| Show 10 LOUGH SOME REAL MUSIC how an angel unawares happened to visit an amateur musician bv 1 NORA CAVENDISH james I 1 said bald there la Js someone coming up the drive james seated at the piano continued to play incorrect chords with his left lef hand chand in the bass while w bile his right hand busted busied itself in turning over the music before hinl not at home he said absently ills ilia Jord lordship ship Is away from home hardly I 1 observed gravely when his lordship can be seen from the drive seated seabed at the piano celebrities at home murmured james lord lough and his favorite bechstein grand his right hand band rejoining the left upon the keyboard now proclaimed to the world in general in uncertain notes its inclination to be beside the seaside A moment later the front door bell rang loudly then through the open window a voice could be heard inquiring whether mr vincent was at homo home certainly not murmured james tim we are saved he has come to the wrong house voices wore were still heard in consultation aud and a few minutes later the butler appeared in the doorway 1 I beg your pardon alord he said A gentleman lins has mistaken this house for mr vincents lie he wishes to know whether he may speak to your lordship for a moment james groaned the sound must I 1 ral am sure have been distinctly audible to the visitor on the doorstep show him in reid he said eald resignedly I 1 sign edly there was waa a brief interval during which james picked gloomily at tho the piano his right hand again haltingly reiterating that it would like to be beside the sea then tho the door opened and a 0 tall dark dare man obviously a foreigner appeared reid held muttered an unintelligible foreign name and vant vanished shed the stranger with many bows and apologies began explaining the reason of his s seemingly bingly unwarrantable in C his hi performance was out of the ordinary tru slon lord lough must pardon him ho was waa on his w way ay to mr vincents house motoring from london his motor had been left a mile back on the road having completely run out of petrol he had walked on an thinking this to be mr vincents house only to learn from the butler that he be was still five miles from his destina tion A pause here in which james pursuing the course expected of him prot prof the loan of petrol petrel and the services of his chauffeur to carry it down to the car tho the stranger appeared overwhelmed with gratitude 1 I fear I 1 have interrupted a mu steal afternoon he observed in ills his elaborate foreign manner 1 I myself idore music I 1 beg you will continue conti nug to play willing to spare the musical stranger ari interposed perhaps you yourself play I 1 suggested politely lough and I 1 are only amateurs james looked coldly at mo me speak tor for yourself tim he be said personally I 1 have been slaving away at this blessed piano morning noon ind and night for weeks and I 1 dont mind owning that I 1 think my touch has improved practice Is everything tho stang stranger assented 1 I beg you will play lord lough it will give me hiie great pleasure to hear you james looked pleased and with a slightly self conscious air resumed via ve seat at the piano what shall I 1 play lie fie carelessly 1 I was just running through a two step when you arrived the stranger looked rather puzzled as james struck a few faulty chords chord upon pie the piano 1 I seemed to know it the tuno tuna you were playing when I 1 entered ho be observed politely 1 I have heard heardt jt T r think on the tho the or barrel organ put but something more classical would do greater justice ustice to your talent if f you will allow me io to make the suggestion 11 I 1 classical said james vaguely vh guely ali ah yes yes I 1 dare say you are ara right vve ive got some opera things somewhere I 1 believe tim old man just have a look round while I 1 start away with this he hurriedly arranged upon the piano a composition entitled 10 lo le ballet des Sylph sylpher es 1 while the stranger seated in an attitude of polite attention a distant sofa the sylpher Sylph SYI PIles es I 1 appeared to have hardly mastered the intricacies of the ballet and to hav 0 executed their steps in liob hob nail bald ed boots judging from the hesitating yet thunderous sounds that the piano now gave forth A well meant though unsuccessful attempt i on the musicians pa part rt to turn over with his left hand while sustaining the Sylph sylpher es in their terpsi chow efforts with his right brought the music in a confused heap upon the ground and the melody to io an abrupt conclusion devilish difficult thing that to play james announced breathlessly 1 I ought to have got ono one of you to turn over for me the visitor politely expressed his ro grets at not having observed lord boughs dilemma in time to offer hla his assistance and begged trtat we might be favored with another tune this however I 1 felt must at all costs be ba avoided and I 1 suggested hurriedly that the th visitor should now take a turn at the piano james with obvious reluctance seconded my propos proposal ali and the stranger after much persua slon eton from me and none from james took his sent seat on the musto stool I 1 do not like J james a mes pretend to hayo have any knowledge 0 of f music but to my untutored ear car his performance sound ed something quite out of the ordinary I 1 glanced at james jamea its as our guest rose from the piano and was waa certain f from rom the look of ann annoyance byance on his face that he was equally impressed capital capital he said bald airily 1 I seo see you are quite a professional I 1 hope you will come over and play to us again some time when you are next inthe in the neighborhood the tone of his hig voice to express also the hope that such an event might occur only in the remote I 1 future the sound of a motor on the drive now reached our ears cars and our bur guest with elaborate bows and many expressions explosions explored of gratitude prepared prepa red to take his leave I 1 accompanied him to the front door where I 1 stood and watched him getting gettin gInto into his car at the last moment a thought seemed to strike him and pulling pu alln ay 1 a 6 letter case from his pocket he produced po deuced from it a card pray express my thanks to lord lough he said with foreign accent and presenting the card tome to me with a low bow 1 I shall do myself i the bonor of calling to replace the pet petrol rol I 1 havo have borrowed on my return next week with more bows and a final wave of ills his hand band he disappeared down the drive in his motor then I 1 glanced at the card when I 1 had recovered from my surprise I 1 reentered entered re the library irom which the strains of music warned me that the Sylph sylpher es were giving an encore performance of their ballet james I 1 said whon when the music ceased what did you think ot of our visitor played well what quite well quite well his tone lacked enthusiasm A slight want of execution perhaps but a painstaking performer painstaking I 1 said thoughtfully yes perhaps that is the word I 1 wanted Valas kl james the new genius chap that fellows playing rather reminded me of his james smiled pityingly at me as ao he lightly struck a few false notes on the piano valaska Valas kl tim ho he said gald know valaska from a barrel organ I 1 I 1 laid lB ts card gently upon the piano and went away to play the gramophone |
