Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-06-11
TheSyrnphony

1t was amateur night at the Gaiety
and the house was packed. Never
since the little theater had been
built was there such an audience.
| The manager was beside himself
with excitement, but the people be-
| fore the curtain did not confuse him
| half as much as those behind.
The weekly prizes of 81, 81, and S.
/ were always contested for eagerly by
/ the people of the Latin quarter,
! whose patronage the house solicited,
and more especially this Friday
! night it seemed. The manager knew
/ why such an unusual number ell
4 bowed and pushed each other in their
eagerness to get near the door.
The winners of the coveted dollars
would not squander them this week.
Instead, they would send them direct
ly to the homeland, where relatives
and friends were in terror and suf-
fering.
They cant all go on, Steve" said
the manager to his assistant, we'll
have to thin them out. See what
kind of turn each one does and
take the best get the funniest ev-
cry time. The people have cried
enough this week-they're paying to
be amused tonight, so be careful not
to get any weeping willow acts.
Hustle up, now! I'll look after the
seating. The law allows us to squeeze
in 100 more"
The assistant hurried behind the
scenes and began sorting the per
formers. 1t was no easy task, and
many we're the threats and curses as
one after another was refused a
} chance to go on. He had almost fin
ished his selection when he came to
a swarthy little man in the costume
of a Sicilian peasant
"Hullo!" said the assistant. what
do you do. Speak up?"
me playa de pian," said the little
man, moving his fingers over an
imaginary instrument. me playa
good. Ye-es."
mo pianists," said the assistant
moving on. People no like. Get the
hook. Understand"
"But-me playa nice. Me no gette
da hook. Me maka da plan to talk!
mo doubt you can make it walk
but l can't let you try. Next"
The little man turned away, nut
tering as his fellows had done, ant
the curtain went up for the first per
former.
There was something wrong witt
the audience that night. 1t was ex
tremely critical and hard to please
The merriest jokes fell fiat and thu
cleverest trickster was only family ap
plauded.
tits funny" said the manager as HI
and his assistant met in the rear o
the hall. What ails them? That las
song was we'll done and might!
! catchy Why don't they clap?"
81 don't know" said the other
gloomily. "At the rate they're turn
9 ing 'em down the whole bunch coult
- have gone on. What! / told tina
\ fellow to keep Off"
III The little man in Sicilian costume
was standing in the middle of tn
stage. He looked bit of old Ital.
with his curly locks and long golt
earrings. 81 come to play to you o
the homeland" he said in his nativ
tongue. Il have the music that cal
make you see it as it lies in the sun
light. 1t will make you see the sea
the olive groves and the clear blu
sky. Listen!"
The audience grew suddenly still
as he seated himself at the piano ant
struck few soft chords. Then tn,
notes began to weave themselves in
to story, and as the musician I'm
folded it to his listeners his fac
grew rapt and was beautiful.
When he stopped, the crowd brok
into a frenzy Of applause. Men sobbe,
and women screamed.
| "WhatIl he do next?" asked tn
manager. "The man is a wizard
That's fine! He's playing the Italian
National air. Hurry up, Bowley, ant
throw the pictures of the king ant
queen on the screen before they stol
singing The roof'll fall with thei
noise"
| When the lights were turned OF
again the excitement had spent itsel
little, the man who had caused it. al
was gone. A reporter for one Of the
dailies came hurrying UP and seize,
the manager by the arm.
/ How'd you get him, Davy?" he
asked. Where is he? l want to in
terview him. Quick, before he es
capes!"
4 He's gone already" said the man
ager Il wanted to see him, too He's
just the man for the place"
The reporter stopped him. do you
mean to say you don't know who he
was?" he cried. "He was Lorenzo
the great composer"
81 was thinking some of hiring him
at Is per-" he said. The next minute
he added thoughtfully: What do you
suppose made him do it? He must
have had reason"
l. Hurrying homeward was the little
man in peasants costume
"Ah! they UNDERSTOOD he unused.
Il knew they could They Lowell it for
itself alone, not because l. the great
> Lorenzo, played it. No other but the
n Italian could have appreciated it as
they did. To the English-bah-it
would have had to be explained in
cold worlds so that they might follow.