The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-08
Eoening Story
A Natural Mistake.
BY FREDERICK HART.

Tho successful pianists often ca
sums that even bricklayers and plum
bers would regard with respect, they
sometimes travel on street cars, when
there is no other available means of
transportation; so when Gilbert Cum
ningham, 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 signaled stopped-there
was a traffic jam ahead-and he
climbed aboard. His nickel 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 plowed
toward the front exit. The square of
cane-seating which he left vacant be-
gan to shrink under the lateral pres
sure from both sides, as mud closes in
"a thick puddle after one has removed
ones shoe from it. Gilbert had barely
time to fall into the-ra pidly narrowing
space before it disappeared altogether.
On has right sat woman who car
ried an aura of peri Ime that was al
most visible. She glared at Cunning
ham as he tumbled into the place be-
side her, and aided by a sudden lurch
of the car, managed to bump him vio-
lently against his ne.ghbor on the other
side- Cunningham turned to apologize,
and found himself looking into the
eyes of a very indignant miss of some
twelve years of age whose belongings
a Hlhputian handbag, a notebook
ana stumpy pencil-lay on the floor
or the car where his bump had pre-
c!pitated them. He stopped to recover
the articles
Here are your things he said.
handing them to her. "Pm-er-that
is, beg your pardon, I'm sure"
A sniff was his only reward. The
small person regally accepted the
things and turned to what she had
Dcen doing. Cunningham, rebuffed
ana discourag ed, watched her, idly at
Ilrst then with a sudden quickenfug of
interest. The page of the notebook
was ruled in staffs. and the child was
laboriously forming marks which were
obviously intended to be notes of the
musical scale Cunningham regarded
the page more closely. Evidently the
ch1ld's teacher had set an exercise in
incubation, or transposition. He
watched her as she set down note after
note, recognizing that the exercise was
one of no simplicity. But his neigh
Dor seemed to be progressing famously
till she paused after putting note OF,
the lowest space of the bass clef. She
brought her eraser into play leaving
a brownish ssmudge on the staff. but
effectuaHy obliterating the offending
note A long moment of concentra-
ton; then the light seemed to dawn,
and triumphantly she scrawled the
note-A flat.
i Cunningham, looking at the ar
rangement as she had it. realized that
she had erred. In his interest he
spoke to her.
That should be A natural, not A
flat" he said.
The young musician looked up with
no good grace.
How do you know" she asked
pugna ciously.
Tin a pianist myself stam-
Hmered Cunningham. absurdly embar-
raised under the circumstances.
Il don't care If you are a pianist"
interrupted his small neighbor. giving
an insulting accent to the penultimate
syllable. Il guess my teacher told me
how to do it, an 1 guess my teacher
knows more than you, 1 guess.
guess you can't be very good pi-
some parental admonition. she added
graciously, THANK you very much"
and returned to her work.
But Cunningham was not to be put
Of. 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 es-
sayed strategy.
Your teacher must be very nice"
he said.
The child rose to the bait
well, 1 guess she is" she replied.
Il guess she's nicer m anything
except mother an my baby sister. But
she gives awful hard excuses" A
sigh and a glance at the notebook.
Cunningham, realizing that he had
gained several kilometers, hazarded
further operations.
Il guess" he began, "she must
know a lot. Are you sure she told
you A flat instead of naturaI?"
Yes, she did! She said always to
do it like that" She pointed to the
series of notations.
Cunningham, following her fore
finger as it is slid along the lines, was
he had seen that arrangement of notes
INDEPENDENTLY the wrong A flat.
The conviction was accompanied by a
distinct thrill that started at the pit
of his stomach and spread warmly up
ward thru his being to his thorax.
Fate" he muttered excitedly. 1T
must be the same. She was so stupid
about It'll"
I'm not stupid!" His neighbor was
very emphatic in her denial. and Cum
ningham realized that he had spoken
the last words aloud. Instantly he
abased himself.
II wasn't talking about you, dear"
he ihastened to assure the child. Il
just remem bered "a pupil of mine
who was stupif-very stupid ipdeed-
and thoughts bout her. She used to
make that same mistake"
"Ohi" The expression of the face
indicated forgiveness. Cunningham
pursued his investigations more eau
tiouSly.N
What's her name? 1 might know
her"
Her names Miss Christine Guth-
rie,' replied the pupil. II go to her
every day. I'm just comm home now.
house-'way down in-oh. MY I've
rode past nay street,"
She rose and struggled toward the
-dnnr- C1rnira cha m threrzr discretinn