Show o o o-o o 0 8 o u A KISS 1 I FROM THE 8 8 BALCONY 8 Q OO O X X O OOOO O OO O OO X C g bv by D J J. J Walsh T 1 THE meeting of the town A that afternoon the article to put music hack back Into the school Imil hIli just been read of oft off by the moderator The small towns town's voters who hu were Ver collected there wore restless and seemingly disinterested In the tho music music mu sic question hut but Jack Stone a young oun awkward u matt just inside the thc voting oUng age knew what hat he wanted lOte 1 because 11 lie he was very fond lona of or BettY Trumpet who was the thc music teacher and he also loved lo music Article 22 T Td To J see sec if the town will vote vole to authorize the superintendent ent of the school to employ re-employ a music t teacher and raise the sum o of 1000 for that Hint purpose purpose- 1 Nothing was ws said Miss Trumpet was a n month or two under the voting u age c and hn had 1 to lo sit silently in the thc gal gal- lery leQ If It no one supported the article lUcle she would lose the position she had Ilo looked l ed forward nl to and loved The job joh belonged to her if the music fund was vote voted Cross lights from a n late afternoon afternoon after after- noon noun sun shone in through the si sK sic win win- dows The Tile entire entile room was was' a mo mno- monotony of grimy walls and smoky ceiling Tick tick tick tiel sai said the old clock in the tho hu lu Ages seemed to be he 1 passing for fOl Bett Betty The rhe sleepy moderator or shifted his grip on his liis hammer and nud the town dell clerk twisted twist d his Isis mustache while white he splattered ink with the stiff slier of ot his pen There Is a n motion before the house the mo moderator tor cried The hc town meeting presumably was a self governing bod body but hut as a matter of or fact it was ruled rutted b by a handful of ot men At III this Has is meeting was one of or these old bosses a an old self centered conti con con- ti who was opposed to tIle the article on music The he stomached big redheaded redheaded red led lien headed dell giant of It a n contractor Bill WI Wiggins Wiggins Wig Wig- gins coveted every e cent that the town lown spent Outside of or the meeting he hn had J d that licit to put 1000 Into music for the coming year par was nil all foolish foolishness ness ss as the town could use It in lighting lighting light light- il ing and improvement funds He lie declared declared de de- IC- IC dared that lint the school needed some construction work that 1000 a J. J year would put It in good shape hape At this critical point he lie pulled his mas massive ive frame from his seat sent and pronounced wit with h much sourness I move mo Mr Moderator fl that this article be dis dis- missed Wig ln was wu Or d for just t that much marls thinking on his feet He Ue would ouM lave haic been almost helpless It if he had had to add an any anymore more of his hs lazy azy sentences to the first Betty g rasped gasped She Shu sat unsupported in in fn the gallery She half arose from her lieI seat sent and and looked down upon the thc main floor into the voting crowd where young un Stone s Suit sat t. t I If I only had someone some someone om omune one une to speak for forme me Despairingly she sho sank down in her chair chah- as she saw aw no mio one who would or 01 could ma maHie the Hie necessary speech for her hel before the tile article would woud be dismissed Suddenly Werton erton silting b beside beside be be- I side J Jack poked him in ht the tle rIbs libs teas teas- Dont let Wiggins get got away with his old old stuff He Ile has heed been I things too much turns whispered Youre a It pretty goo good talker taller in 10 a U aci ci crowd er E Everybody even was surprised 1 Jack Joel himself didn't know how In the world he bad got up there towering rin over o th the crowd and null Bill Wiggins ills He tired tired himself with wilh the effort to stand straight But since he he- was seemingly dragged cd to his feet by 11 an nn unseen force lorce lie tie must and would say something And Aud he lie did When he lie started to speak his voice yoke didn't sound like his It was strong stron and bold that 1 some one cried Why it already ally sounded to him him as ns asit asIt It 11 he lie speaking loud humid enough to wake a the ro lo rocKs ls lie He utmost almost shouted lie was getting warm He tie wasn't sure suie of