Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-05-08

AlOi uluS anu WlOlc Oub IhO WhoAo PAO
gram for Alexis endorsement, sent
the letter by special delivery and went
out to reconnoiter.
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 newtname, quite unknown TO
Jim. His interest in the sololst
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 its meaning, love and lts
power, the long, long thoughts OF
youth and ambition and desire came
focking to his brain. The noble con
1uence Of sound that is music worked
upon him its immemorial miracle; MS
heart softened, his Imagination gloweo'
| hlo n,1s-{k .1Ai,nol p" N{rnn uQQ lost 10
him-and earth.
The orchestra ceased. but Hample-
ton did not heed the commotton ABOUT
him. The pause and the fresh pc
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 zon OF silence
that lay over the listening people
silence that vibrated to the memory
of the strings-there rose a little
song. To Hambleton, sitting aD-
sorbed, It was as If the circuit which
galvanized him into life had suddenly
been completed. He sat up. The sing
er's lips we're slightly parted, and her
voice at first was no more than the
half-voice Of a flute, sweet, gentle. be
quilting. 1t was borne upward on the
crest of the melody, fuller and fuller
as on a flooding tide.
Free OF my pain. free of my burden of
sorrow.
At last / shall see thee"
There was freedom in the voice, and
the sense Of space, of wind on the wa
ters, of life and the love of life.
Jimsy was a soft-hearted fellow. He
never knew what happened to him;
but after uncounted minutes ne
seemed to be choking. while the or
; chestra and the people in 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 1t wat
drowned In the roar Of applause thai
reached the root.
Jim did not applaud. He went out
t doors to think about It; and after {
] time he found, to his surprise, tina
t he could recall not only the song, blu
j, the singer, quite distinctly. 1t was
! tall. womanly figure, and a fair, brigh
g face framed ~abundantly with darl
hair, and the least little humorouI
/ twitch to her lips. And her name wa
s Agatha Redmond.
Q "Of course, she can sing; but 1
9 isn't like having the real thing-tisn'
r an alto" said Jimsy ungratefully an,
$ just from habit.
The days experience filled hi
1 thoughts and quieted his restlessness
He awaited Aleck with entire pa
tience. Monday morning he spent Il
d small necessary business affairs. sc
t curing, among other things, severa
hundred dollars, which he put in hi
Q money-belt. About the middle Of tn
h afternoon he left his hotel. engage,
d a taxicab and started for Riversid.
The late summer day was fine. wit
the afternoon haze settling over rive
o and town. He watched the processio
OF CdITldBeo, IhO hOi DCDdSh iioVIos I'll
people afoot, the children playing o
the grass, with a feeling Of conrad,
ship. Was he not also tasting fire,
dom-a lord OF the earth? His gaz
d travelled OFT to the river. with tn
y glimmer here and there Of a tug-boa
a little steamer, or the white sail c
ID a pleasure craft. The blood Of som
seagoing ancestor stirred in his vein
% and he thrilled at the thought Of til
days to come when his prov shoul
10 be headed offshore.
y The taxicab had its limitations. an
Is Hambleton suddenly became imp
ID tient OF its monotonous slitherin
10 along the firm road. Telling the dri'
b er to follow him. he descended an
o. crossed to where Cathedral Parkwa
~ switches of. He walked briBkly. fee
h ing the tonic Of the sea air. and circle
ID the cathedral. where workmen wel
70 lounging away after their days toi
h The unfinished edifice doomed up III
y = giant skeleton Of some prehistori