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About The Falls City tribune. (Falls City, Neb.) 1904-191? | View Entire Issue (May 6, 1910)
THE OLD VIOLIN By RUTH WILSON. '1 do wish Mary would quit sawing . that fiddle!’’ exclaimed Mrs. Free ..n peevishly .as she rocked back and forth in her chair by the stove. "I Mi sh to goodness her pa had never U ft. it to her, but that was all he ever had. No wonder lie died so poor.’’ The speaker was a thin, bent wom an with that tired expression in her face, so common to women who live on large farms. Her features were sharp and her mouth had a hitter expression. Her black calico dress seemed to bring hoi sharp features into stronger relief. Her daughter, Lillie, with a toss of her head, remarked, “Well, if she could play, it would be different. The iwlks are always sayin’ as how she 1r so pretty and smart, but I don’t, think so ” “Say, ran," she said con fidentially, “if Jim Travers comes tonight, tell him that Mary don’t wan to see him. Oh, dear! 1 wish he’d io with me. Hut I’ll get him yet." lust then tlie door opened and Mary entered the room. She was a - lender, pale girl of eighteen. Her golden hair was done in a large loose knot at the hack of her head. In her deep blue eyes was a sad ex pression. She carried a violin in her hands and a sheet of music was tucked under her arm. A plain black dress set off her features to a good - ilvantage. I here was such a marked contrast ; .1 the appearance of Lillie and Mary that even Mrs. Freeman noticed it grudgingly. For Lillie was a stout, healthy looking girl with blue eyes and brown hair. Her complexion was florid and appeared all the more so beeaues of the bright red dress she wore. She was rather pretty, but her features were coarse and She had an impudent air about her. Mary came in the room slowly, “It w. s so cold up stairs, that I could not practice,” she explained. Well,” exclaimed Mrs. Freeman, sharply, “Jt was bad enough as it was! ! should think you might have a little consideration for the rest of uf You know 1 can’t abide the fid dle!” Mary said nothing, but her lips trembled as she turned and left the >em. She rushed up stairs and e-ow herself on the bed and cried .-oftly. Then she grew more calm, a»H arose with a resolution never To forsake her old violin. She de ormined that some day she should take lessons of a great teacher and be a great violinist. That night Jim came, but Mary did not know it. Nor did she Know that h< was told that she would not see hen. Days passed uneventfully at the farm. Mary saw Jim Travers many times after that night when he failed to see her. Upon his question ing why she bad refused to see him, she explained that she had been ill. But, Jim was not. deceived. He knew how Mary was treated at the farm. He tried to persuade her to leave the Freemans and marry him, but she only said, “No, Jim, I owe a great deal to Uncle John and Aunt Maggie, nd I must help (hem for a whkje longer.” .dim liked her all the better for this, ami Mary thought mor • of dim ■ very time she saw him. One day several months later, Mary was out. in the warm sunshine be *ath a larg" oak a short distance from the house. She had her iolin and as she played her simple musie she expressed ail her great longings and desires. She did not the strange man, who came up •»*• path to the house. But he saw h*r and gave a little scornful laugh. He rang the little old-fashioned bell in patient ly, and was immediately ad or -.ted into Uh> bouse by the farmer himself— a large man of fifty or more v»;,rs. with greedy blue eyes and « firm month. As Mr. Freeman greeted the strang er. he said, "Be quiet, Morrison, for Maggie or Lillie may come in here, and that would’t lie best for me.” He laughed disagreeably at his own jeke. He led Morrison into the •ora, known as the “best room, or parlor." Morrison glanced Uneasily about the darkened room. The furniture was mostly hair cloth with the exception of a marble-topped table, on which lay a large Bible. There were several pictures on the walls. One was the "Rock of Ages,” in which a young woman in ai white «rcss rlimg to a large cross of •lone. Some very fierce wav< s tum bled around her but she did not seem 1© mind it in the least, if one were i* judgt from the gay expression on her face. Another picture was Beauty and The Beast,” in which a »otmg girl sat stiffly by a shaggy ■•c A third one was an enlarged portrait of Mr. Freeman's great awle’s cousin, Johnathan. Thomas Morrison carefully select ed the safest looking chair in the room and seated himself. His eyes glowed in the darkened room, and he rubbed his hands together nervously as he began his story: “Your uncle, Frederick Freeman, died about a month ago. as l notified you. lie left his entire, fortune to your dead half-sister’s child. But, as 1 have