The Penn's Grove record., 1916-01-21
HARMONY FOR MILDRED
BY lola

OCAlAg dLuOuS IuCulDG1NOS, VIC IL Idh0
you to Germany and Paris, Mildred,
and you can finish up there on your
harmony and whatever you may need.
Father says he won't stint you n
particle. You know how he is once
he takes hold of an idea. Hear me,
Mildred?"
"Yes.m," answered Mildred passive.
ly, regarding the lake shore drive and
gray lake waters beyond without in.
terest. She was a tall, slender girl,
who gave the impression of being over.
grown, probably because she was
dressed too young even for eighteen.
She hated the future and the plungine
around in search of the best teachers.
Il suppose we ought to run down
home for a few days." went on Mrs.
Tankerville happily. Your grand.
mother'll expect us. You can get
back in time for your January course
all right.
Mildred said nothing. Her dark
blue eyes were gray with anger. No,
body knew how she had always re.
belled against being a genius.
Her father had owned the Sioux
Rapids City bank back home, and had
given up his active share in it just as
soon as the family was sure of Nil.
dred's marvellous powers.
eve worked hard all my life,' he
had said comfortably, land now
mother and I'll jog around the world
xuifh tho Iffk1a civil ooI o;rxo 6a, n
chance"
"But J don't want to go, father" Mil.
dred had declared tearfully, even at
thirteen. 81 don't want to study so
hard 1 love home.'
"Weii. you can come back to it
some day, and tbere'l be the town
band to the depot to welcome you.
and the mayor with a speech of well
come" he had laughed at her. kid
die, you don't know what it means to
reach middle life and find you've not
had a chance to make a single dream
come true. That was me. / wanted
to be a great musician. Well, we were
country folks, and a large family,
down in Kansas, and / went out to
work, herding cattle on my uncle's
ranch. Not much chance there for
musical study, was there, unless l
and caught the music Of the spheres.
Then I met your mother, and she was
from Chicago. All she wanted mi to
do was get rich just as quick as l
could, and l did. She's satisfied, but
you came into the world with the love
of harmony in you, and, by the ever
lasting Jimmy crickets, you're going
to have all you can swallow Of what
I missed"
So for four years Mildred was trot-
ted around from city to city in the
new world and parts of the old, seek
ing the perfect teacher for her music,
and always with the memory of the
little home town warm in her heart
and of n boy sweetheart there who
had asked for a lock of her hair and a
post card now and then.
They had spent the last year in
New York, and now had stopped over
at Aunt Annals in Chicago. After the
drive, Mildred followed her mother up
the steps Of the big, gray stone house.
There would be guests for dinner, and
she would have to play. She set her
teeth and went into the shadowy hall.
Her father was standing in the recep-
ton room, talking and laughing with
somebody, and the mere sound of that
somebody's voice sent the blood rae
ing to her cheeks.
you remember Hal, Mildred, Of
course" her father said. Little Hal
Thurber-used to live in the old white
house back in the pines below the
church"
II remember" Mildred said, looking
into Halls eager eyes. 81 never for
get anything OF anyone back home"
Aunt Annals face was radiant. She
was Mr.. Tankerville's sister, and to
her Mildred was never a possible
genius-just a dear lovable girl at the
mercy of her parents loving kindness.
She invited Hal to luncheon the next
day, and ordered him to take Mildred
out for a walk up the drive every
morning to get the color in her cheeks.
Lunch time came and passed with
out the two returning. By five, when
the early winter twilight fell, Mrs.
Tankerville was ready to phone the
police, but her sister-in-law held her
back placidly. 1t was not until seven,
when dinner was served, that she
sprung the news at the dinner table,
beaming happily on the others.
Nov, I suppose youth blame me ter
ribly, but ] couldn't help it. Hal asked
you the first day he came, didn't he,
Ned, for Mildred's hand in marriage,
and o told him she was dedicated to
her music? So ] think you deserve
everything. They were married"
Mrs. Tankerville cried softly into
her napkin. Her husband stared down
the table at his sisters happy face,
and his own cleared. He raised his