The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-10-09
CHAPTER v,

CHAPTER v.
Mr.. Van Torp knew no more about
Bayreuth than about Samarkand. be-
yond the fact that at certain stated
times performances of Wagner's
operas were given there with as much
solemnity as great religious festivals
and that musical people spoke of the
Bayreuth season in curiously rever.
cnt manner. He would have been
much surprised if any one had told
him that he often whistled fragments
of "Parsifal" to himself and liked the
sound of them; for he had a natural
ear and a good memory, and had
whistled remarkably well when he
was boy.
The truth about this seemingly i'm
possible circumstance was really very
simple. In what he called his cow
punching days, he had been for six
months in company with two young
men who used to whistle softly to-
gether by the hour beside the camp
fire, and none of the other boys" had
ever heard the strange tunes they
seemed to like best, but Van Torp
had caught and remembered many
fragments, almost unconsciously, and
he whistled them to himself because
they gave him a sensation which no
real music" ever did. Extraordinary
natures, like his, are often endowed
with unnoticed gifts and tastes quite
unlike those Of most people. No one
knew anything about the young men
who whistled Wagner; the Lost
Legion" hides many secrets, and the
two were not popular with the rest,
though they knew their business and
did their work fairly we'll One of
them was afterwards said to have
been killed in shooting ARRAY and
the other had disappeared about the
same time, no one knew how, or
cared, though Mr.. Van Torp thought
he had recognized him once many
years later. They were neither Amer
leans nor Englishmen, though they
both spoke English well, and never
were heard to use any other language.
Mr.. Van Torp was fond of music,
quite apart from his admiration for
the greatest living lyric soprano, and
since It was his fancy to 60 to Bay
reuth in the hope of seeing her, he
meant to hear Wagner's masterpiece.
and supposed that there would not be
any difficulty about such a simple mat
ter, nor about obtaining the sort OF
rooms he was accustomed to, in the
sort Of hotel he expected to find
where so many rich people went every
other year. Any one VINO has been
to the holy place Of the Wagnerians
can imagine his surprise when, after
infinite difficulty, he found himself,
his belongings and hts man deposited
in one small attic room of a Bavarian
tanners house, with one feather-bed,
one basin and one towel for furniture.
"Stemp," said Mr.. Van Torp, this
is heather town"
Eyes, sir"
Il suppose I'm thought close about
money" continued the millionaire,
thinking aloud, but I call IS day
dear for this room, don't your"
yes, sir, do indeed! call It
downright robbery. That's what call
It, SIR"
well. I suppose they call it bust
ness here, and quite a good business,
too. But I'd like to buy the whole
thing and show EN- how to run it.
They'd make more in the end"
Yes, sir. hope you will, sir. Beg
pardon, sir, but do you think it would
cost a great deal?"
They'd ask a great deal, anyway"
answered the millionaire thoughtfully.
"Stemp, suppose you get me out some
things and then take a look around,
while try to get wash in that-that
tea-service there"
Mr.. Van Torp eyed the exiguous
basin and jug with some curiosity
and much contempt Stemp, impressive
and correct under all circumstances,
unstrapped a valise, laid out on the
bed what his master might need, and
inquired II he wished anything else.
There isn't anything else," an
swered Mr.. Van Torp, groomily.
When shall come back, sir?"
I'm rs minutes. There isn't half
an hours wash in that soup-plate,
anyway"
He eyed the wretched basin with a
glance that might almost have
cracked it. When his man had gone,
he proceeded to his toilet, such as it
was, and solaced himself by softly
whistling as much of the "Goed Fri
day" music as he remembered, little
dreaming what 1t was, or that his per-
Torrance was followed with nervous
and almost feverish interest by the
occupant of the next room in the at
tic, a poor musician who had saved
and scraped for years to sit at the
musical feast during three days.
sc sharp" cried an agonized voice
on the other side Of the closed door
in strong German accent. Il know
it is E sharp! | know it,"
Mr.. Van Torp stopped whistling al
once, lowered his razor, and turned g
mask of soapsuds in the direction
whence the sound came.
DO you mean me?' he inquired II
a displeased tone.
Il mean who whistles the Good Fri
daV' In hA