the progress he was making malting hut but he lie knew he heIS was IS making some seine Kind because IS he lie was wali hol holding in th the crowd clo spellbound Inspiration fell up- up mi on him mu and conn oiled him Uc Lie Shouted shout Shout- cd ell as If IC h he lie had his lis and m Miss Trump ct els el's s. s enemies by the tile throat thront I I want music in this town and noll you lU lUant want ant music Why WIIt dont don't yon you say so sn so Are Arc you ou afraid to tu say 81 so 50 o People at atthe atthe the suggestion of WI Wiggins Wiggins eli gins gins-eh eh Mr Wiggins we we have ht Just voted to put In some new lights In the s school hool buildIng building build build- Ing an and 1 on the Ille school ground Of course Mr Wiggins Is tho the contractor i But there Is still aWl much darkness in our JJ rO I small city or r Milion toot tont t tuo tho 10 contractor contra tor wants to prevail The Che darkness of the mind is the great grent thing we are up against in hi this town today It Is Js Isto Isto to help dispel this darkness that I say saya a II few words In favor of ot music It should lawfully willingly ond justly be put back Into the school chool The red headed contractor sat wheezing In his seat He lIe had bad grown 10 many colors The Tho he crow crowd J was staring nt at Wiggins the center of ot Jacks Jack's tar tar- got get I 1 know the daring young Stone yelled and I 1 have heard it said by bya a 11 citizen clUzen that should have known better better better bet bet- ter that there will be no great grent sin singers singers sing sing- ers such as Marlon Marion Talley or Mme Ime Schumann Schumann or Caruso in this town whether we te put singing back Into in into In- In to to this school or not I dont don't doubt lie he was right But that argument of his Is s selfish and nud misleading This town may never produce any billionaires billionaires billion billion- aires like henry Ford However how v silly It would be for us us' us to quit trying to do business because the laws of at chance are arc against any n of our nul citizens becoming billionaires he stormed There an nu angry silence broken in a moment by Jack Tack who vho looked wildly at nt Wiggins and null declared Music lusic whether It be vocal or Instrumental In io has hus u a wonderful power over o human beings We mill alt I enjoy anti and andare are arc tJ by it for tor the good of f ourselves Therefore let us make the b best st investment yet and vote for music music mu mu- sic and a thousand dollars to carr carry carry it Iton U It Uon on this year Why not nol give the young yonn the chance we vc owe them them-nn them an opportunity opportunity to pla play sing and md hear good mu nm- sic ale There was a great gleat clapping of hands as he sat down Wiggins was In III a u uc c vexatious situation lie He di didn't nt know what to do He ne rose lose slowly but apparently ap up not to speak because he edged hIs Ills way out the rear door which was near Well Vell snickered the surprised moderator moderator mod mod- at the thc ting retreating enem enemy of music The hn motion for the dismissal of ot the article was lost Jost and und a n moment later luter latera lutera a motion that music be put back Into the school was carried by the raising of many more hau hands s than were needed to vote ote te It back Jack looked up to the gallery and saw Betty Belly smiling at him There was wasa wasn a n queer queer amount of color calm In her cheeks s as she looked proudly down upon the theal l a awkward young man mul Suddenly she smiled sallied 1 at nt him Bias realizing ing what he had none done for her when she was so help help- less Her whole being was radiant with an nn intoxicating thug ling of or her hOl fingers fingers lingers fin lin- gers she threw him down a kiss liss in full sight of er e e everybody bul That evening in n a lane near rear the river riv rv- er cr at nt sunset he be encountered petty Betty Tin Imn afraid 1 I didn't make self JIl myself popular popular pop pop- ular with the contractor he lie jested bested But Dut Jack you jou ou made yourself popular pop ular with me Petty Betty exclaimed suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly anti and her eyes sho shone e. e You fan are arc really a n great gleat speaker I didn't think of asking you because I I-I-I I I I elther did Ji I know I could round he blushed |