Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-09

| fully Of the days OF movement and
change that were to follow, the song
| in his heart shaped itself in words
| upon his lips.
tsI'm Paddy Whack
From Bal!yhack,
Not long ago turned soldler-O
At grand attack,
Or storm or sack,
None than will prove bolder-O"
His voice was by way Of being a
tenor Of tolerable quality and volume.
but Misunderstanding wonderful. 1t
was Just the way he trolled out the
rollicking stanZa that rendered it in
fictitious, Irresistible. For as he
| paused the voice Of the woman that
had reminded him of the song capped
the verse neatly.
can whin We get the route
Wild 4 shout,
How they pout!
Wild 4 ready rgft-about
Goes the bould soldier-boy!"
O'Rourke caught his breath, star
tied, stunned. ut can't be" he
whispered. For if at first her voice,
subdued in distance, had stirred his
memory with q touch IS vague and
thrilling as the caress Of wcman's
hand in darkness, now that he heard
the full strength of that soprano, bell
clear and spirited, he was sure ne
knew the singer. He told himself that
there could be no two women in the
world with voices just like that; not
another than her he knew could have
rendered The words with so true
spirit, so rare q brogue-tingcd as
that had been with tho faintcst,
ouaintest exotic infection imasin-
able
But she had stopped with Tho
verse half sung. His pulses quicken
ing, O'Rourle leaned forth from the
window and carried it on:
30, It's thin the laG:cs fai-
In despair
Tear their hair!
But--''.TiS d:yvle 4 bit carer
Cries the bou!d soIlisrbry"
There fell pause. He listened
with his heart in his mouth. but heard
nothing. And it seemed impossible to
surmise whence, from which one OF al
the rooms with windows opening upon
that side OF the hotel, had come tho
voice OF the woman She might as
well have been above as below him,
or en- either side: he could not guess.
But lie was determined.
Now there was beneath his window
balcony With floor Of wood and
rail OF irop-digree-a long balcony,
extending from one corner OF the no.
tel 10 tho other At intervals it was
sDlashcd with light from the windows
OF chambers still occupied BY guests
belatcd or busy, like himself, with tie
task OF dressing for the evening. The
window to his left was alight; that
or his right, dark. With half his body
on the balcony, his legs dangling with
in the room, O'Rourke watched the
opening on his left with jealous,
breathlcss expectancy. Not sound
came therefrom. lie hesitated.
III that weren't her room, I'd hear
somebody moving about" he reasoned.
otis frightened she is-not suspect
in it's me. But how do | know
its herself? Faith! could me
ears deceive me-"
With that he took heart Of hope and
broke rlanfully into the chorus, sing
ing directly to the lighted window,
singing the first line with ardor and
fervor, with confidence and with hope,
singing persuasively, pleadingly, anX-
iously, insistentiy.
sTor the world is oil befo-ore US"
he sang and then paused. He heard
no echo. And again he essaycd, with
that in his tone to melt heart of
ice:
"For the world IS ali befo-ore US"
And now he triumphed and was
lifted out of himself with sheer de-
light; for from the adjoining room
came the next line:
! "And lanGlaGics ado-ore US"
Unable to contain himself, he
chin1ed in, and in duet they sang it
out to the rousing finale:
"They ne'cr raytuse to sco-ore u.s.
I But chalk US up wiG joJ'
We taste her tap. We tear her cap
/ %. that's the chap
For me- cries she
"Uhiroo:
| Isn't lie the darlint, the 5ould soldier
boy"
AS the last note rang ont and died.
the next window wcs darfe.ed; TIC
woman had switched OF the lights.