Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1924-09-19
Their Musical
Romance
By JANE OSBORN
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TUANA MAPEs had been taken on
} the stan Of Smart Modes as an
associate editor" and the important
title she bore did good deal to make
up for the fact that her salary. to begin
with, amounted to but fifteen dollars a
week. She had scrimped and scraped
TOR four years to get her college degree
and IL did seem bit Of hardship that
now she should have to take less for
her services than most girls did Just
after leaving high school. StIl, she
vas doing the sort of work she wanted
to do and she was an associate edI
tor"
"Of course, you won't expect to live
On what you make for several years"
said the editor in chief when she
talked the situation over with Juana,
but what you make may at least pay
your lunches and taxi fares"
"And one Of the things that goes
with your job" continued the editor
"is to write the musical reviews. My
secretary will give you the tickets to
concerts that &C ne, and from them and
the music magazines you can get to.
gether your review Look up the sort
Of thing we run in the files
But I'm not MUSICAL" said Juana
regretfully. II don't know one note
from another couldn't whistle yam
kee Doodle ~
"All the better" said the editor, With
an air Of having dismissed the matter
III you were musical you might try &c
write high-brow reviews. All we want
is the smart, smattery sort of thing
You'll see In the files"
'But I never went to concert in
my life"
TITS part of your job said the edl
tor. And that was the end Of the dis
eussion.
Juana was bewildered and discour
aged at the first symphony concert
she attended. She studied the pro
gram carefully to see whether it would
offer any explanation of the perform
9nce. She turned around to regard the
expressions Of the audience. TheiI
faces were practically expressionless-
they all looked about as animated as
patients waiting in a dentists office
Perhaps, thought Juana, this betekenec
patience, that they were waiting foi
something to be played that would he
different. But nothing did happen
nothing that gave Juana inspiration
She observed. however. that the
goung man beside her occasionally jot
ted something down on small note
book. He was listening intentiy. Ap
parently. thought Juann. he was one
who understood. She wished that she
might see what he wrote down, but
that would be like cheating at exam
nations.
Two days later Juana went to an
other concert, occupying the same seal
in the same auditorium. and to hei
distinct satisfaction found the same
young man sitting beside her She
felt that If she could only get ac
qualnted with him he might be able ts
help her to understand the music.
In the meantime she wrote her first
review-she told in a light and read
able manner of the musical OUTLOOK
for the season, which she got very
largely from the announcements of the
press agents And she described, ir
semi-humorous manner, the manners OF
q fashionable audience at concert
"First-rate." praised the editor as she
looked over the copy. II you knew toe
much about music you couldn't dc
that"
The third time that Juana sat be
side the music critic from the Evening
Planet she noticed that he looked al
her as If he would like to have her rec
ognize him. After all there was nc
reason why she shouldn't. A girl didn't
hesitate to speak to the man student
she sat next to week after week II
college lecture rooms. At the first in
termisslon Juana looked at him ant
said: Wonderful, isn't it?"
"You mean-the muslc?9 queried the
man. "why. yes"
That was the Introduction. Juans
didn't tell her neighbor that she knew
who he was. But she wanted to let hin
know that she admired bis work, foi
she read 1t conscientiously every Sat
urday when It appeared In the Planet
"rhere was a fine review last Satur
day in the Planet" she said to hei
neighbor at the first intermission ont
day not long afterwards II read II
every week.
You do2v queried the man. Il write
that stuff" he added rather dismally
But If you want to read some really
snappy musical criticism you ought ts
read what's been appearing in Smar
Modes. That's the kind OF stuff thai
the people want-but you can't write
like that unless you have been eatint
and drinking music all your life. IT.
spontaneous.
"WelI. write that" said Juana. g
don't think it's very good, though
Her companion stretched out a hant
by way of congratulation and Juant
shook It In return. On the strength OF
their community Of interest they hat
tea together after the concert. Before
long they were well acquainted, TheI
the young man-Bob Turner-asket
Juana to marry him.
''But must confess something" he
said. 81 don't know a blamed thint
about music, really. I'm about as mu
steal naturally as an alligator. But
when they took me on as dramatic
critic Of the Planet they said I'd have
to be the music critic, too. That wai
part of the job-so-"
"Then I'll marry you" said Juana
''You see / really am one of the most
unmusical people In the world, natural
ly. Wen be lots more congenial thi,
way