The Elbert County tribune., 1913-02-28

lHorninB ana WrOte out the whole pro
gram for Alexis endorsement, sem
the letter by special delivery and wen
out to reconnoiter.
The era Of Sunday orchestral con
certs had begun. but that day. to Jirn'i
regret. the singer was not a contralto
Dramatic Soprano" was on the pro
gram; new name. quite unknown tc
Jim. His interest in the soloist
waned. but the orchestra was enough
He thanked Heaven that he was pas
the primitive stage of thinking any
single voice more interesting than the
assemblage of instruments known as
orchestra.
Hambleton found a place In the din
vastness of the hall, and sank into his
seat in mood of vivid anticipation
The instruments twarged. the audi
ence gathered. and at last the music
began. Its first effect was to rouse
Hambleton to 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 Its
power. the long. long thoughts oi
flocking to his brain. The noble con
fluence Of sound that is music worked
upon him its immemorial miracle; his
heart softened, his Imagination glowed
his spirit stirred. Time was lost tc
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 reverie. A deer
hush lay upon the vast assemblage
broken only by the voices of the VIC
Inns. And then, in the zone of silence
that lay over the listening people
silence that vibrated to the memory
of the .strings-there rose little
song. To Hambleton. sitting alb
sorbed. 1t 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 first was no more than the
half-voice of a flute. sweet. gentle. be
guiling. 1t was borne upward on the
crest of the melody. fuller and fuller
as on flooding tide.
free Of my pain. free of my burden OF
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 he
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 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 1t: and after q
time he found. to his surprise. that
he could recall not only the song. but
the singer. quite distinctly. 1t was q
tall, womanly figure. and fair, bright
face framed abundantly with darh
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'i
an alto" said Jimsy ungratefully an6
Just from habit.
The days experience filed his
thoughts and quieted his restlessness
He awaited Aleck with entire pa
tience. Monday morning he spent 1.
small necessary business affairs. Sc
curing. among other things, severa
hundred dollars. which he put in his
money-belt. About the middle of the
afternoon he left his hotel, engaged
taxicab and started for Riverside
The late summer day was fine. Will
the afternoon haze settling over rive
and town. He watched the procession
of carriages. the horseback riders, tn,
people afoot, the children playing OF
the grass, with a feeling of comrade
ship. Was he not also tasting free
dom-a lord of the earth? His gaz,
travelled out to the river. with tn,
glimmer here and there OF a tug-boat
little steamer, or the white sail O
pleasure craft. The blood of som,
seagoing ancestor stirred in his veins
and he thrilled at the thought OF tn,
days to come when his prov shoul,
be headed offshore.
The taxicab had its limitations. an,
Hambleton suddenly became impa
tent of its monotonous slitherin,
along the firm road. Telling the driy
er to follow him. he descended an,
crossed to where Cathedral Parkwa,
switches of. He walked briskly, feel
ing the tonic of the sea air. and circle,
the cathedral. where workmen wer
lounging away after their days toll
The unfinished edifice loomed up lik
a giant skeleton Of come nrshistori