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MORNING ENTERPRISE, SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 1912.
The Song In
the Spinet
It Brought Joy to the Heart
of Its Composer
By AGNES Q. BROGAN
When Miss Phyllis was left alone
In the old house which had been her
home since infancy she felt very
much like a bewildered little child
who discovers suddenly that it is lost,
knowing not which way to turn. In
fact, her whole life had been devoted
In giving so much thought to others
that Miss Phyllis' own affairs had been
sadly neglected. She sighed wearily
as she rose to greet her sister-in-law.
"So the furniture Is to be auctioned
Oft tomorrow?" Teddy's wife asked.
Phyllis nodded dumbly.
Clarissa, for that was her name,
looked around with a supercilious
smile. "Nothing here of much ac
count," she said. . "You've let things
go to pieces shockingly, Phyllis. But
I intend, to help, you out. Ishall buy
PHYLLIS WITHOUT A WORD GRANTED HIS
BEQUEST.
that antique"-spinefT which I have al
ways wanted for my music room."
Phyllis caught her breath sharply.
"Why, I could not part with the
spinet," she said. "It has been band
ed down in our family for ages."
"Phyllis Wentworth," her sister-in-law
Interrupted sternly, "do you or do
you not Intend to pay your just debts?
That spinet Is the only article of real
value In the house. In fact, it Is no
Ionger your property, but goes with
the estate."
- Miss Phyllis crossed the room slow
ly and stood looking down upouthe
polished case, passing her fingers ca
ressingly over the yellowed keys.
"You are right, Clarissa," she said
at length, and her face ' was very
white; "the spinet will be sold. I
- have ho further claim to it."
But when she was alone at twilight
Phyllis seated herself before the lit
tle instrument, and presently there
floated out upon the summer air a
melody a wordless song of haunting
sweetness such as a master might
have played in days gone by. A man
who ascended the porch steps at this
moment waitetl, listening, entranced,
to the harplike notes, and when Miss
Phyllis opened the door, In response
to his summons he stood silent, as
though still under the spell of her mu;
sic. ,
Phyllis smiled encouragingly, won
dering the while what errand could
have brought this distinguished ap
pearing stranger to her door.
"I beg your pardon," he explained.
"I have learned that you are offering
a spinet for sale tomorrow and would
like to examine it with a view to pur
chasing." He followed her graceful figure ad
miringly as Phyllis led the way into
the parlor. Then for an instant his
hand rested almost reverently upon
the. painted Cupids which adorned the
quaint cover.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, and the one
word expressed full appreciation. As
Miss Phyllis leaned forward expect
antly the man's eyes sought hers.
"Will you kindly tell me the name of
the selection you were playiug a short
time ago?" he asked.
"It has no name," Phyllis answered
trailing. "The little piece was one of
fiy own fancies. I call it a song with
out words."
"May I be permitted, then, to hear
the song again?" The stranger spoke
with an abrupt eagerness, and Phyllis,
without a word, grafted his request.
As she played on and on, her listener
forgotten, the moon, looking through
the window, shone full upon her up
turned face, her eyes were dark with
memories and tears wet her cheeks.
Then, as the last note died away, she
turned, half startled, to find the man's
earnest gaze bent upon her.
"I am a musician," he said, his voice
trembling with emotion, "but never in
my life have I heard s'Jch harmony,
such beauty. And you say this mar-
velous song Is. one of your own compel
isitlon?" ' .
Miss Phyllis laughed softly. "Its
composition seemed to happen through
no effort of mine," she replied. "I
think the melody had been locked In
the spinet and made its escape when
my fingers touched the keys."
That night to her was one of sorrow.
She sat long before an open window
gently smoothing the petals of a rose
which she herself had trained to clam
ber up the wall; then, when all was si
lent, she made her way tearfully into
the garden, walking among the flowers
and bidding them a mute goodby. If
the house remained tenantless until
fall she promised herself the privilege
of running over often to tend and care
for this beloved garden. Then Miss
Phyllis paused, dismayed at the unwel
come thought where would she be,
that she decided thus confidently to
"run over?" But her face bore no
trace of a sleepless night as she enter
ed the familiar parlor upon the follow-
lngTnofninglnIact "a "pretty Trose col
or showed in Miss Phyllis' soft cheeks,
while her eyes were bright with ex
citement "I do declare," an old lady whispered
audibly. "Miss Wentworth grows
younger each year."
