The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-07-18

Thegale 0utsidegrew stronger; the fire
ilared unsteadily on the hearth, and
sent its volumes of grayish smoke in
whirling eddies to the ceiling.
The fowls in the Pickering fire
light, seemed to dance on the
steps of the stairs, while the mad
girl sang with her shrillvoice strange
Old-fashiOned air, and the green fagots,
sweating with sap in the flame, SIM
mered a mournful accompaniment.
Haiti imagined that he had got into
the den of Hecker, the wizard; he
swallowed two potatoes, and raising
the great red Watering, drank long
and deep. Then his spirit grew calm
again; he noticed that the girl had
gone, and only the man was left before
the fire.
Herr Wirth," he resumed, "show
me to bed
The innkeeper, lighting a lamp, went
slowly up the wOrm-eaten stairs,
raised a heavy trap-door with his
gray head, and showed Carl to the gar
ret, under the thatch.
There's your bed" said he, setting
the lamp on the floor, pleasant
dreams; and be careful with the
light "
Then he went down again, and Ha-
fitz remained alone, crouching before
a great straw mattress with a big
feather bed for coverlet.
He had been musing for some mo-
ments wondering whether it would be
prudent to go to sleep or no, for the
old fellows face was far from reassur-
ing, when, thinking over the light gray
eyes, the livid mouth thick set with
wrinkles, the broad, bony. forehead
and parchment skin, he suddenly rec
objected that on the Galgenberg (gal-
lows hill We're three hanged malefact-
ors, and that one of them curiously
resembled his host; that he, too, had
sunken eyes, ragged elbows, and his
great toe protruding through his shoe
rotted bythe rain.
He recollected, too, that the poor
wretch, Melchior~by name, had been
musician, and had been hung for
knocking on the head with his Jug the
landlord of the Golden Lamb, +" who
was dunning MIN for a convention
sthaler.
The poor DEVILS music had formerly
touched him deeply-it was wild and
fantastic, and Master Albertus' pupil
used to envy the vagabond; but at this
moment, seeing in fancy the figure on
the gallows, its rags iluttering in the
night breeze, and the carriOn crows
towering and craving about it, he felt
a chill run over him; and his fear was
not diminished when he saw, at the
back of the shed against the wall, a
fiddle with two withered palm leaves
over it.
He would have been glad to make
his escape, but at that instant the
rude voice OF the host reached his
ears.
Put out the lamp, will you?" cried
he, eco to bed. | told you to look
out for the light"
Everything grew still.
Now, spite OF his resolution not to
close his eyes, what with listening to
the bowling of the wind, the hooting
OF the owls through the darkness, and
the scampering of mice over the rotten
floor, toward l i'll the morning Haiti
was sound asleep, when sob, gre
vIous, heartrendlng, walked him with a
start, and the cold sweat ran down
hIs face.
He looked, and saw, doubled up in
the corner OF the garret, the figure OF
a man; 1t was MelChior, the malefac-
tor! Its black hair hung to its lean
waist, and its neck and chest were
bare.
Haiti, in silence, with staring eyes
a "A. /, II.
strange being as one might gaze at
Death, standing behind ones bed-cur-
tains, when the fatal hour draws
nigh.
Suddenly the skeleton stretched out
its long bony hand and seized the VIC
lin from the wall, put it to its shout
der, and then, after a moments 81
lence, began to play.
In Its music there ware-why, there
were notes as funereal as the sound of
the earth crumbling on the coffin of
one We have dearly lOved-solemn as
the thunder OF waterfalls long drawn
out by mountain echoes-majestic as
autumn gales through sounding for
ests; and then again sad-sad asincur-
able despair. Then, in the midst OF
these sobs would come a song-light,
dulcet, silvery as the warbling OF a
flight OF Joyous sparrows futterirg
over lowering shrubbery. 1t would
swell and eddy in graceful waves. with
an lnetfable thrill OF careless delight.
and then. in an instant. take flight.
scared Oft by the waltz, mad, palpi-
tatlng ecstatiC; love, Joy, despair, all
sang, went. Streamed forth. bpneat n
the vibrating bow
And Carl, despite his inexpressihle
terror, stretched out his arms and
C,ied:
80, great, great artist O.. sublime
genius Q. how | pity your sad fate :
To he hung for having killed that fool
OF an innkeeper, who knew not a
single note of music, to wander
through the woods by moonlight
without your body-but with such a
talent! .. heavens -"
His EXPLANATIONS were interrupted
by the rude voice of the host, crying:
"Helloa up there Willyou be quiet,
or won't you? Are you i'll, or is the
house atire?'
Heavy steps sounded on the crack
ing stairs. a bright light pierced
through the cracks of the door. which
opened under a push from the shout
der OF the nnkeeper, and showed him
standing in the doorway.
All, Herr With" cried HAITI
Herr Nlrth, what is going on here?