El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-23
By Nicholas Bnutchet.

III
NJ finished playing the piece en-
titled The Black Eyes" she
rested her pretty arm on the piano
She was so charmed with the music
that she felt as If she could almost
embrace the piano which could bring
forth such lovely sounds Her thoughts
were floating in 3 world peopled by
strange beings, and filled with sweet
murmurs. She sat thus for moment
and then stood Up, MADE a Few grace
ful dance steps and let herself fail
into a. easy chair on the left OF the
piano. 4 With eyes Aalf closed, she
threw back her beautiful head and
opened her pretty mouth little, show
ing two rows Of perfect teeth she
crossed her arms and lost herself in
she was alone in the large music
room 1t was a summer evening about
half past nine. The candles on the
piano only were lit The window
shades were drawn with the exception
Of one facing the garden.
She was so strangely moved that
she barely breathed-
Tall, slender and pretty she was Just
20 years old. She lived for music ana
painting and all her friends had at
least one OF her WatercOlOrs in their
albums But she adOred music above
anything, and could sit for hours.
sometimes all night, at her piano She
Beethoven. Rubinstein's Demon and
Verdfs Aida" But nothing had hith-
erto moved her as much as The Black
Eyes" This piece, which one OF her
friends had lent her couple OF weeks
ago. was composed by young Bull
garian artist who had Just returned
from abroad, where he had studied
music at q famous conservatory.
The first time Savka played this
piece she felt a peculiar sensation and
since then she had played II every day
and had learned TO love it 1t was a
strange mixture OF love and passion
violence and genteness-
Savka was still dreamlng-W hat
lovely music. What flight She seemed
to see flock Of pigeons flying high,
suddenly become transformed into a
dazzling light and disappear. The 9TH
CT pigeons flying SkyWards were trans
formed into a crown Of glittering stars
And she had barely had time TO ad
mire this transformation when they
all changed into shower Of flowers
and then into a beautiful bouquet
which a slender white hand stretched
towards her lips. The fragrance was
intoxicating. Then IL was not the
flowers which touched her lips, but
two other warm lips and above these
she saw two eyes dark as night
Perhaps 9The Black Eyes" was not
such a wonderful masterpiece IS she
thought, but it awakened within her
a host Of indefinable echOs.
When Ssvka played IL the sound did
not seem to come from the piano but
from her own bosom, from the depths
OF her soul
Tonight the music charmed her more
than ever, undoubt edly because she had
seen the composer one Of her friends
had pointed him out to her in the
park, tail, slender, fair-hsired, dressed
all in black, and with a monOcle, he
was walking with two friends with
whom he chatted gaily. He was very
handsome. What noble and distin-
guished manners, Surely ne must be
a true artist. And what q soul he
must have TO be able to compose such
a tunei how she should have liked
to have made his acquaintance and
10 talk with him about art and learn
10 know the secret Of his artistic
B1t~she had an ideal A fine idea
She would ask him TO give her few
plano lessons! But would he consent
Why not? Having just returned from
abroad he had most likely, found
nothing to do yet And II he refused
she would make his acquaintance
What an excellent ideal And in her
joy ran TO the plano to play once
more his masterpiece. There was one
mart especially, which she loved. THE
Black Eyes had been composed TO a
famous poem and expressed wonder
fully the passionate words.
The part which preceded X was few
erish expressed deadly fear and prud-
OF a sudden passion swept everything
aside and the music rose irresistibly.
Savka's slender fingers began to
play the beloved piece over again and
the room filled with vague murmurs-
She played it once more and then
threw herself into her chair and lost
herself in thoughts.
There was a timid knock at the door.
Savka trembled and listened The
knock was repeated timidly as before.
Come i'm
The door opened and an unkempt.
longhaired head appeared In the open
ing Then came the whole person. a
small. carelessly dressed, narrow
chested individual He made q deep
bow. but the young girl did not notice
Mother Mother she cried at the
TOP Of her voice as soon as she caught
she hid her face in her hands. Was he
a drunken man? or perhaps burg
harp
The man stood a moment stupefied
at the sight Of her alarm, then he
stammered:
me-MadamOiselle," but his
voice stuck in his throat and he was
scared, ven more scared than Savka
who continued crying for help.
He looked around not knowing what
to do. Then he discovered that the
door was still open and ran out
The air was still resounding with
Savka's cries, but nobody came The
man stopped and thought his position
over. But when he heard bell ring
ing he came to the conclusion that the
safest thing he could do was to run
away. They might not believe his ex-
PLANTATION and he did not want to dis
grace himself
Suddenly he stopped again. Why was
he running away Was he a criWTnal2
But on the other hand-he = wa Tx ed
quickly down the deserted street
In the meantime Savlza Was living
in q chair trembling all .fover. She
thought she could see /the burglar
erything with his coarIe. rough hands
She was still pressing the button OF
the electric bell. buzz nobody came
Suddenly she cried but louder thai
before. She thought She felt the manl