Smyrna times., 1888-07-11
THE MINUET.

We were all sitting around the CRATE
fire that cold August afternoon-Matie
with her book, Cora and Jack in the corner
near the window, mildly flirting over
game of patience" and l crocheting, and
occasionally looking over Richards shOul-
der at our house plans, which promised to
be unwieldy enough for a state capitol by
the time they were fully elaborated.
"a cheerful group" said the doctor,
coming in with a rush of chilly air, and,
STOPPING before the CRATE, he lighted his
cigar with look of great contentment.
1T makes me perfectly seasick to see
the sky so dark and those great trees
waving in the wind" said Cora. "Mr.
Haywood, would you mind changing places
with me and letting me sit with my back
to the Window"
But I cannot see you so we'll"
''But l can see you so much better
please dO-thank you very much. Mrs.
Ames, doesn't it give you creepy feel to
hear the wind signing in the chimney
like that?"
"Why, no; it only makes me feel how
cozy we are here, said l. Il will tell
you what 1 do mind, though, Cora; the
crealing of those boards in the floor up
stairs"
COVE will not have any creally boards
when we get our new house built, muir
INJURED Richard, dreamily.)
Eyes, l know just like ghosts foot
steps. So much for the delights of a
house in the country" said Cora
ooh, come now" interposed jack
GHOSTS have no footsteps. They glide
around, don't you know, in a perfectly
impossible eerie manner, and never were
known to make q noise. You may have
seen a ghost, but you never heard one"
Il have, " said the doctor, unexpectedly.
Really? Oh, do tell us whenW ex-
claimed Cora, looking up with wide open,
startled eyes.
Shall !? Do you want to hear the
stOry2' asked the doctor. He spoke to us
all, but he looked at Matte. She smiled.
Matte never wasted any words, but he
| seemed quite satisfied, and, leaning
| against corner of the mantel, he began.
1T was when l was in Germany, five
years ago. l had got through with my
| hospital work in New York, and l went
abroad early in April intending to stay
in Germany about six months. I was al
most a stranger in B., but for a few
letters had to scientific men in the city,
and since knew so little German / deter
Il
time and cram the language liked this
| plan extremely, so far as the German
itself was concerned, but was not espe-
cially charmed with the German fashion
of sleeping between two feather beds,
which my landlady instructed me were to
be shaken up into the middle on cold
nights, and on warm nights to each side,
so as to leave me nothing but the ticking
| for a covering. l also had difficulty in
| procuring a generous supply of towels,
and was still debating in my own mind
whether to stay or to leave, when one of
my German acquaintances, a very Jolly
| fellow by the name of Alberti, came to
me one day after lecture we had both
attended.
" My friend, he said, for I made him
talk English with me, what say you to
taking bachelor quarters with me for a
month?
"'When, AlbertiY asked And then
he told me his plan. Some friends of his
named Hoffman, were going unexpectedly
to one of the baths, servant and all, and
| being quiet people, not much given to
| jOurneying, they were a little anxious
about their house, and had asked Alberti
If he would not occupy it, as if it were
| his own, until their return. So he pro-
!
dine where we liked. do not know whv
he should have chosen me of all his friends
to room with him, but liked him, and
caught eagerly at his proposal We settled
! ourselves there the following week. It
was very old house and rather a small
one, wedged in between two more preten-
tlous establishments, on quiet, pleasant
side street. 1t was prettily and quantity
furnished; had modern upright piano
in the parlOr and an antique porcelain
stove. All the little knickknacks had
been packed away, Alberti said, for he
had told his friends that he would not be
responsible for anything breakable, so the
rooms had comfortable, airy look which
a man enjoys. We got our meals at a
restaurant, or cooked them ourselves, at
tended our lectures or concerts, studied
and walked together, and nothing unusual
happened until Alberti came in one Friday
night saying;
My friend, have to 90 home to-mor-
row. hear my sister is sick. Shall you
mind being left alone night or twoY
Il assured him l should not mind it,
and helped him off the following day.
1T was the next night, Sunday night,
that came home at o'clock from long,
solitary stroll and sat down in my window
upstairs to smoke pipe. It was beau
titul, moonlight evening, and the air was
very still. Suddenly heard the tones of
piano, and put my head out Of the
window to listen, but the sound did not
seem to come from the street, but from
below me. listened intentlv. but il had
ceased Presently it began again in the
same way, just q note OF two, and then
over again. 1t was Enthusiastically from
down stairs. Next heard a low chord
followed Immediately by a very sweet and
charming melody quite unfamiliar to me.
1t seemed to me to be in minuet time, and
was played with the strictest precision
and delicacy, but in an old fashioned style.
and with scarcely any use Of the pedal.
Il had locked the house when came
in. No one could have come in since.
What, then, was playing down stairs? l
determined to go down and see. The
house was so full Of moonlight that I did
not need a candle to see my way. de-
scended the staircase, still hearing the
sweet, full tones of the German piano.
and, noiselessly throwing open the parlor
door, stood for moment upon the thresh-
old.
By the bright light which flooded that
part Of the room, leaving the rest in
greater obscurity, ! could see that the
PldnO SJOOl was empty, and yet the melody
went on. The air was full of it. and as
accidentally touched the piano case I felt
the vibration.
Il stood still a moment, bewildered
then, going forward, stretched out my
hand above the piano stool, little above
1t. Instantly drew it back, tingling as
If had received an electric shock.
Il will not deny that was frightened
There was something so unaccountable in
the whole affair that felt as if must
be dreaming, especially since the music
had abruptly ceased.
"Alberti and l had had a number o1
speculative conversations over our pipes
He was very imaginative fellow and useC
to maintain earnestly that only a thin vel
lay between us and the unseen world
And his opinion he persisted in, undis
turbed by my ridicule. / thought Of hin
now, wondering what he would do in my
place. Finally l spoke.
Whoever you are, / said, addressinf
the piano stool, If you can speak to me
ask you to do So No reply came. tn,
room was by this time perfectly still.