Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-09-05
The Evening Story
~
THE FIDDLER.

y
Copyright, 1914, by w. Werner.)
On the left. side of the dividing
hedge between the back yard flower
gardens of old olivia Douglas and
Judge Collins Chancellor grew long
row of white lilies.
Des smell de flowers in old
madam,s ma garden. honey. Dey smells
=. The s,'sla Old negress, sitting on the
moonlit steps Of the little servants
cottage at the far end of the garden
on the right side of the fence, spoke
reverently. Heaven was very real to
her.
The tall young fellow, standing on
the porch behind her. swept the bow
across the strings of the violin he
held without answering.
Blessed Lawd, he didn't heah me-"
she mused; him don't heah nothin'
Whlm him plays. but de music!"
sort and sweet the sound foated
out on the scented air. Under the
magic touch of the boys slender fin
gers the melody of the south he
played became a plaintive, human
The old woman buried her face in
her hands "Da hain't no playin' like
hlt.hit brengs up de past and a
nody's sins afoah EN- she murmured.
:! heahs my chilluns dat's in Para
disc cryin'! heahs 'em!"
After a while the lad stopped play
ing and sat down. but he still
clasped the violin across his breast
an0 ms chin rested lovingly upon it.
old India touched his wrist. Don't
dote so on yoah music. honey, hit
mout be tuck FUN you,'' she said.
The boys black eyes hardened; he
turned almost fiercely to his old
nurse. Who do you think is going
to take my music from me. nanny 2"
he demanded.
honey" she TREMENDOUSLY replied
you haint noticed him a not likin' to
honey?"
Archer laughed. "Grandad thinks
l take too much time from my books
to practice. but don't! Anyway,
I'm going to get my high school
diploma tomorrow. then He laid
his hand in caress on the violin.
But sposen when yous out O.
school he insists on you gwine in de
honey!"
Archer smiled. After tomorrow
you'll see, nanny. I'll give all nv
time to the music"
old India sat for long time on the
steps thinking. "De last o'dey race.
dem, too," she mourned. land dis
Things gwine separate EN-
A mile in the country from Edge
ford the town in which Archer Chan
cellor lived with his grandfather, liv-
ed Fayette Coleman. an idle. drunken
sort OF man; but whose violin play
ing, when he was not in his cups, was
WOndrOuSly beautiful
A thousand times the child Archer
had gone to the ramshackle house to
near the man play. and it was Fay
cite who had first taught his little
fingers to bring melody from the
strings, and filled him with the de-
termination to be musician, but not
musician handicapped like Fayette
His childish heart had resolved that
If drink spoiled ones playing he would
never touch drink. and never once did
taste the wine on his grandfather's
table, and when other boys pressed
cigarettes upon him he always shook
his head. saying: 1T would spoil my
nerves for the VIOLIN
The morning after ,,Archer's gradu-
alton Judge Chandell4r came into the
library where thelsboE sat. his violin
across his lap. .AonIorrow, my son. .
he said toThinl. ,"I texbect YOU to come
into my Office and tbegin the study Of
law. This"-he laid his white hand
on the violin-"this plaything of your
youth, you must now lay aside!
Archer rose, clasping his violin.
Lay aside my music!" he protested
why, grandfather. it's a part of me!
1 want to study that. not the law!''
Old Collins smiled the superior smile
Of age. "Fayette Coleman is fiddler.
Do you want to make your life what
Fayette Coleman's has been?" he
| asked. r
At the end of their conference, the
grandson, stubborn as a rock in his
determination. was given the choice Of
quitting his violin or leaving the
house forever. In the morning fol-