The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-03-25
THE DAILY
Her Musical Career
y laura REID MONTGOMERY.

naBTHS mother had often re-
marked that her daughter had
q shade more chin than was
rreanited Of q girl. Ruth was firm,
very firm, and when she
once had an idea intrenched under
her sleek black hair 1t was a DIFF.
neplt matter TO dislodge II.
For two years Wallace had called
upon Ruth three times a week,
Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sun.
days, and the engagement was al
implied affair, although not yet an.
nounced. Therefore, when Ruth
happened TO be down town with
her brother n Monday night AMI
saw Wallace carrying the travelling
bag OF a remarkably pretty girl, a
stranger in the village; she felt
that she was justly angered. Ruth
was the village pianist, and hal
long wished to so 10 the city TO do
concert work, but had hated to
leave Fulton OF account of Wal.
lace.
The following Saturday night
Wallace presented himself with the
customary half.pound box OF cara.
mels to learn that Ruth had gone
to Chicago to begin a musical ca.
reer. Mrs. Black finally gaye him
the address OF Ruth's boarding
house, but told him frankly that
she thought 1t useless for him to 20
to sec her. Ruth is SO queer anc
stubborn," she said, thoughfully.
don't know why she's angry with
you, but she is,"
Wallace, who knew OF Ruth's ten.
dency to jealousy, was pretty sure
that Ruth had heard OF the stra1.
gers visit to his home, but there
was no use talking about tho az.
fair. Della had beon a guest OF his
mothers and he had been obligeG
10 be courteous to her. That she
had taken an odd fancy to him and
had persisted in hanging onto his
arm when in the village streets
had embarrassed him, but he had
not liked to shake her of and
nothing less crude would have sui
decd;
SO, after a s%leepless night, Wal
lice went to the city, but when he
called at the boarding house and
asked for Miss Black, Ruth, who
had seen him from her window,
most unwtsely sent down the mes-
sage that she was engaged. She
had no sooner done this cruel thing
than she regretted 1t, and she fiat
tened her long nose against the
window.pane watching him stalk
down the street,
"Don't you find it thrilling to
be in this beautiful city, where one
is near the great art eenters aud
-eYerything?" asked a fluffy.
haired girl who was visiting her
aunt at the boarding house.
"No," said Ruth shortly. II
don't. The city is quite different
than / imagined. When I played
at home in Fulton, the paper would
write up a nice account Of It, an0
supposed I'd be able to get into
Concert work without a bit Of
ltrouble-
Concert work." brenthed the
A3other, looking at tho rather sad
dark face under the cleaning black
hair. How perfectly thrilling
and-everythln'." :,
sBut," went to Ruth bieakIy. ~
found that the very best l could do
with my music was" She hes'.
tated; the sight OF Wallace had
fedoubled her inconsistencies, II she
had only had some wonderful tri-'
Slmph to mention. she would have
gone back gladly TO the cheeful
village where the faces were famii
lar and-here lay the gist Of the
Enthusiastically.
Eyes. prodded the other, "you
got your chance to show your
genius?"
eNot exactly. I hunted around
and obtained interviews and pre-
sented letters OF Introduction and
pulled every string, nnd"-a mirth.
less little laugh escaped her as she
thought Of the hours OF practice
she had put In studying the old
masters OF real music-"I was n.
naliy lucky enough to get n place
ma department store to play the.
popular music at the music coun.
Ten.
goh, said little Daphne blankly.
don't you hate 1t when you love
Mozart and all?"
Yes, / do, but It pays by board"
Daphne twisted a pearl ring
xbott on her engagement finger:
You know, I'm from Forest Cen.
ter, a tiny little town. and ! an.
reader. I'm invited 10 give read.
ingsSall up and down the line al
the other towns, and | thought that
pathaps I'd spend the winter with
anntie and get engagements here.
Roscoe, though"
tsreke It from me-" burst out
Ruth, eyeing the little pearl ring
iongingiy, stay at home and get
married.. Ito her own amaze
ment, she found her eyes wet with
tears-"wish | had.
Wallace went away in a white
rage. It was an unheard-ot thing
for a friend to send down word
that she was engaged.
The words Of an ~old.fashioned
song that Ruth sang when she felt
especially friendly rang through
his mind as he trudged through the
fain: u suppose she never sings
that any more" he reflected.
He had a list of commissions
from his shop, and he drearily sci
about his shopping.
The early dusk OF d'late fall day
had set in as he turned In at the
iJfation for his train west when he
stopped among the stream Of UNI.
bfellas. He had forgotten to get
a sample punching.bag that was