Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1913-11-27
LELAND'S LOST SONG
BY ARTHUR w. BEACH.

/ caught opening chords of a pieno A
voice began to sing, and he stopped
/ suddenly spellbound.
It was girls unframed voice and
/ stirred dim memories within him.
"Is it possble?" he muttered 20 him.
/ self as he hurried In the direction of
the unknown singer That is my
! Lost Songi'"
| His steps were nervous and ha5ty.
| but before he could reach the place
/ where the music seemed to come rom
| 1t had ceased. The houses stood dark.
4 ly together; there we're lights In most
/ OF them. He did not know In which
/ one the singer had been.
He stepped to the curb to plan his
next move.
Like vision out Of the night came
I the moment when he had parted from
/ the girl who was about to sing the
song, She had been standing by the
/ piano; he was seated at 1t. Before
1 him was the music of the song he had
4 just written
Then had come the quick quarrel;
\ his hot-headed answer to her criticism
4 Of the song. Her surprise had amused
/ him; but she had been hurt at his
words and he in anger left.
/ It had been foolish quarrel, as all
quarrels are when seen in after years.
He had gone to northern city, and
| had found life hard. He had met II
! with good will; but he had never COR
/ gotten ber
! In some strange way, try as he could
lie could not recall the song which he
had left on the piano. Bits of it came
back, but the theme as a whole was
| beyond him.
4 Now he had heard it. He knew there
I could be no doubt about it; and If he
could find the singer, 1t must lead him
back-to her!
/ He studied the houses with eager
earnestness. He decided that the mu,
sic he had heard farther up the street
came from the one with the light In
the front room.
He went up. and ringing the bell,
waited
The door opened, and girl looked
out curiously.
Il heard some one singing song
was greatly interested in; | wonder IL
you can give me an idea where the
singer vast was somewhere around
in this part?" he asked.
mo I'm sure can't sir There's a
number of pianos about here" she
| said, smiling a little, "and number
OF people who think they can sing. I'm
afraid | can't help you. but III try"
She PORTED out houses near by.
He went down the steps and looked
around, beginning to doubt himself.
He wondered If he had dreamed it,
imagined the whole affair
He could not free his mind from the
belief that he had heard the lost song.
He debated the matter and decided to
start onward to his rooms, and had
even gone few PAGES, when he
stopped
He would not give up. The neigh
borhood might get suspicious and have
! him locked up, or a policeman might
be called to examine him. 1t was rath-
er unusual for young fellow to be
! going from house to house asking j
some one there had been singing
song OF which he knew not the title
nor the tune, other than a strain or
cwo.
He determined to try It, however;
and so he began. He went to four
houses, but got no response; he tried
four more.
| Finally even as he expected. po-
liceman appeared on the scene. hay-
ing been summoned by some one who
had said the young man was intoxi-
Gated.
Leland proved that ne was not, con-
WINGED the man of his sanity; and
asked the officers advice. The latter
was evidently reached by the story
and he said In his soft Irish: "Ef ye
can whistle bit o the tune. lad, why
not? Jest the parts ye know! Walk
up an down, an il anyone sats
word. I'll say a word, provided ye
don't d. it too long"
Leland undertook the plan. He
strolled up and down in the region
whistllng the strains to the place
whore he could 20 no further He did
II a number OF times, and both men
waited for the answer.
TRY II again, mon," the bluecoat
said
He whistled 1t again, and this time
there was a quaver In it-s-quiver OF
lost hope. Leland turned away, des-
pairing
'Hark ye, ladl"
Faint and clearly, a whistle had
caught up the strain and was carry
ing Il on 10 finish.
Leland was shaking with eagerness.
TITS the song! the songl"
Don't get too sure it's your sal,
lad II may be one who sang 1t fust--
hey, see, there's some one coming
We didn't think O. the little house in
back There she isl"
A shadowy figure came toward them
hesitatingly, But Leland had recog
nized the form, and he went to meet
II. 1t came into his arms with low,
Joyous cry, and said: