The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1913-01-10
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I
the letter by special 6>Iivery and went
out 10 reconnoitsr.
The era OF Sunday orchestral con
certs had begun. but that day. TO Jim's
regret, the singer was not a contralto
Dramatic Soprano" was on the pro
gram; a new name. quite unknown tC
Jim. His interest in the SOLOS,
waned. but the orchestra was enough
He thanked Heaven that he was past
the primitive stage OF thinking any
single voice more interesting than the
assemblage Of Instruments known as
| orchestra
Hambleton found a place In the dim
vastness OF the hall. and sank into his
seat IN a mood OF vivid anticipation.
The instruments twanged. the audi
ence gathered. and at last the music
began. It's first effect was to rouse
Hambleton TO a sharp attention TO de-
tails-the director. the people in the
orchestra. the people in the boxes;
and then he settled down. thinking
his thoughts. The past. the future.
life and It's meaning. love and It's
power. the long. long thoughts OF
youth and ambition and desire came
flccking 10 his brain. The noble con.
fiuence OF sound that Is music worked
upon him It's immemorial miracle: his
heart softened. his imagination glowed.
his spirit stirred Time was lost TO
him-and earth.
The orchestra ceased. but Handle
ton did not heed the commotion about
him. The pause and the fresh be-
ginning OF the strings scarcely dis
turbed his ecstatic reverie. A deep
hush lay upon the vast assemblage.
broken only by the voices OF the vio-
Inns. And then. in the zone OF silence
that lay over the listening people
silence that vibrated 20 the memory
OF the strings-there rose little
song. To Hambleton. sitting alb
sorbed. II was as IL the circuit which
galvanized him into life had suddenly
been completed. He sat up. The sing
er's lips were slightly parted. and her
voice at first was no more than the
half.voice of n flute. sweet. gentle. be
quilting. II was borne upward on the
crest OF the melody. fuller and fuller.
as on flooding tide.
Free ot my pain. free Of my burden Of
sorrow
At last I shall SEQ thee"
There was freedom In the voice. and
the sense OF space. OF wind on the wa
tiers. OF life and the love OF life.
Jimsy was soft.hearted fellow. He
never knew what happened to him;
but after uncounted minutes he
seemed 10 be choking. while the or.
chestra and the people I'm boxes and
the singer herself swan in a hazy
distance. He shook himself. called
somebody he knew very we'll an idiot.
and laughed aloud in his Joy; but his
laugh did not matter. for II was
drowned in the roar OF applause that
reached the roof
Jim did not applaud. He went out.
doors to think about It; and after
time he found. to his surprise. that
he could recall not only the song but
the singer, quite distinctly. II was a
tall. womanly figure. and fair. bright
face framed abundantly with dark
hair. and the least little humorous
twitch TO her lips. And her name was
Agatha Redmond.
"Of course. she can sing: but Il
isn't like having the real thing-'tisnt
an Alto" said Iimsy ungratefully and
Just from habit
The days experience filed his
thoughts and quieted his restlessness.
He awaited Aleck with entire pa.
thence. Monday morning he spent In
small necessary business affairs. Sc.
curing. among other things, several
dollars, which he put in his
About the middle OF the
afternoon he left his hotel. engaged
a taxicab and started for Riverside.
The late summer day was fine, with
the afternoon haze settling over river
and town. He watched the procession
OF carriages. the horseback riders. the
people afoot. the children playing on
the grass. with a feeling OF comrade-
ship. Was he not also tasting free
dom--a lord OF the earth? His gaze
out to the river. with the
glimmer here and there OF a tug-boat.
a little steamer. or the white sail OF
a pleasure craft. The blood OF some
seagoing ancestor stirred in his veins.
and he thrilled at the thought OF tho
days to come when his PROV should
be headed offshore.
The taxicab had its limitations. and
suddenly became impa.
tient OF its monotonous slithering
along the firm road. Telling the driv.
err to follow him. he descended and
crossed to where Cathedral Parkway
switches on He walked briskly. feel.
Ing the tonic OF the sea air. and circlcd
The cathedral, where workmen were
|ounging away after their days toll.
The unfinished edifice doomed NJ like
1 Kiant skeleton Of some prehistoric