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houses were unspeakably forlorn with sagging blinds and lack of paint。
Untidy women and blear…eyed men leaned over the dilapidated fences； or
lolled on mud…tracked doorsteps。 David； his shrinking eyes turning from
one side to the other； passed slowly through the street； his violin under his
arm。 Nowhere could David find here the tiniest spot of beauty to 〃play。〃
He had reached quite the most forlorn little shanty on the street when the
promise in his father's letter occurred to him。 With a suddenly illumined
face； he raised his violin to position and plunged into a veritable whirl of
trills and runs and tripping melodies。
〃If I didn't just entirely forget that I didn't NEED to SEE anything
beautiful to play；〃 laughed David softly to himself。 〃Why； it's already right
here in my violin！〃
David had passed the tumble…down shanty； and was hesitating where
two streets crossed； when he felt a light touch on his arm。 He turned to
confront a small girl in a patched and faded calico dress； obviously
outgrown。 Her eyes were wide and frightened。 In the middle of her
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outstretched dirty little palm was a copper cent。
〃If you please； Joe sent thisto you；〃 she faltered。
〃To me？ What for？〃 David stopped playing and lowered his violin。
The little girl backed away perceptibly； though she still held out the
coin。
〃He wanted you to stay and play some more。 He said to tell you he'd 'a'
sent more money if he could。 But he didn't have it。 He just had this cent。〃
David's eyes flew wide open。
〃You mean he WANTS me to play？ He likes it？〃 he asked joyfully。
〃Yes。 He said he knew 't wa'n't muchthe cent。 But he thought maybe
you'd play a LITTLE for it。〃
〃Play？ Of course I'll play〃 cried David。 〃Oh； no； I don't want the
money；〃 he added； waving the again…proffered coin aside。 〃I don't need
money where I'm living now。 Where is hethe one that wanted me to
play？〃 he finished eagerly。
〃In there by the window。 It's Joe。 He's my brother。〃 The little girl； in
spite of her evident satisfaction at the accomplishment of her purpose； yet
kept quite aloof from the boy。 Nor did the fact that he refused the money
appear to bring her anything but uneasy surprise。
In the window David saw a boy apparently about his own age； a boy
with sandy hair； pale cheeks； and wide…open； curiously intent blue eyes。
〃Is he coming？ Did you get him？ Will he play？〃 called the boy at the
window eagerly。
〃Yes； I'm right here。 I'm the one。 Can't you see the violin？ Shall I play
here or come in？〃 answered David； not one whit less eagerly。
The small girl opened her lips as if to explain something； but the boy
in the window did not wait。
〃Oh； come in。 WILL you come in？〃 he cried unbelievingly。 〃And will
you just let me touch itthe fiddle？ Come！ You WILL come？ See； there
isn't anybody home； only just Betty and me。〃
〃Of course I will！〃 David fairly stumbled up the broken steps in his
impatience to reach the wide…open door。 〃Did you like itwhat I played？
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And did you know what I was playing？ Did you understand？ Could you
see the cloud…boats up in the sky； and my Silver Lake down in the valley？
And could you hear the birds； and the winds in the trees； and the little
brooks？ Could you？ Oh； did you understand？ I've so wanted to find some
one that could！ But I wouldn't think that YOUHERE〃 With a gesture；
and an expression on his face that were unmistakable； David came to a
helpless pause。
〃There； Joe； what'd I tell you；〃 cried the little girl； in a husky whisper；
darting to her brother's side。 〃Oh； why did you make me get him here？
Everybody says he's crazy as a loon； and〃
But the boy reached out a quickly silencing hand。 His face was
curiously alight； as if from an inward glow。 His eyes； still widely intent；
were staring straight ahead。
〃Stop； Betty； wait；〃 he hushed her。 〃MaybeI think I DO understand。
Boy； you meanINSIDE of you； you see those things； and then you try to
make your fiddle tell what you are seeing。 Is that it？〃
〃Yes； yes；〃 cried David。 〃Oh； you DO understand。 And I never thought
you could。 I never thought that anybody could that did n't have anything to
look at but himbut these things。〃
〃 'Anything but these to look at'！〃 echoed the boy； with a sudden
anguish in his voice。 〃Anything but these！ I guess if I could see
ANYTHING； I wouldn't mind WHAT I see！ An' you wouldn't； neither； if
you wasblind； like me。〃
〃Blind！〃 David fell back。 Face and voice were full of horror。 〃You
mean you can't seeanything； with your eyes？〃
〃Nothin'。〃
〃Oh！ I never saw any one blind before。 There was one in a bookbut
father took it away。 Since then； in books down here； I've found others
but〃
〃Yes； yes。 Well； never mind that；〃 cut in the blind boy； growing restive
under the pity in the other's voice。 〃Play。 Won't you？〃
〃But how are you EVER going to know what a beautiful world it is？〃
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shuddered David。 〃How can you know？ And how can you ever play in
tune？ You're one of the instruments。 Father said everybody was。 And he
said everybody was playing SOMETHING all the time； and if you didn't
play in tune〃
〃Joe； Joe； please；〃 begged the little girl 〃Won't you let him go？ I'm
afraid。 I told you〃
〃Shucks； Betty！ He won't hurt ye；〃 laughed Joe； a little irritably。 Then
to David he turned again with some sharpness。
〃Play； won't ye？ You SAID you'd play！〃
〃Yes； oh； yes； I'll play；〃 faltered David； bringing his violin hastily to
position； and testing the strings with fingers that shook a little。
〃There！〃 breathed Joe； settling back in his chair with a contented sigh。
〃Now； play it againwhat you did before。〃
But David did not play what he did beforeat first。 There were no airy
cloud…boats； no far…reaching sky； no birds； or murmuring forest brooks in
his music this time。 There were only the poverty…stricken room； the dirty
street； the boy alone at the window； with his sightless eyesthe boy who
never； never would know what a beautiful world he lived in。
Then suddenly to David came a new thought。 This boy； Joe； had said
before that he understood。 He had seemed to know that he was being told
of the sunny skies and the forest winds； the singing birds and the babbling
brooks。 Perhaps again now he would understand。
What if； for those sightless eyes； one could create a world？
Possibly never before had David played as he played then。 It was as if
upon those four quivering strings； he was laying the purple and gold of a
thousand sunsets； the rose and amber of a thousand sunrises； the green of a
boundless earth； the blue of a sky that reached to heaven itselfto make
Joe understand。
〃Gee！〃 breathed Joe； when the music came to an end with a crashing
chord。 〃Say； wa'n't that just great？ Won't you let me； please； just touch that
fiddle？〃 And David； looking into the blind boy's exalted face； knew that
Joe had indeedunderstood。
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CHAPTER X
THE LADY OF THE ROSES
It was a new world； indeed； that David created for Joe after thata
world that had to do with entrancing music where once was silence；
delightful companionship where once was loneliness； and toothsome
cookies and doughnuts where once was hunger。
The Widow Glaspell； Joe's mother； worked out by the day； scrubbing
and washing； and Joe； perforce； was left to the somewhat erratic and
decidedly unskillful ministrations of Betty。 Betty was no worse； and no
better； than any other untaught； irresponsible twelve…year…old girl； and it
was not to be expected； perhaps； that she would care to spend all the bright
sunny hours shut up with her sorely afflicted and somewhat fretful brother。
True； at