the only papers showing it. i can get the fortune for you; but only on condition that. I am well enough paid for my services now.” (here he lowered his tone), 1 knew that your uncle disliked you and he left you out, but the girl, Mary Lyon, knows nothing whatsoever of this and she will never need to know that she is an heiress." Thus plans went on for several hours; then the lawyer left. As he went out of the gate, .lint Travers went in. Jim was much astonished to see the lawyer but he said nothing to Mary about it. The summer went (luickly by and there was still no change on the sleepy little farm. dim had made many trips to the nearest city, Philadelphia, but as he always had a good reason for going, nothing was thought of his journeys. One day when Mary was at. work in the kitchen, her aunt came to tell her that, there was a strange man with dim Travers in the parlor, and that they wanted to see her (Mary), at once. "I'd like to know what they want you for," said Lillie, giving her hair a little pat, here and there. "Well, so should I," said Mrs. Freeman. "It don't always look good to see a girl i ailed for by strange men:” "I don’t know I'm sure what they want, Aunt Maggie,” replied Mary, 1 "but il' you’ll listen, you’ll soon find out.” With this parting shot, she left the room and went Into the parlor. Jim introduced her to a large, kind looking man, who, lie said had some thing to tell her. Then Mr. Warren, the stranger, told her that hi- was a lawyer and had become very interested in her case, as Jim lied told him of her. In going through some old records, he had found an old will of her uncle’s, Frederick Freeman. He had become more interested and had begun to trace the new will. He found it to be in the hands of Thom as Morrison. lie had then found that Morrison was in league with Free man. and was keeping Mary’s right ful fortune from her. She could hardly believe her ears. That, she could now learn to play the violin, was the first thought. She was awakened from her rev erie by the lawyer telling her that Lawyer Morrison and her Uncle John had committed a crime and that they could tie im prisoned for ’t. "Oli, no, Mr. Warren,” she cried, “1 could nevre have a man. who has kept me since I was a little girl, put in jail. There must he some mis take''” But when she was assured that there was no mistake, she once more made entreaty for her uncle. At last the lawyer told her 'hat. since she so desired it, nothing would be done with her uncle. A very happy girl went about her work that day. She was to leave in two weeks for some boarding cshool or college. Accordingly she set. about planning her clothes and her work. At the end of the two weeks time Jim took her to the station in his fine new buggy. She left a very un happy family at the farm. John Freeman had told his wife and daugh- j ter of the whole affair and of Mary’s generosity toward him. lime new very swuuy ior Mary in her new surroundings. She Learne | quickly and (lie teachers encourag'd her constantly. She remained in college for four I y* ars. making only short visits to; the farm. She and her violin bo-; came noted. She purchased a grand J Cremona violin, which she loved witli all her soul. People flocked to hear her play and her name was mention-1 ed with praise. One night in a large concert hall of the college, she was to appear on ; the program. When her number was called and she walked to the front of the stage she looked about the audience and her eye fell on Jim. She motioned for the accompanist to quit playing and putting her violin in place, she played one of the simple, beautiful little melodies she had play ed for him years ago. She put her whole soul and heart into the music and when she had finished, the audience seemed to be spell-bouud. She was on Hie program again, and this time she played the classical piece she had intended to play be fore and her rendition of this piece proved to everyone in the audience that she was a master. That night after the concert, Jim came to her. "It was all for you Jim,” she whispered. ”1 knew it was when I saw your eyes, dear,” In said softly—Orange and Black. FACULTY COMMENT. By E. K. HURST. Today I received a communication i from one of (lie largest universities in tlie United States relative to grant ing a scholarship to our best pupil I sometimes doubt the wisdom or fairness of holding such incentives to good scholarship before the school, for the one who gets the best grades is not always the most worthy nor most deserving; but the further qual ification was, that the applicant must be one who took a leading part in some of the enterprises of the school other than just books, going on to say that it was desired to grant these scholarships to those who would uiak their mark in the world as leaders, apparently putting much