Phyllis chose a seat at the fartjier
end of the room, looking with secret
resentment into the eager faces of her
old friends and neighbors. Teddy and
his wife nodded to her from the door
way, and again a feeling of utter lone
liness crept over her. Then she saw
the musician crossing the room to her
'side.
"Good morning," he said, but In his
brief glance and warm handclasp
Phylljs read a sympathetic understand
ing and wondered vaguely that his un
known presence should bring to her
this comforting sense of protection.
Several minor articles being hastily
disposed of, the auctioneer now drew
forth the little old spinet, while the rose
color deepened in Miss Phyllis' cheeks.
Teddy's wife started the bidding by
an offer of $100, to which the musi
cian added $50.
"Two hundred." cried Clarissa.
"And fifty," added the musician. A
ripple of laughter ran around the room.
"Three hundred." said Clarissa
again.
"And fifty." persisted the quiet voice.
Teddy's wife paused to make a hurt
ried mental calculation. "Four hun
dred," she called sharply.
"And fifty," echoed the musician.
For a moment there was no sound as
the auctioneer hesitated undecidedly:
then with a little rush Miss Phyllis
came forward, her clear tones ringing
out triumphantly. "Five hundred."
cried Miss Phyllis.
The auctioneer smiled into her glow
ing face, and down came the gavel.
"Sold to Miss Wentworth for $500!"
he shouted. :
Phyllis walked dazedly over and
dropped on the lowest step of a lad
der. Her brother's face, Clarissa's and
the musician's seemed to float con
fusedly before her.
"Why did you not inform me of your
wish to keep the spinet?" the musi
cian asked reproachfully.
"We did not know," her sister-in-law
inteiTupted. "that you had $500
to spare."
Then Miss Phyllis laughed gleefully,
girlishly, and nodded to the musician.
"You tell them about it." she said.
There was a responsive twinkle in the
man's eyes.
"You may riot know,' he said, "that
your sister possesses unusual talent as
a composer of music. Last night I
was fortunate in purchasing from her
the exclusive right to use one of her
compositions upon a coming concert
tour, and its value to me cannot be
reckoned by dollars and cents."
"I sold it," Phyllis stated calmly,
"for $500."
Clarissa stared. "Do you mean to
tell me," she said, "that you spent
every penny you have in the world to
buy back a wretched old spinet?"
. "Every penny," Phyllis answered
cheerfully. But as her relatives moved
away in dignified disapproval she look
ed up at the musician with a tremu
lous smile:
"I am wondering now," she confided,
"just where I shall keep my spinet!"
The man bent over ber compassion
ately. "You have had enough of all
this," he said. "Come out into tue gar
den. I should like to speak" to you
there."
The hollyhocks which Phyllis had
planted nodded upon eithur side as she
followed him down the path. She
stooped to pluck a rose, to fasten a
fallen vine; then his eyes met hers
earnest, compelling. '
"I fear," he said slowly, "that you
may doubt a love which is spoken so
quickly. Will , you try to bear with
me to understand? Years ago I
hoped wilh a young man's longing to
meet the one woman who could be
my wife, but time passed, bringing
disappointment, for I failed to find
her. Then last night, when you stood
before me In the doorway, when the
moonlight shone white upon your face,
I recognized in you that woman, and I
knew that I would love you always,
irrevocably. Just as I realized at once
the beauty of your song, and. now I
beg for your promise to let iu tare for
and protect you. That woultf Sx hap
piness beyond all belief. Later t?erhaps
ou, too, may learn the lesson of lov
ing. Until then I shall be patient, I
shall wait."
Birds called to each other across the
silence of the garden, while Miss Phyl
lis sat with her face buried In her
hands: then at last she looked up, smil
ing throngb her tear bright eyes.
"I do not thlnfc you will have to wait
long," she said haltingly. "It is all'
very strange and wonderful, but the i
love for you is here now in my heart j
like the song that was locked In the j
pinet" - - i
LOWER ELECTRIC RATE!
As a result -of economic methods and the acquirement of additional facilities, the
PORTLAND RAILWAY, LIGHT & POWER COMPANY takes a great deal of pleasure
in announcing to the citizens of Oregon City and the surrounding territory an import
ant reduction In Its electric light and power rates.
