Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1909-05-20

thing clever. regardless of cost. How
YOU found out my name confuses me.
Indeed" murmured the lady.
Doubtless you nave the club list
in your house. Do you know, when
the letter was brought me- l saw
nothing unusual about the address II
was only when / began this letter
that / comprehended how clever you
were. There are half dozen j. HIS
at the club. / tell you truthfully.
over my own name that your voice
startled ne II would have started
me under ordinary circumstances. In
New York one does not sing in the
streets. 1t is considered bad form by
the police.
"ThanKsl l must remember that"
| was startled. then, because my
thoughts were far away l was
dreaming of Italy. where / was born.
though there is no more Italian blood
in my veins than there is in yours.
The rudy head became erect and
the blue eyes searched the glowing
seams in the logs. Here was riddle.
What made him think of that, l
wOnder?"
| therefore write this in a language
familiar to US both, certain you could
not sing LecOcqs songs in Italian II
you did not speak and understand ii
thoroughly SignOra or signorina.
whichever il may be, have we no
mutual friends? Are you not known
TO some one who knows me? Some
one who will speak for me, my
character. my habits? MOdesty for
bids that l myself should dwell upon
my virtues. / could refer you to my
bankers. but money does not recon-
mend the good character of man.
1t merely recommends his thrift or
more generally that of his father.
THAT will pass as wit" said the
lady. But it is rather dull letter
so far But, then, he is wandering
in the dark.
You say you sang because at that
moment you were happy. This i'm
plies that you are not always So
Surely. with a voice like yours one
can not possibly be unhappy. If only
I might meet you, Will you not do
me that honor? / realize that this is
all irregular. out of fashion, obsolete
But something tells me that neither
of US is adjusted properly TO prosalc
environments. Isn't there just little
pure. healthy romance waiting TO be
given life? Your voice haunts me;
out of every silence it comes to me
she is so innocent, so youthful.
JOHN billiard
The letter fluttered into her lap.
She leaned on her elbows 1t was not
a bad letter; and she rather liked the
boyish tone of it. Nothing vulgar
peered out from between the lines
Did he really love music? He must,
for it was not every young man who
could pick out the melody of an old,
forgotten opera. She shivered, but
the room was warm. Had fate or
chance some Interior purpose behind
this episode? Rather than tempt fate
she decided not to answer this let
ter; aside from her passive supersti-
ton. it would be neither wise nor
use useful. She desired to meet no
strangers. to be left to herself was
all she wished Her voice, it was all
she had that afforded her comfort
and pleasure.
Romance, The word came back to
her With an unmusical laugh she
STOOD up, SldhiIlS liC AceNcA ~ ~
floor. Romancel She was no longer
a girl: she was a woman of five and
twenty; and what should a woman
know of romance? All, there had
been a time when all the world was
romance. romance: when the night
breeze had whispered it under her
easement window. when the lattice
climbing roses had breathed it, when
the moon and the stars had spelled
il. Romance, She hated the word
not less than she hated the Italian
language, the Italian people, the coun-
try itself. She spurned the letter with
her foot and fed the newspaper 10
the fire. She would let Bettina
answer the letter.
She went down stairs to the piano
and played with strong feeling Pres
emily she began to sing a haunting
melancholy song by Abt. From Abt
she turned to Flotow: from Often
bach to ROssini; from Gounod to
Verdi. The voice was now sad or
cav. now tender or wild. She was
mistress of every tone. every shade,
every expression.
The door opened gradually. The
little maids face was moved to rap
ture over these exquisite sounds.
Crash 1t was over.
"Bettina? Bettina, are you listen
ing?"
Il am always listening" Bettina
soueeZed into the room. 81 had not