The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-08-15
Padgett's Reedville Quartette
BY LLOYD DORSEY WILLIS
Copyright. by shortstory Pub. Coz

| closing what looked Ike section of
marsh, framed in by the three walls
OF the stage. Water could be seen at
the base OF the reeds, shimmering In
the lamplight. faint evening breeze
, drifted in and stirred the tops of the
reeds and grass.
"A thrill of surprise swept through
the assemblage. What was this?
Where were the musicians? Could
they be hiding in the grasses?
"Padgett did not give them chance
to wonder long. Stepping to the front
ofsthe stage. large bass viol beneath
his arm. he signaled Ed Mills to put
out the lights.
Do not be frightened he said, as
the audience stirred uneasily at the
darkness.
"A hush fell upon the gathering.
Through the open windows came
indistinctly the ceaseless chorus from
the marsh. Suddenly Padgett sent q
rumbling, long-drawn note from the
viol echoing through the hall.
"As If in answer, a deep bass 'pud-
er-unk sprang into life from the bosom
of the miniature marsh upon the stage.
Another voice, somewhat higher, took
up the note and carried 1t on a rising
scale to another and yet another. The
last was metallic, though recognize
able. imitation of the tenor.
Again Padgett drew his bow and
softly drifted into the strains of r
Want to be an Angel With increas-
ing volume, the voices in the reeds fol-
lowed the familiar tune, They werc
Harmonious and, though not exactly
like anything ever heard on a stage be-
fore, blended pleasingly to the ear.
Then the audience was speil-bound.
'Frogs!' they whispered. And then, in
a~ed silence, sat with open mouths.
drinking In the sounds which came un-
interruptedly from the direction Of the
stage.
After the first few bars, It was mo-
ticed that the struggling chorus from
the marsh outside dwindled into q few
Ispasmodic croaks and finally ceased
Not a sound could be heard except
tie fnsistent strains Of the hymn. Az
the last notes died away there was the
shuffiing of feet which precedes APP
plause. Padgett neatly checked the
threatening noise by suddenly swing
ing into Maryland. My Maryland, With
bis four-voiced choir following, 70 to
speak. at his heele, Again the awed
silence. Without pause. tune after tune
was rendered. The singers seemed to
be carried away with a sort of profess
sional enthusiasm. Along toward the
end of Baby Nine (the singing had
lasted an hour now) the baritone's
voice broke little. Az the end Of the
bar. Padgett ran his fingers halfway
down the strings and gave sudden,
fierce lunge to his bow. The VOL
screeched wildly. discordantly. The
singers seemed to bite their notes on
and swallow them.
There were four quick pIunges IN
to the water. anA little waves Tapped
over the tank to the stage. The lights
were on, as II by magic, and wild
cheer went up. The old hall shook
! from end to end. and seemed ready 70
tumble down with the strain. &
We'll. Padgett's fame was made
From that time on he was looked up
on as the cutest man about these parts.
For miles around, the countrymeu
would drive over to hear the frog-Quar
tette sing. They would only perform
at night, when everything was quiet
Mostly on Sunday evenings there
would be q special concert at Pad.
gett's. With pardonable pride, the OLD
man would tell his visitors how he
labored for weeks in the marsh, select
ing just the right voices for his little
band; how he had been disappointed
time and again, and had tried out at
least thousand frogs before he had
been suited. His greatest trouble, he
said. was In teaching the frogs the
theory Of music. and when they should
chime In to Ill up the notes required
OF them. -
Tho .Quartette was as healthy Q
looking bunch Of frogs as / ever saw.
but one OF them, Tim. the tenor, died
suddenly one day late In the summer
think he swallowed a young water
snake and 1t poisoned him. The blow
almost broke Padgett's heart. and af-
fected the other members Of the band
some too. / guess
The other three still performed as
times, but 1t was hard to get in all
the fine notes without Tim. They
we're ambitious, Sam. the second tenor,
more than any, and it proved his un-
doing. One night, in trying to scale
q high note which before had been car
rfed OF easily by Tim. something In
Sans throat snapped. He was 20
cut up about the loss Of his voice that
he hoped away one night and joined
his family in the marsh.