IMPORTANT
ORDER IS POWER.
There is power in order mate
rial order, intellectual order, moral
order. To keep one's word and
one's engagements, to have every
thing ready under one's hands, to be
able to dispose of all one's forces
and to have all one's means of what
ever kind under command that is
order; to discipline one's habits,
efforts and wishes, to distribute one's
time, to take the measure of one's
duties and make one's rights re
spected, to employ one's capital and
resources, one's talent and one's
chances profitably. Order is power.
Not ' Distinction."
The detective was trying to get a
few pointers from the man who had
employed him to bunt for a runaway
"boy.
"Has he any distinguishing marks
about him?" he asked.
"Yes," said the father, frowning im
patiently. "The distinguishing mark
about him. sir, is that he looks like
me."
"H'm!" mused the detective. '1
should hardly call that a distinction.
That's a handicap." Chicago Tribune.
It has been the constant policy of the Company to give good service at reason
able rates. The Company is more interested than anybody else In building up a bigger,
busier and better Portland, and it fully recognizes the Important Influence of low rates
and good service. The new lighting rate is 9, 7 and 4c per kilowatt hour. Details of
this reduction and the conditions involved can be secured upon application at any of
the Company's offices. Several months will be required to change over the 31,000 ac
counts which this reduction In lighting rates will affect.. In order that our patrons may
be put to the least possible inconvenience, new contracts will be mailed beginning May
1st. The Company earnestly requests that these be signed, witnessed and .returned to
the Company's representative In Oregon City as promptly as possible, thus avoiding
the possibility of waiting in line at the office.
Portland Railway, Light
and Power Company
MAIN OFFICE SEVENTH & ALDER STS.
PHONES MAIN 6688 AND A. 6131.
A BOOSTER FOR BITULITHIC
PAVEMENT
J. G. Gable, one of Lewiston, Idaho's
most prominent business men, is an
enthusiastic advocate -of bitulithic
pavement, says the Missoula, .Mont,
Sentinel. He firmly belives that this
city will make ho mistake in laying
that kind of pavement on any or all
of the streets.
"It is equally adapted for residen
tial or business streets, as has been
conclusively demonstrated at Lewis-
ton," aid Mr. Gable. "From the out
set it was found so thoroughly satis
factory in Lewiston and so fully up to
the representations of its manufact
urers that the City Council wisely
decided there was no need of exper
imenting further in paving materials
or in contracting for other materials
that it was plain none could prove
more satisfactory from the staidpoint
of durability, economy and general
satisfaction. The result was that all
of the paving in Lewiston, of which
there are five or six miles on the prin
cipal streets, is bitulithic.
"The people of Lewiston- are so well
satisfied with it that there is little
prospect of any other kind of pavfng
material being used there. We are
content to let well enough alone."
HOTEL ARIVALS
The following are registered at the
Electric Hotel: William Gregory, Ore
gon City; H. W. Leonard, Portland;
Gale S. Hill, Albany; W. A. Tunn,
Portland; S. A. Miller Aurora, K. Ber
gren, Aurora; Frank McLaren, Alfred
aergnera, (joiton; j. Beaty, and wife,
Canby; Lee Howard, William Rudolph,
M. Trullinger, Molalla; Fred Schafer,
Molalla; Pierce Wright, Molalla; M.
G. and Mrs. O'Malley, Portland; B,
.J. Hawthorne, Eugene; E. V. Honeyer,
Seattle; G .A. Calhoun, Portland ; "Vale
Calhoun, LaCIede, Mo.; A. Grimm.
y
o
Working for the other fellow and What can be won with a little
work a line prise every )U days
Get Busy for Yourself
THE
To what people ate saying and
you will see how popular yot are
THEN GET IN AND WIN
Yours for the
V
.A.- - '"Hsu.
- S i, S ! - - -
-
Don't it look good
to you
To stimulate interest in the voting and o give each one a chance to profit by their
work we will give a prize every ten days. These prizes will not affect ;the final
count in any way as all votes will count on
THE GRAND AUTOMOBILE
These prizes will be given to the one that hands n the largest number of votes
very ten days. '
The Fourth Special Prize for the best 10 days showing
will be an order on some local merchant. This order
is good for anything in his store worth up to 415.00 or
can be applied on a larger account. This order had
ought to be worth every effort you can put forth.