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Show IffT-ON I ANYTHING FOR A FRIEND flf& I V " By MARJORIE ABBOTT I " U 9 rtotnev B L .,r looked uncomfortable as he SLdwK his large leet planted rdl on Harriet Sweet's ,,rtW,!i rue His violin was tucked 'f Le arm. and with bis free, ffbTSaSS . Ihlcklock of hair 'S5 from his dark, ugly face, txn right. Sam. let's try it tf said Harriet. She sat St-backed on the piano bench foaycd the introduction to KLLrei" on the mahogany Her gray head , kept time K music with lively little nods. YeS ma'am." said Sam. His w!ce was changing. Every move ride was done in an agony of Consciousness. He brought his n up to bis chin, and then for-JuSelf for-JuSelf as he brought the rich JJes to life beneath his fingers. Harriet sighed as the last note Jame stilled. "That was splendid, she said. "I haven't another 1 La bs talented as you are." A light showed briefly in his dark ' nd then he blushed and moistened his hps. Harriet wondered sometimes why I ' ie "wanted so much to win this J- Wt friendship. He was unattrac-i unattrac-i tire He had a last name she J couldn't begin to pronounce. It was r, pjrtly the longing of a lonely, child-Jgss child-Jgss woman, she supposed, for lomeone to mother. H Tie music should have formed !j bond between them. But up to now she felt she was losing the battle to pierce his shyness and win Sam's friendship. For ilx months he had come to her for bis weekly lesson, but although al-though she had tried In every way she knew to get next to the boy, she had failed. : '1 have no friends," he had told ter once bluntly, when she had (questioned him, and she had an aching picture of him, working hard ifler school to earn money to help out fit home with his brothers and j listers, squeezing out the extra dollar for a music lesson, practicing j, late at night. She would have loved s to help him in some way, but he was proud and Independent. Sam cleared his throat and wiped j. his arm across his sweating fore- 3 bead. "Mrs. Sweet, I'm going to stop taking lessons," he said. "Oh, Sam," said Harriet, "Why?" D "My kid brother busted my violin. TMj one is borrowed from my old I man's sister just for tonight. I'm joiag to earn another fiddle. It will I fake a while. They have them at j Brothers' music store for 15 bucks. 3 Is soon as I get it I'll be back." a It was the longest speech he had tver made. Harriet reached over the bronze bust of Beethoven on top of the pi- t mo and took her own violin lovingly loving-ly from its alligator case. 'There's no need of missing those i lessons, Sam." she said. "You may s we my violin as long as you need one." She tried not to think about the kid brother who busted violins. This one had cost her a thousand ; dollars. i Sam's face was shining. "Gee, , Mrs. Sweet. Gee! I'U make it right j With you," he added hastily. "I know you'll take good care of It" ; "Oh, yes, ma'am." She followed up her advantage. "I wish you'd always try to think of me as your friend, Sam. I like 1 Jou very much." He looked down at the floor and ihlfted from one foot to the other. I . l J-JARIUET thought of Sam often in the following week. She fought of his large, strong hands at would bring heartbreakingly sweet melodies out of her violin. She wondered if the boy would like the incredibly rich, full tone of the instrument. She didn't see him again till the following week. As he came in he was filled with a strange restlessness restless-ness that he couldn't control. "Last week you said that you were my friend." "Why yes, Sam." "There's something important I've got to ask you." This was the moment she had been hoping for, in all her months of knowing Sam. "I'll do anything I can for you, Sam," she said quietly. He stood there facing her, almost defiant in his earnestness. For the He saw the look of surprise on her face. His voice cracked as he went on. "Gosh, I know it probably cost you some dough. I'd even pay 75 bucks for it." She was staring at him incred-uously. incred-uously. There was no sound in the room but the slow ticking of the grandfather clock. He flushed and looked down at the floor. His fingers were restless on his plaid cap. In a sudden agony of embarrassment, he thrust his hands behind him. "You think it's an O. K. fiddle too," he said! "I suppose I shouldn't be asking you for it. Even if you are my friend." She hestitated only a moment be- 1 She had an aching picture of him, working hard after school to earn money to help out' at home with his brothers and sisters. moment his shyness and awkwardness awkward-ness were gone. "I played your violin all week," he said feverishly. "It was smooth as as oil or something. Gee, it was swell!" His eyes were blazing, and his dark face was no longer ugly. "Look, Mrs. Sweet, I can get 50 bucks from my uncle. I'd work to pay it back to him." i fore she walked toward him and placed her small, blue-veined hand lightly on his arm. "Yes, Sam. I am a little attached to the instrument. But if you think you can raise 50 dollars, the violin is yours. For a moment I was shocked, because you see, 50 dollar.' is quite a bit of money to take. Es pecially from a friend." |