Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-13
The heDailyNoueleN
Mildred's Wager


.ns little, straight chair, watching bis
s...,s intently. Harold looked scowl-
IL at the music opened before him,
| .s.n lacked hopelessly at his big fingers.
moved them awkwardly over the keys
"a rruck. or rather attempted to
...;ts the opening chord Of the new
rn,.ce" teacher had given him to study
. week before.
"oucb - said Mildred, her face
,..,stering a sensation Of actual phys
zeal pain,
Harold took his fingers from the keys
and turned toward Mildred.
"Teacher. I'm sorry" he said.
"poes it really hurt you when l make
.,,t,kes?" He looked intontly into
ths reproachful eyes. I'm really
sorry."
~ cou we're sorry, said the teacher
.,.,tinr her eyes. "you'd play better.
noesn't It hurt your ears when you
play discords:, =, is: ii. 8. " corfe.s.d Harold
Mildred sighed. II guess you just
s,en't musical" she said.
"I don't suppose am. Besides. my
fingers are big and clumsy
II really don't see why you take
is,sons then. hate TO encourage
~ Harold again looked a little too in
.ently into the teachers eyes. "You
haven't encouraged me. You haven't
aid ono encouraging thing about the
rav | MAY yet. If you want to know
rby I 90 on with the music I'll tell
you. It's because am 30 darned fond
Of the teacher. ,
syes still averted: then cautiously
,aisins them: But you began the
lessons before you had ever seen me
40 YOU must have wanted to-
~ suppose It was a case Of plnin
loneliness. sighed Harold. There's s
N little to do here in Stapleton. I've
been here six months and until l started
taking music lessons from you. two
h,dys house. The movies bore me to
extinction. like golf. but no one hns
suggested putting me up for the country
club, never saw such an exclusive
town as Stapleton--"
"Oh. Stapleton has n heart Of icc.' -
Mildred agreed. "I've lived and worked
hero six years, and I've never been in
sny ones house except to give lessons.
The people think am socially beneath
them because | teach music
"And they think ] am their social
inferior becausc--'
because you came here to be man :
ager OF the Stapleton Mills without a
social introduction, because YOU are a
poor young man without fortune and
without family name that dates back
TO the colonial wars. Oh, ! know
stapleton. The only time they overlook
the fact that person doesn't come
from one of the first families Is when
he has a million or So
Harold Shipway listened intcntly.
'Do you really think they nre as
mercenary as that? thought perhaps
they hadn't taken me up because they
hadn't got around TO it. l cant he
leye money counts for so much. y
Harold folded the music on the music
holder before him. You know | don t
care for society or that sort Of thing
Only having been brought up in a place
where my people knew every one got
used to being made to feel at home.
tell you it's great having peoples doors
standing open for you, and knowing
you'll he welcome once in while for
dinner" Mr.. Shipway sighed. "Now,
little teacher. I've said enough about
myself, I'm duffcr at music. but
like 70 hear it. Besides, I'm n little
tired"
But aren't you going to try?" said
the teacher. very much surprised to see
her hitherto docile pupil rising dclib
srately from the piano stool where he
was supposed to sit for another half hour
NO, I'm going TO sit in this com
Portable chair and get you to play some.
thing with n good old fashioned tune
oit. Won't you. pleascT'
Mildred Brown answered b- drawing
the morris chair nearer the piano ano
lowering the back to n comfortabl,
angle. Then she lowered the window
Shades to keep out the late afternoon
sun and sat down at the piano. Firs,
she played "Homc. Sweet Home" ant
then she played Mendelssohn' "Sprins
Song and then half dozen old favor
ties that oil sounded dimly familiar tt
Harold Shipway though he couldn',
nave told you the names of their com
posers and Mildred didn't trouble hin
g explaining.
When the clock struck 6 to remint
"acher and pupil that the lesson was
over, Harold rose to go.
ITS been little bit of heaven ;
ne said. Il won't bother you to try
10 teach mo any more he said. -
guess I'm too much of a dub-I--"
oh, | don't want you to stop,
said Mildred with alarm. Only
hato TO take the money when I'm no
teaching Won murh, Rut don't lot' =