emphasis on the fact that the leader in school is bound to be the leader in life. The observation of most of us will lead us to agree in this matter. Leader ship is a great thing anywhere, but it is not the quantity of the leader ship that counts, but the quality. There are two classes of very con temptible people in tliis world, those who lead in what they know to be the wrong direction and those who liavn’t enough backbond to keep from drifting with the tide. There's some hope for the former, but the latter is very doubtful. Little above these, is (lie fellow who ever and anon drifts with the crowd, whichever way it goes. He is only better because if we keep him in good company he will do nothing worse than hamper their pro gresB. The fellow that counts anywhere is the one who leads leads right and keeps eternally at it. S Every school lias exam pi .1 of each and when the world wants men and women to do tilings it will reach out for that latter class standing in bold relief on tlie honor roll of our in stitutions and >hey will fill (lie bill. Three years of pleasant experience *11 this high s’hooi lias brought into my acqiiaintiir.ee stud< lit. lives that have given m> inspiration, ideals and higher aspirations. There1 have been characters that have made me want them for lifelong friends, because they seem* d to have some hidden pow er that meant tilings must move, and the point of *1 is that tins’ qualit ies have found on outlet somewhere so us to mak•' them leaders in some line of school life. That leadership may have been in a humble way, hut the influence none the less exerted. And so every student, no mattoi what his age, may be exerting an in fluence on some life or lives for good or had, and that in the direction in which he is leading. It's .1 tremen dous responsibility. Which way are ' ■ii headed? May Orange and .Hack. Commencement. The school year is about to close. Nine months of good, hard work will soon he over. School life for some of us will then he a tiling of the past. It makes one sad to think about it. For twelve long years we have been working toward cue end— graduation, and now when tin goal is reached, the joy of victory is ming led with sadness. The school lias practically been our home and it is like breaking home ties to leave it, yet slightly changing Burnett’s fam ous quotation we can comfort our selves by thinking: “It is better than everything else, that the ‘school’ should be a little better b <11 use a boy or girl iias attended it even ever sci little.”—May Orange and Black. The Mock Trial. One of the most amusing entertain tnents of the year was a mock trial recently given by the Civics class, under the direction of Miss Field. Besides being entertaining, tin- trial was extremely helpful to those tak ing part in it, for a thorough under standing of a ‘sure ’nough” trial had to be gained before the mock trial could be presented. To aid the class in procuring this necessary know ledge, Judge Gagnon kindly con sented to address the class and give the main features of a trial. liis talk was fine and the success of the inock trial was greatly due to it.— May Orange and Black. Move. Oliver Wendell Holmes has said: ”1 find the great tiling in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” How true that, statement is in High School life! It is the school that moves that makes a reputation for it self; it is the school that moves that gets “results.” Students. let’s move!”—May Orange and Black. For Rent—Vacuum Clcaner.with or without operator. Phone 2uS or 426. 17-tf. Mrs. M. A. Lyle Mrs, N. E. Byerr Next pout- WV^t European (’aft* Oil Corner. Practising Nurses Falls City. Neb. NEW AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH To Extend Its Lines to Nebraska— Pails City on List. ! In pursuance of its plan to inter lace lie whole country at an early date with its web of automatic tele graph wires, announcement was made in New York Wednesday, April 20, that tin Teh-nost Company lias tin ! der advisement. I lie expansion of its | system to all parts of Nebraska. Connection is to be established by ; way of St. Louis and Kansas City lo i which point the system now extends. William II. McCollum, former super intendent of Construction of the Postal Company, who is in charge of the extension of the automatic sys tern, lias been looking over the groun for some time and reports conditions unusually favorable for tlit' 'nnugura tion of work on the line. This system is regarded by scienti fic men as the most brilliant achieve ment in tin1 evolution of telegraphy since Morse’s time, representing the conquest of a. new basic principle in telegraphy that, presages for that, industry a world-wide revolution with its 2,000 words a minute service and rates of one cent, half and quarter of a cent a word, regardless of time