The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1920-12-10
A Natural Mistake
By FREDERICK HART :

(@. 1870, BY Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.)
Though successful pianists often
earn sums that even bricklayers and
plumbers would regard with respect,
they sometimes travel on street cars,
when there is no other available means
OF transportation; so when Gilbert
Cunningham, who played frequently to
enthralled hundreds at Aeolian or
Carnegie, found that every taxicab
In sight had its flag down he resigned
himself to the inevitable and risked
his life among the passing motors to
catch a northbound surface car.
The third he sjgnaled stopped
there was traffic Jam ahead-and he
climbed aboard His fare clinked
into the farebox; he swayed and stag
gered down the aisle. looking for a
seat. A fat man sitting Immediately
In front of Gilbert rose and ploweh
toward the front exit. The square of
gan to shrink under the lateral press
ure from both sides, as mud closes in
thick puddle after one has removed
ones shoe from II. Gilbert had bare
~ time to fall into the rapidly mar
rowing square before it disappeared
altogether.
On his right sat woman who car
ried an aura of perfume that was al
most visible. She glanced at Cunning
ham as he trmbTed into the place be-
side her, and, aided by sudden lurch
Of the car, managed TO bump him vio-
lently against his neighbor on the
other side. Cunningham turned to
apologize, and found himself looking
into the eyes Of very indignant miss
of some twelve years Of age whose be-
lopgings-a lilliputian handbag, a note
book, and stumpy pencil-lay on
the floor of the car where his bump
had precipitated them. He stopped to
recover the articles.
'Here are your things" he said,
handing them to her. "Pm-er--that
Is, l beg your pardon, I'm sure"
A sniff was his only reward. The
snail person regally accepted the
things and turned to what she had
been doing. Cunningham. rebuffed but
not discouraged, watched her, idly at
first, then with a sudden Quickenlng
of interest. The page of the notebook
was ruled in STATS, and the child was
.aboriously forming marks which were
obviously intended to be notes of the
musical scale. Cunningham regarded
the page more closely. Evidently the
child's teacher had set an exercise
m incubation or transpostion. He
watched her as she set down note
after note, recognizing that the exer-
rise was one Of no simplicity. But his
neighbor seemed to be progressing ia
mously, till she paused after putting
note on the lowest space Of the bass
clef. She brought her eraser into
play. leaving brownish smudge on
the staff. but effectually obliterating
the offending note. A long moment
of concentration then the light
seemed to dawn. and triumphantly she
scrawled the note-A fiat.
Cunningham looked at the arrange
ment as she had 1t, realized that she
had erred. In his interest he spoke
to her.
"That should be A natural. not A
fiat" he said
The young musician looked up with
no good grace.
"How do you known she asked pug
naciously.
Elm pianist myself" stam-
mered Cunningham, absurdly embar-
rassed under the circumstances.
81 don't care If you are pianist"
Interrupted his small neighbor, giving
an insulting accent to the penultimate
syllable. 81 guess my teacher told me
how to do 1t, an guess my teacher
knows more than you, guess. ] guess
you can't be a very good pianist"
Then, as though remembering some pa
rental admonition, she added gracious
ly: THANK you very much" and re-
turned to her work.
But Cunningham was not to be put
Off 1t would not do for the child to
go away with a false idea regarding
that particular bit of transposition. He
returned to the attack undaunted; but,
taught wisdom by experience Of the
mettle Of his adversary, he essayed
strategy.
"Your teacher must be very lice,"
he said.
The child rose to the bait.
swell, / guess she Is" she replied.
guess she's nicer Nm anything
she gives awful hard excuses" A sigh
and q glance at the notebook. Cum
ningham realizing that he had gained
several kilometers, hazarded further
operations.
IL guess, he began, "she knows a
lot. Are you sure she told you A fat
instead of A naturalr'
Eyes, she did, She said always to
do It like that" She pointed to the
series Of notations. Il
Cunningham following her foreflnger
a It slid along the lines, was sud-
denly aware OF q conviction that he
had seen the arrangement Of notes be-
fore particularly the wrong a. fat.
The conviction was accompanied by =
distant thrill that started at the pit |
q his stomach and Gproad warmly ND