The state herald., 1913-04-04

morning and wrote out the whole pro
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 contralto.
Dramatic Soprano" was on the pro-
gram: q new name. quite unknown to
Jim. His interest in the soloist
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 q mood Of vivid anticipation.
Tho instruments twarfged. the audi
enoe gathered, and at last the music
began. Its first effect was to rouse
Hambleton to q sharp attention to de-
tails-ths 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 its
power. the long, long thoughts Of
youth and ambition and desire came
focking to his brain. The noble con-
fiuence Of sound that Is music worked
upon him its immemorial miracle: his
heart softened. his imagination glowed,
| ~
him-and earth.
The orchestra ceased. but Hamble-
ton did not heed the commotion about
him. The pause and the fresh be-
ginning Of the strings scarcely dis
turbed his ecstatic reverte. A deep
bush 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 to the memory
Of tho strings-there rose . little
song. To Hambieton. sitting alb
sorbed. II was as II 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 flrst WAS no more than the
half.voice Of a nute. sweet. gentle. be
gui!ing. II 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
| At last I shall SEQ 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-hcarted fellow. He
never knew what happened TO him:
but after uncounted minutes he
seemed to be choking. while the or
chestra and tho people in boxes and
the singer herself swan in a hazy
distance. He shook himself. called
somebody he knew very well an idiot.
and laughed aloud In his Joy: but his
laugh did not matter. for It was
drowned In the roar of applause that
reached the roof
Jim did not applaud. He went out.
doors to think about Il: and after n
time he found. to his surprise. that
he could recall not only the song. but
the singer. quite distinctly. II was n
tall. womanly figure. and fair. bright
face framed nbundantiy with dark
hair. and the least little humorous
twitch to her lips And her name was
Agatha Redmond.
"Of course. she can sing; but II
isn't like having the real thing-'tisn't
an alto" said Jimsy unEratefuily and
Just from habit
The days experience fiiled his
thoughts and quictcd his rcsticssncss.
He awaited Aieck with entire pa.
thence. Monday morning he spent In
mali necessary business afYairs. So
curing. among other things, several
hundred dollars. which hs put In his
money. belt About tho middle Of the
afternoon he left his hotel, engaged
a taxicab and started for Riverside
The late summer day was fine. with
tho afternoon haze settling over river
and town. He watched the procession
Of carriages. the horseback riders. tho
people nfoot. the children playing on
tho grass. with n feeling OF comrndc-
ship. Was he not also tasting free
dom-a lord OF the onrth' His gnsc
Travelled out TO tho river. with the
giimmcr here and there Of n tug. boat.
n little steamer or tho white sail Of
n pleasure craft. Tho blood OF rornc
srnsoing nncentor stirred In his veins.
and he thrilled Mt the thought OF tho
days to come when hia prov should
bc headed offnhorc,
Tho tnxicab had itu limitations, and
IIambioton suddenly became impn.
ticnt OF It's monotonoua alithcring
along the nrm road, Telling the driv.
or TO follow him. ho descended and
crossed TO whore Cathedral Parkway
switches on. II. walked briahiy. feel.
Ing tho tonic OF tho son air. and circicd
tho cathedral. where workmon were
iounging away after their days toll,
The unfinished edlfoe loomed up like