The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-03-02

consciousness that the girl sitting be-
side him had grown shadowy; he
seemed to see her as plainly as ever In
the darkness, though he did not look at
her. And all the mighty chanting Of
the organs multitudinous voices that
afternoon seemed to Bibbs to be cho-
rusing Of her and Interpreting her.
singing her thoughts and singing for
him the world of humble gratitude that
was In his heart because she was 30
kind to him. 1t all meant Mary.
But when she asked him what II
meant, on their homeward way, he was
silent. They had come q few PAGES
from the church without speaking.
walking slowly.
"I'Il tell you what 1t meant to me-"
she said, as he did not Immediately
reply. Almost any music of Handers
always means one thing above all 9TH
ers to me: Courage! That's 1t. 1t
makes cowardice or whining seem 30
infinItesimal-it makes most things In
our hustling little lives seem infinitesi-
NAL"
YES" he said. "It seems odd,
doesn't it. that people downtown are
hurrying to trains and hanging to
straps in trolley cars, weltering every
way to get home and feed and sleep
20 they can get downtown tomorrow.
And yet there isn't anything down
there worth getting to. They're like
servants drudging to keep the house
going, and believing the drudgery it.
self is the great thing. They make 80
much noise and fuss and dirt they for
get that the house was meant to live
In. The housework has to be done. but
the people who do 1t have been 20
overpaid that they're confused and
worship the housework. They're over
paid, and yet, poor things! they haven't
anything that a chicken can't have.
OF course, when the world gets to pay
ing its wages sensibly that will be dif-
ferent."
"Do you mean 'communism'r' she
asked, and she made their slow pace
little slower-they had only three
blocks to 60.
"Whatever the word II, only mean
that things don't look very sensible
uOW"CSRCCldAly " q uldu U1dI WHILE
to keep out of 'em and can't! Com
munismr Well. at least any decent
sport would say it's fair for all the
strong runners to start from the same
mark and give the weak ones q fair
distance ahead, 80 that all can run
something like even on the stretch.
And wouldn't 1t be pleasant, really, II
they could all cross the winning line
togetherf Who really enjoys beating
anybody-if he sees the beaten mans
face7 The only way we can enjoy get
ting ahead Of other people nowadays
Is by forgetting what the other people
feel. And that" he added, ''is nothing
Of what the music meant to me. You
see, II keep talking about what 1t
didn't mean l can keep from telling
you what 1t did mean"
"Didn't 1t mean courage to you, too
IA little" she asked. Triumph and
praise were in 1t, and somehow those
things mean courage to me-"
"Yes, they were all there" Bibbs
said. II don't know the name of what
he played. but shouldn't think 1t
would matter much. The man that
makes the music must leave it to you
and what 1t can mean to you, and the
name he puts to 1t can't make much
difference-except to himself and peo-
pie very much like him. suppose"
II suppose that's true, though I'd
never thought Of 1t like that"
II imagine music must make feel
ings and paint pictures in the minds
Of the people who hear It," Bibbs went
on, musingly. according to their own
natures as much as according to the
music ITSELF"
The musician might compose some
thing and play 1t, wanting you to think
Of the Holy Grail, and some people
who heard 1t would think of a prayer
meeting, and some would think of how
good they were themselves, and a boy
might think Of himself at the head Of
solemn procession. carrying a banner
ana riding 4 white horse. And then,
II these were some jubilant passages
In the music, he'd think Of a circus"
They had reached her gate, and she
Get her hand upon 1t, but did not open
1t. Bibbs felt that this was almost
the kindest Of her kindnesses-not to
be prompt in leaving him.
AFTER ALL" she said, you didn't
tell me whether You liked It."
"No. didn't need to-"
mo. that's true, and I didn't need
to ask. I knew. But you said you
were trying to keep from telling mo
what Il did mean"
II can't keep from telling 1t any
longer" he aaid. THE music meant to
met meaot the kindness of-of
you"
"Kindneosf Howr
"You thought was 4 sort Of lonely
tfamp-and sick"
NO." she said, decidedly. Il thought !
NnEhaHa xom1d llhA Ia h~na n1sAos