them. What mattered food or drink
or sordid landladies or gossiping board
ers when she had found the key to her
paradise at last? Perhaps it was graft
perhaps the girl spoke thoughtlessly.
The next morning very early Miss
Amy went shopping She told the mil
liner she wanted brown hat to match
her suit mo. not toque like she had
on; something younger" and she de-
scribed quite accurately the hat which
the girl had worn to church the after
noon before.
"Pll wear this" she said, land You
can send the old one home"
Next she went to the nearest drug
store and studied the directory. Yves
ton. Albert, singing teacher, 421 West
- street.
And as she left the drug store she
spied a florists window, and she stop
ped for bouquet of violets. Then
again she hesitated The crisis of this
her new life was at hand. She al
lowed three cars to pass, and then,
with firmly compressed lips, she sig
nailed for hanson. At the boarding
house every one said that in New
York one must keep up appearances.
Perhaps If he thought she could afford
to ride in hansoms he would overlook
her vocal deficiencies.
Albert weston, worn by his strug-
giles with an Indifferent pupil, was
standing at the window of his studio
when theG hanson drew up before the
building and the brown, wrenlike fig
ure stepped cautiously from the vehi-
Gle and shot a questioning glance up
the brOwnstone front.
I'm glad | took the hansom," COM
mented Miss Amy as she mounted the
steps, This was life! An absurd thrill
swept over her and brought delicate
and most becoming blush to her face.
Mr.. Weston studied her curiously,
hands deep In his pockets. when she
asked almost timidly the privilege Of
studying with him. Prices, hours, ev-
erything seemed secondary to the fear
that he might not accept her as pupil.
He tried her voice, paced the room q
few moments and then said gravely:
Yes. l will take you as a pupil, but
want to be quite frank with you.
You will never be a great singer. You
have a sweet, harmless. dra wing room
voice but | don't want you to go into
the work with any idea of being a
granu opera singer IN time. lou nave
begun-too late for that"
Again the delicate flush mounted to
her face
~ understand all that-it is just for
my own pleasure. IL could not study
sooner. 1t is just for the joy of being
able to sing for myself"
He stopped short in his nervous walk
and looked at her. Such simplicity.
such humility, such lack of ambition,
almost staggered him.
Perhaps some time-when my voice
Is little stronger-you might that is,
If it would be quite right. you might
let me join your choir at St Angus
tine's?"
First vacancy there is" he assented
heartily. "What our congregation likes
is number of sweet correct voices.
BY the time some one gets tired of re-
hearsals or marries or moves away I'll
have your voice placed and be glad to
take you on"
And so commenced the musical ca
reer of Miss Amy Carter. aged thirty
one, residence second class boarding
house; occupation. spending the small
Inheritance which had come to her
suddenly after life of narrow drudg-
cry and unrelieved sacrifice. At first
her lessons opened and closed with al
most monosyllabic conversation. but in
time the musician delved beneath the
surface and found the heart which for
years had almost starved for music
AAA aw, rk.x~
but there had been work to do so
heavy that her hands had grown too |
rough and stiff to play the old fash |
Toned organ. There were two invalids |
to nurse when the village choir would |
have been glad of her services Il