Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-26

slowly Perhaps Could you play the cynbals?'
";Then come this afternoon at two. There is flu
neral"
Surely never beat so happy heart at funeral
that of Klaus he marched along the street be-
hind the glittering bass-horn. Klaus played with a
WILL striking the cymhals past each other with the
same free movement that had used before him
in old Egypt. before the days of Christ The power
full sound of them seemed to surround him and to
1ncnts the edge of the disks in his unsklled hands,
came striking sharply against his wrists, SO that they
That night Klaus dropped shining silver thalers
INTO his mothers apron
70 his lesson for the cuts his wrists grew
stiff and sore in the night, and his hands swol
len
Never mind the w-e,sercise. to-day. We will
take FIST the ftadc, said the professor he tuned
Klaus's violin TO save time.
@ScPrist{ The bow is slantcd." cried the Herr
Professor striking Klaus's stick OF the strings in
temper. $50, again.
And Klaus began again the beginning only to
ITS my hands" he said with little struggle in
Not the hands merely but stupid carelessness,"
returned the Herr Professor stTiding scornfuy up
No, truly, it is the hands. pleaded Klaus G cut
them yesterday. on the cymbas"
ON the cymbals" repeated the master stopping di
rcctly before Klaus. Dreadful, dreadful! Put up
the fiddle he continued sternly and Klaus obeyed in
trembling haste He had known P,opis who were
to him before AS he opened the door the master
81 will come soon to thy house I will see thy
father But Klaus paid no heed to further disgrace
or rebuSe. He turned for hiding into vacant room,
The tears mastering him and he far too
miserable TO take up at the thread of his childish
Presently he heard the masters heavy, emphatic
step 60 down the nan and away Klaus longed to run
after him to beg for just five minutes-for single
sience while he hcsitaed Then Klaus, tenacious lit
tie German that he was cTeot back into the masters
lesson once more.
The Herr Professor had no thought of returning
fHs went ~ro PT'ky along the 62.S Of the canal and up
quite still rubbing the back Of his head and saving
DOING" Then he turned away. At the corner he
father to his home
Are you going to Herr Kunckles?" he demanded
"What can you say to him? What can YOU saw TO
that poor fellow? He has broken his left wrist Why
stand sfand9" 's VIII never play again. DO 20" under
Yes" said the horn-player moving his. big feet
uleasily as II he had been caught in mischief But
one must say something. You wouldn't
Say something! doh HiD'ftel! That is a worse
stupidity than mine But go-go! Perhaps you un-
tune-euch good wholesome playing! 44ch HHmcI"
and with great gesture the Herr Professor strobe
back to the Music College.
Klaus had crcpt back into the masters acove musty
with old German books and music He was silent
could he speak when the master striding up and
down? Klaus quite lost his courage and forgot all
that had been in his heart to say Presently WITHOUT
warning the master whipped open his double fiddle
case and took from it his precious Guarnerius Was
hlaus TO near him play, indeed In the lessons, he
had given only fragments in burning tones, clipped
thrilling from the fngerboard, again only word
gesture that showed the heart of things. Now
he was to play The violin trcmbled and rang under
the attack Of his opening chords and then the clear
first melody scared forth, rich the color of t-
lips in the sun--the very melody that had upfted the
heart of Klaus long ago in the spring twilight, when
he had listened in the alleyway-that had held him. fit
ting now, now coming to him in full light. Long
hours had Klaus himself wrestled with it when he
alone-now remembering and again filling in the lost
spaces with his musical thought, playing hum
ming, CRYING sometimes with eagerness and vexaton
Why had he not known before? That white hand,
that tone, they all were his masters.
Klaus came out of his corner as if he had been
called; his face had upon it look of wisdom and
wonder, as of something hidden away in the heart
that cannot speak.
The master him and stopped
KLAUS child art thou still here? What is it with
thee? Wilt thou play?" for Klaus's eyes were fixed
upon the violin.
"Ycs-oh, let me try" said Klaus, breathcssly-
quite forgetting the injured hands.
He tucked the precious Guarnerius under his chin
His bow wandered little. for he could master
the chords then from him also foated the marvellous
melody. The boys tone different from his
tiers, very crude times but ever and again strug
CHING out of its bands into glorious fulness and il
diyiduality It the heart of Klaus, and none
other. The Herr Professor had sometimes seen its
complete, Tor Klaus had never before played for him
anything he could love supremey. The melody came
to a close and Klaus went on with his own irnpro-
vsaton threading his to the second melody which
remained in his memory
The young rascalp muttered the Herr Profess
head listening with closed eyes, following with up
lifted finger the trend of a meditation AS Klaus
neyerso lightly, as if it breathing upon flame,
giving to his head and then a motion of empha-
SIS IN which were both JOY and power. Klaus had
had closed the music with full slowly declining notes
that he became shy again, and longed lay by the