The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1911-01-07

the rack he said reassuringly:
1T isn't at all difficult TO read, you
know"
q really know it so well that I
couldn't make mistake if 1 should
try" she said. with a little nervous
laugh.
Then she played it-played it so
understanding and SO well that the
shade of the old reformer must have
felt approval even though it had no
power to manifest it. Being mortal,
Colonel Aspen had no difficulty in ex-
pressing his satisfaction
Won't you play something else for
me:' he asked, with an interest he
had taken in none of the others. DO
you know any of the Bach preludes
or fugues? If you like I will get you
the music"
Don't take the trouble, sir.
| think 1 can do without" she said,
and without further parley she began
to give out the theme of the great
fugue known popularity as "St. AIMS .
AS she proceeded the colonel was first
amazed, then delighted. The tech
nical difficulties of the composition
were as nothing to her. Her finger
work was admirable and her pedaling
was mastery. As the last great chord
of the third movement died away it
was only the fact that he was in a
place of worship that restrained the
colonel from noisy approval. AS it
was he said emphatically:
You'll do, Miss He had never
heard her name.
hn
tatingly.
1T fits you beautifully, being the
name of one of the organ stops" he
said CALAMITY. "Viola-"
GAMBIA she said. quite family this
time
Most remarkableI The name of
still another stop. You are certainly
| a daughter of the noble instrument. "
At this she laughed a little and
he took refuge in the safe subject of
| terms. She expressed herself as more
| than satisfied with the salary he of
fered her and they separated, with
| the understanding that she was to
play the prelude and postlude at the
| Sunday morning service, leaving the
accomplishments to the colonel, who
The members of the congregation
| of ST. Judith's were not, tat that time,
| in the habit of hearing the prelude.
! Those who did hear it on the first
| day of the new assistant organists
| incumbency were SO outspoken in
| their appreciation of 1t that on the
following Sunday the church was
we'll filed when the little woman
| took her place On the bench and the
colonel seated himself beside her,
! prepared to turn the music and man
| ipulate the necessary combinations.
Beside the fact that Miss GAMBIA
was an excellent organist, the femi-
nine contingent made two other dis
! coverfes-she was remarkably pretty
and the colonel was deeply interested
in her Before the end of the first
quarter the organist and his assistant
were the most widely discussed per
sons in the parish.
The colonel was widower of many
years standing. AS was natural, most
| Of the women disapproved of Miss
GAMBIA. Some of them were SO
| frank in their expression of the fact
that it was not possible for either OF
the persons most interested to re
main in ignorance of what was being
said of them. It annoyed the colonel
nightly, but did not seem to disturb
Miss GAMBIA in the least
The climax came one night at d
musical affair in the church parIors
Engaged as accompanist, Viola made
her appearance in a gown thai
aroused much admiration. The
colonel came in rather late and his
assistant did not attempt to hide he1
satisfaction that he had come at all
She was so Enthusiastically glad to see
him that even the delighted colonel
was at a loss to account for her in
genuousness. He could not rid him
self of the suspicion that she was
playing a part.
Finally, at moment when they
were the center of observation and
no one could fail to be an eyewitness
she came up behind him and imprint
ed light kiss on his forehead
MY dear Miss Gamba!" he pro
tested, with a countenance that was
apoplectic.
81 Alec's wffe!" she whispered
Introduce me-
1t was a critical moment for the
colonel. 1t was as if every drop Of
blood in his body had been seized
with a sudden determination to gel
to the very top of his head. With q
mighty effort he rose to his feet
Ladies and gentlemen" he begar
rather family, but gathering strength
as he proceeded 4 take great pleas
ure in presenting my new daughter
Mrs. Alec Aspen, who has been mas
querading as your assistant organ
ist'