Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-04-29


and warmth began to penetrate the
stranger, he seemed t. expand and
straighten up. His features lost their
pallor, and he grew more and more con
tent with the ilea that he was not IN the
grave. As he underwent these changes
the people about him got merriel and
happier, and threw oil the temporary
feeling of depression which he h,d laid
upon them.
Presently his eye fell on the piano,
.'Where is the player" he asked.
"Neyer had anv." said Goskin, ltush-
ing at the confession.
Il used to play when | was young
Gosl,in almost tainted at the i.,,IlIs-
sion.
stranger, do tackle it, and civ. MS
tune Nary a man i'll this camp eva had
the nerve to wrcstle with thut music
box
His pulse beat faster, for he feared that
the man would refuse.
TN do the best can, he sail.
There was no stool, but seizlng II can
dle-bcx, he drew it up and seated himself
before the instrument. 1t only T. qnlred
n few seconds for hush to come r,cr the
room.
That old coon is going to give the
thing rattle
The sight of a man at the piano was
something SO unusual that even the faro
dealer. who was about to take III fifty
dollar bet on the tray, paused, and did
not reach for the money. Men stopped
drinking with the glasses TO their lips.
Conversation appeared to have been
struck with sort of paralysis; the cards
were no longer shuffied.
The old man brushed back his long,
white locks, looking up to the ceiling,
half closed his eyes, and in n mystic sort
of revere passed his fingers over the
KEYS. He touched but single note, yet
the sound thrilled the room. 1t was the
key 10 his improvisation, and as he wove
| his chords together, the music laid Its
spell upon every ear and heart. He felt
his way along the KEYS like man tread
ing uncertain paths but he gained COLI
iidence us he progressed, and presently
| bent to his work like master. The i'll
! strument was not i'll exact tune, but the
ears Of his audience, through long dis
use, did not detect anything radically
wrong. They heard succession OF
| grand Chords Il suggestion Of paradise,
melodies here and there, and 1t was
enough.
.See him counter with hls left :. sald
an old rough, enraptured.
He calls the tune every time on the
upper end of the board, responded
man with stack Of chips in his hand.
The player wandered of into the old
ballads he had heard at home. All the
sad and melancholy and touching songs,
that came up like dreams of childhood.
this unknown player drew from the keys.
His hand kneaded their hearts like dough,
and squeezed out the tears a. from wet
! sponge. As the strains flowed one upon
the other they saw their homes of the
long ago reared again they were play
ing once more where the apple blossoms
sank through the soft air to JOIN the vlo-
lets on the green turf of the old New
England states they saw the glores OF
Wisconsin naples and the haze of the
Indian summer blending their hues to-
gether; they saw the heather of the Scot
tish hills, the white cliffs of the Briton,
and heard the sullen roar of the sea as 1t
beat upon their memories vaguely.
Then came the old Christmas carols,
such as they had sung in church thirty
Years before the subtle music that brings
up the glimmer of wax tapers, the sol
emn shrines, the evergreen, holly, mistle-
toe and surpliced choirs. Then the re-
morseless performer planted his final
stab in every heart with Home, Sweet
Home.
When the player ceased, the crowd
skunk away from him. There was no
more revery left in his audience. Each
man wanted to sneak off to his cabin and
write the old folks letter. The day was
breaking as the last man left the place,
and the player, LAYING his head down OIL
the piano fell asleep.
Il say, pard," said Goskin, don't you
want little rest .
Il feel tired, - the old man said, Per
haps you'll let me rest here for the mat
ter of n day or 500
He walked behind the bar where some
old blankets were lying, and stretching
himself upon them.
Il feel pretty sick. | guess | won't
last long I've got brother down IN the
ravine-his names Driscoll. He don't
know Tn here Can You get him before
morning. Id like to see his face once
more before die.
| Goskin started up at the mention Of the
name He knew Drisccll well.
"Hc your brother? I'll have him here
! III half an hour.
As he dashed out INTO the storm, The
musician pressed his hand to his side and
groaned. Goskin heard the word 'hur-
nv" and 81 ed down the rovine to Dris-
1 coll cabin
II was quite light in the room when the
| two men returned. Driscoll was pale MS
death.
MY God l hope he's alive | wrong
ed him when We lived i'll Engl land twenty
years ago"
They saw the old man had drawn the
| blankets over his face The two stood
moment, awed by the thought that he
might be dead. Goskin lifted the blanket
and pulled it down astonished. There
was no one there
Gone - cried Driscoll wildly.
Gone - echoed Goskin, pulling out
! his cash drawer Ten thousand dollars
in the sack, and the Lord knows how
much loose change in the draweri'
The next day the boye got out, followed
Il horse + tracks through the snow, and
! lost the trail leading toward Ploche.
There WAS man missing from the
camp.
1t was the three card monte man, who
denied point blank that he could play the
piano. One day they found wig OF
white hair and called 10 mind how the
stranger" had pushed those locks back
when he looked toward the ceiling for IN
spiration on the night of December -,