The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-05-03


Comfortably replete. the white
haired guest leaned back agains
the red leather Of his chair anc
surveyed his host approvingly.
"You are lery fortunate, my
friend. A prosperous business
he waved toward the door that lee
from the inner office to the safe
"A family to be proud Of" point
ing to the well-framed photo
graphs on the walls. Surely the
best cook in the city-and they
tell me one of the best orcheStras
and still young enough to enjoy
it ALL"
DISTINGUISHED GUEST
"You compliment me highly.
And l am fortunate at last TO
have for my guest such a dis
tinguished man as Maurice Mar.
Gus"
This is a pleasure I have long
looked forward to. We have many
friends in common-for years
they have told me of Max Stahl
and of your fine cafe here. I'm
only sorry there is not time for
you to hear our orchestra before
your train leaves. Although we
are Handicapped tonight by an &C.
cident to our first violin. am
putting in new one
Speaking of violinistS, Marcus
broke in, I'm almost sure l ran
across Dubelcheck on the street
this morning. You remember Du-
belcheck?"
IT remember" Stahl ran his
hand through his thick name.
Might have been Dubelcheck
Might not. Looked rather seedy
and out.at-elbows. 1 expect you've
heard him play when he was at
the top?"
1T have heard him lay" Stahl
eazed meditatively at the tip OF
his cigar.
"Strange thing, about Dubel-
check" The older mans dark eyes
glowed with the fires of memory.
Must have been 20 years ago. All
of that. was on the road then
and any good music was gilt
from heaven. One night l was in a
small Western city, one OF those
mushroom mining towns. and l
saw Dubelcheck was billed to play
in the opera house.
well. the opera house was a
pretty ramshackle place, but was
there right down in the front row
I hadn't heard a real artist for a
long time, and whatever else he
was. Dubelcheck was an artist.
There was a long delay before
the concert started. then the man
ager came out and explained that
Dubelcheck's accompanist h d
been taken i'll, very suddenly, that
morning and a substitute would
play.
THE NERVOUS SUBSTITUTE
IT didn't know who the SubSti
tute was, but it seems the best
they could find was young boy
who worked daytimes in the towns
one good eating place, and studied
piano evenings and God know;
when.
well, when that boy came out
on the stage you could see thai
he was trembling with fright anC
nervousness. You remember what
a reputation Dubelcheck had fol
a fiendish temper? Always flying
into RACES in public. That night
he was in one of his worst moods
Stalked out onto the stage anc
glared at the audience.
THE program was the usual Sort
Of thing for that kind of concert
You know-some Schubert 6
Bach number, as recall, and thu
boy did very well. But all through
the concert Dube!check kept NUT
tering at him, under his breath
and glazing at him, between mum
berS till the lad was almost frantic
II tell you, my friend, I suffered
for that boy. could feel what 6
hell he was going through-anc
his playing wasn't bad. He haC
something. Well, finally, nearly a
the END of the program they came
to a little thing by Brahms 6
Inelody-you know how it goes
You play piano yourself, do YOU
not?"
Max Stahl shook his head. 1T d.
not play-anything-but 1 know
how it goes"
when the lad started to turn
the first page 1t stuck. He miSset
Q measure.
''Dubelcheck Swore at him, lou
enough for the audience to hea
'mbecile!' Then the boy tumble,
and missed another. Right ther
Dubelcheck lowered his violir
dropped his bow, strobe across t.
the piano, reached for the piece O
music and tore it down through
the middle from top to bottom.
WHITE-FACED BOY
"Dubelcheck's face was whit
with fury and the boys was white
still when the violinist took tn
torn sheets of music and struc
him across the face. Then h
Stalked off the stage.
"All night I kept seeing tn
stricken, white face of that DO,
sitting there on the piano stoo
In the morning / looked up tn
manager of the opera house. an
wen over to the restaurant whel
the boy had worked.
But he wasn't there. ReSta1
rant man said the boy had com