or distance. By the Telepost system a message is transmitted with equal facility over either a telegraph or telephone wire. Its rates are the lowest and its ser vice the most rapid in the world. Civic organizations, boards of trade have been in touch with officials if the telepost for several months and have assured the company of their readiness to co-operate with it. in anyway it can suggest as most likely to facilitate the extension of its lines to Nebraska. Among tin' cities and towns in the state under consideration for Tele post connection are: Lincoln. Omaha, Nebraska City, South Omaha. Fre mont, York, B ilrice, Tecui iseli.l List ings, Kearney, Grand Island, Central City, Schuyler, Columbus, Fairbury, McCook, North Platte, Alliance, Bel mont, Morrill, Kimball, Falls City. Patrick B. Delany, the inventor of the Telepost system which is now used between Boston and Portland, and between Chicago, St. Louis, In dianapolis, Terre Haute, and other cities in Massachusetts, New Hamp shire, Maine, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, is an old associate of Thom-; as A, Edison. The discovery of the! new scientific principle which made its invention possible, is the realiza tion of an ambition Delany and Edi son had as far hack as IS7I. when lie and the wizard experimented on im provements to the Morse methods of hand transmission over a special line constructed between Washington and New York with the idea of evolving a system of rapid telegraphy to displace the mails for long dig-! tam e communication. In addition to being a boon of in estimable value to the public, the Delany automatic system, will save the newspapers of the country hun dreds of thousands of dollars a year in telegraph tolls, through its cheap rates, great speed and accurate ser vice. Of the $1,500,000 expended every! year for telegraph service by the | Associated Press it is figured out that approximately $700,000 will be saved j by the use of the automatic service, I when it completes its continent wide! expansion. —We have some fresh Red Seai flour in now. Come and get a sack. —C. A. Heck. i ismxsvm&p rT,'5HIS ad. is directed at the i man who has all the business in his line in this community. <S Mr. Merchant — You say you've got it all. You’re sell ing them all they'll buy, any how. But at the same time you would like more business. Make this community buy more. <2 Advertise strongly, consist- I ently, judiciously. <2 Suppose you can buy a lot I of washtubs cheap; advertise I a big washtub sale in this pa per. Put in an inviting pic ture of a washtub where people can see it the minute they look at your ad. Talk strong on washtubs. And you’ll find every woman in this vicinity who has been getting alopg with a rickety Efor years and years a new one from you. ; creative business PAT! S ARK RIGHT CALL ON US (lV>pvri«[Ul. i.k .i by YV. V U.) ^mmm* ' — " I You Get A l.-efal Guarantee h VOU have had clothes satisfaction A preached to you ever since you have bought your own clothes. But did you ever have satisfaction insured to you with a signed guarantee? That’s what you get in Clothcraft Clothes—Guaran teed satisfaction. An insurance policy signed by the maker that guarantees you pure wool, style and shape goes with your Clothcraft Suit. You take no risk whatever. We arc the only Clothcraft store in town, and are proud of our dis tinction. This is the only store in town where you can get guaranteed all-wool clothe < I >r no more than you would pay for common clothes. CLOTHCRAFT All-Wool Clothes $10to$25 Our great display of Clothcraft Clothes is now at its best. ^ Mii5/r/rxjir£0. Odd Pieces of Art (Hand Moulded) Decorated Pottery In 3-Piece Sets Creamers, Steins. See the new Jardinier a Jardinier and Flow er Pot Combined. Nothing like it ever shown before. See these goods at Chas. M. Wilson's LOWE BROTHERS MELLOTONE Paint Ready for Use on Walls Woodwork, Burlap, Etc. Put up in gallons, half gallons and quarts. Flat colors for inte rior decoration on woodwork and walls. Has no equal. Permanent, Washable Practical, Beautiful Ready to use at any time. It is a revelation in its results it has all the excellences of water colors, the soft, beautiful effect. WE ARE ACENTS FOR Pittsburg Electrically Welded Fence Wire Sure Hatch Incubators and Brooders They havejfew equals and no superiors. It will pay you to inves tigate our claims for these wares—they are reputation builders. J. G. TANNER Tinning and Plumbing Falls City, Nebraska v**I« vv•*£• *!♦*1**1**1**! *!• ,H**I4*I* | PRANK PECK | 1 Auctioneer 4* .> **. »*• X v I£ If you contemplate having a X Y sale see me or write for terms X * at once. I guarantee satisfac-Y X tion to my patrons. , X t 11 * CALLS CITY, NEBRASKA * V V —The Candy Kitchen for brick ice cream. Barefoot Sandals JUST RECEIVED H. M. Jenne Shoe Store
