The Huttig news. (Huttig, Ark.) 1907-1955, 1912-07-27

the music"
Don't take the trouble, sir
think | 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
meal 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 ii
was only the fact that he was In
place of worship that restrained the
| colonel from noisy approval. AS 1t
was he said emphatically:
You'll do, Miss" He had never
heard her name.
Viola" she supplied rather hest
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 remarkable The name of
still another stop. You are certainly
daughter of the noble instrument,
he said
At this she laughed 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
had rehearsed them with the choir.
The members of the congregation
of st. Judith's were not, at that time,
in the habit of hearing the prelude.
Those who did hear 1t on the first
day of the new assistant organist's
incumbency were so outspoken in
their appreciation of 1t that on the
following Sunday the church was
we'll filled 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
coyeries-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 a widower of many
years standing. As was natural most
of the women dfsapproved of Miss
GAMBIA Some of them were SO
frank In their expression of the fact
that 1t 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. Not only
did she appear to take no pains to
prevent gossip, but actually seemed
to court publicity.
The climax came one night at a
musical affair In the church parlors
Engaged as accompanist, Viola made
her appearance In gown that
aroused much admiration The
colonel came In rather late and his
assistant did not attempt to hide her
satisfaction that he had come at all
She was so Enthusiastically glad to see
him that even the delighted colonel
was at loss to account for her in
genuousness. He could not rid him
self of the suspicion that she was
playing a part, but it was delightful,
none the less.
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 a light Hiss on his forehead
my dear Miss Gambia" he pro-
tested, with countenance that was
apoplectic.
Il Alecs wife!" she whispered.
Introduce me-"
1t was critical moment for the
colonel It was as If every drop of
blood In his body had been seized
with a sudden determination to get
TO the very top of his head With
mighty effort he rose to his feet.
Ladies and gentlemen" ne began
rather family. but gathering strength
as he proceeded, Il take great pleas
ure in presenting my new daughter,
Mrs Alec Aspen, who has been mas
querading as your assistant organ
ist