The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-03
The EVENING STORY
Discord and Harmony.
(By. Nancy Brent.l


sTannhauser," rendered by himself on
the piano, failed to hear the first tap
at his studio door. The visitor, evident
ly realizing how tantalizing it to stop
midway in feeling of transport, wait
led until the last note of Elsa's Prayer
died away. then knocked again. and
finally. by an energetic rattle Of the
doorknob. caused the professor to come
back to a realization Of things
mundane.
.tAh! was awaiting you, mademoi-
| selle. I was anxious to hear how you
sang SO beautifully for monsieur, the
manager"
Edith Garth threw her music roll on
the piano, and walked over to the fire.
place, where the extravagant professor
had lighted the gaslog.
1--WE simply disgraced you," she said
miserably, holding the toe Of her damp
shoe to the blaze with despairing In
difference to the smell of burnt leather.
'Impossiblet Your voice is most beau
tiful, and I had taught you the ora
| torio until you could render 1t with
closed eyes," the professor expostulated.
The girl sat down, hunting vainly for
her handkerchief.
st don't know what my voice was,
| but when tried to sing for that horr1d
man this afternoon I didn't have any
voice of any kind. 1t wabbled, avoid
ed the tune-did everything-and hnal-
ly died away in an asthmatic gasp.
She found the handkerchief, and II
proved to be too small for the demand,
a suspicious Hmpness indicating that
it had previously seen much service.
| Ma pauvre petite! the professor
gazed at her perplexedly, I'm make a
cup of strongest tea, bitter as the Eng
| fish and the Americans could wish Tor.
While we drink it and eat some crack
ers and can Of the tiniest sard1nes
that 1 have in the back Of the music
case you can tell me your depression
He put the kettle on the alcohol lamp
and drew the piano bench in front OF
| the fireplace, spreading sheet OF
| her eyes furtive1y, and after the out
door chill, her nerves slowly relaxed by
the comforting gaslog. She watched
| him with the amused tolerance Wo-
man has for a mans housekeeping, ana
| when he brought the 'Tannhauser
| score to put under the teapot she 1or-
got her woe long enough for falnt
smile, which the professor quickly Cd
| served.
land when you have eaten six of the
| little fish and two of the crackers, and
ask for a second cup of this Well-cooK.
| ed tea-you may tell me your story.
He arranged three of the prescribed 1T
| tie fish on a cracker, and deity squeez-
| ed some lemon juice over them.
81 believe I am equal to three more,
she said, selecting an unbroken cracker
| from the box and holding 1t while ne
angled for the sardines. And now
must tell you what a failure made.
When my voice stopped with that
asthmatic gasp I never was SO sur
prised in my life. l told MIN !! olon
| know what was the matter-Fd never
| had such an attack before. He said he
| had often had candidates for positions
| in the choir get so nervous they
couldn't sing at first, and for me to rest
| a few minutes and try again.
But 1 thought how hard I had tried
1 J0ic nd
| hard 1 had studied with you for the
| last six months, when the people IT
| home had scrimped and saved TO keep
me here in the city, and 1zdon.t know
how lost my grip, but great, dig tears
! commenced running down my cheeks.
| Not nice ladylike tears, but the great,
big, splashy kind that you can't swal-
| low, and that real ladylike handker-
chief will not soak up
| She had hung the ladylike handker-
chief before the fire to dry, and the big
blond professor, who looked more nke
a Morse sea king than french teacn-
er of voice. handed 1T to her with
twinkle in his eye.
| Perhaps you might ma d spot Snsh'-
Nv dry" he suggested.
cts s-silly of me to start on TINS way
again. The director told me 70 come
again next week and he would pear
me-that if I could sing IN nan 'ne
make good. You ought to be ashamed
to laugh at me- reproachfuliy- III
never have the courage to go AGAIN
and I'll always be afraid to sing IN pup
lie now-my voice might act ina. way Ne,
again. and 1 wanted SO 10 nhane NY Nv
ing by singing"
He leaned toward her and spoke
earnestly. .,.o,,o
You must go again. mademoisene:
Tn NV country we always drive horse
hacL and make him look at the object
that has given him the fright. 1t Is SO
nth this nervous terror OF yours
petite. 1t will grow larger DAY py Gay
until YOU will be so sensitive you can
not do the solos in the church or the
concert. VIII you Try II aeaiii ioA'
1T fee, that I couldn't. positively
couldn't ;" she gasped, trembling at the
, Thought of a second fiasco.
The professor got his nat ana coat ~, 70
. walk down the street with AoA ~ A1oA
boarding house.
IT 90 with you next week, mademoi-
selle. play your accompaniment Tor
| YOU. You must forget yourself, and
when he hears you sing the place as
cepting-nlonsieur the director will i'm
|, plore you to accept"
: The next week an elated girl entered
the professors studio. She was not
alone. The professor hlmseiI Threw tne
roll of music on the piano with little
whoop Of enthusiasm.
Never have you sung so well, and
do you not feel glad that the morse that
ha1i-ad was led back to try again ?"
II don't mind being called horse a
hit Pm so happy" she exclaimed. You
couldn't offend me emen If you called
j me q donkey. And it's you-you-who
have done it all. found out yesterday
that YOU have been teaching me for
practically nothing. when your other
pupils are paying outrageous prices
II was sood-so good-of you," and she
. held out her hands impulsive1y.
The professor took them In his and
the blueness Of his eyes sparkled into
hers
sit was not goodness, petite-it was