Wichita eagle., 1889-01-02
a6a laughed as if Goskinls remar1 vas sar-
casms How long out7, asked Goskin.
sar aass

lunch counter fell TO work upon some roast
bear, devouring it like any wild animal
would have done. As meat and drink and
warmth began toperrneste the stranger he
seemed 70 expand and tighten up His feat
ures lost their pallors and he grew more and
more content with the idea that he was not
in the grave AS he underwent these changes
the people about him got merrier and hap
pier. and threw goff the feeling of de-
preston which he had laid upon them. (.
9Do you always have your place decorated
Like thisa" he finally asked Of Goskin. %szss
sThis is Christmas eve,n was the reply.
The stranger was startled.
December twenty-fourth, sure enough"
''Thats the way put it up, pard."
sWhen Iiwas in England / always kept
Christmas But had forgotten that this
was the night I've been wandering about
in the mountains until I've lost track Of the
feasts of the church"
Presently his eye fell upon the piano.
: e"Whereis the player r he asked. - - q. s
! q Never had any" said Goskin, bllshing
! 81 used to play when was yomg.n
., Goskin almost tainted at the admission.
- "Stranger, do tackle it and give US tunel
Nary man in this camp ever had tho nerve
to wrestle with that music box" His pulse
beat faster for he feared that the man
would, like all others, refuse him.
'I'll do the best can," he said.
There was no stool, but seizing candle
! box, he drew it up and seated himself before
the instrument. 1t only required a'few sec
onds for hush to come over the room. 90
THAT old coon is going to give the thing
a rattle.n asF &
Tho ciryh{ of ,oft he min rxyac
thing SO unusual that even the faro dealer,
who was about to take in fifty dollar bet
on the tray, paused, and did not reach for
the money Men stopped drinking, with the
glasses at their lips. Conversation appeared
to.have been struck with sort of paralysis,
and cards were no longer shufled.
The old man brushed back his long, white
locks, looked up to the ceiling, half closed his
eyes, and in a mystic; sort of reverie passed
his fingers over the keys He touched but a
single note, yet the sound thrilled the room.
1t twas the key to his improvisation, and as
woye his chords together the music laid its
spell upon every ear and heart. He felt his
way along the keys, like a man treading un-
certain paths; but he gained confidence as he
progressed, and presently bent to his work
like master. The instrument was not in
exact tune, but the ears Of his audience,
through long disuse, did not detect anything
radically wrong. They heard succession of
grand Chords "a suggestion of melodies here
and there, and it was enough. l-e>r i -
''See him counter with his leftl" said an
old rough .l-~ - --...- -..-t.
s'He calls the turn every time on the upper
end Of the board, responded man with
stack of chips inhis hand. ts
The player wandered off into the old bal.
lads they had heard at home. All the sad
and melancholy, and touching songs that
came up like dreams of childhood, this iln-
known player drew from the keys His
hands kneaded their hearts Like dough- and
squeezed out the tears as from wet sponge.
As the strains flowed one upon the other,
they saw their homes of the long ago reared
again; they were playing once more where
the apple blossoms sank through the soft air
to join the violets on the green turf of the
old New England states; they saw the glo-
ries of the Wisconsin NAPLES and the haze of
the Indian summer, blending their hues to-
gether; they recalled the heather of Scottish
hills,t the white cliffs of Britain, and heard
the sulleif roar of the sea, as it beat upon
their memories vaguely Then came all the
old Christmas carols, such as they had sung in
church thirty years before; tho subtle music
that brings up the glimmer Of wax taperS,
the solemn shrues, the evergreen, holly, mis-
tletoe and suIpiiced choirs. Then the re-
morseless performer planted his final stab in
every heart with Home, Sweet Home" ?
When the player ceased the crowd slunk
away from him. There was no more revelry
and devilment left in his audience. Each
-z4r% L
write the old folks q letter.. The day was
breaking as the last man left the place, and
the player, laying his head down on the
piano, fell asleep.
..I say, pard," said Gioskin, 'you want e
little restT'
II do feel tired" the cid man said. 'Per-
haps you'll let me lest here for the matter of
a day or So" fr 4.-I -u4e.... a.4s
He walked behind the bar where some old
blankets were lying and stretched himself
upon them
81 feel pretty SICK l guess 1 won't last
long. I've got brother down in the ravine
his names DriscoA He don't know I'm
here Can you get him before morningg'
Goskinstarted He knew Driscoll well.
'He your brother' I'll have him here in
half an hour"
AS he dashed out into the storm the nlusi-
clan pressed his hand to his side and groaned.
Goskin heard the word. Hurry" and sped
down the ravine to Driscolrs cabin 1t was
quite light in the room when the two men
Driscoll was pale as death.
''My Godi | hope he's alive / wronged
him when we lived in England, twenty years
ago." .
They saw the old man had drawn the
blanket over his face. The two stood mo-
inent, awed by the thought that he might be
dead. Goskin lifted the blanket and pulled
it down astonished. There was no one therei |
"Gonel" cried Driscoll wildly
'GoneI" echoed Goskin, pulling out his |
cash drawer Ten thousand dollars in the |
sack, too.n fltFa
The next day the boys followed a horses |
tracks through the snow, and lost them in the |
trail leading toward Phoebe
There was a man missing from the camp. |
It was the three card monte man, who used |
to deny point blank that he could play the |
scale. One day they found wig of white |
lair, and called TO mind when the stranger
nad pushed those locks back when he looked |
-oward the ceiling for Inspiration, on the |
light of Dec "a, lS6f.-Sam DAYS in Carson |
Tho Divining Superstition.
The number of shafts sunk and the other |
)rT,srs,e,t work fnriA il, fha Piacl- EIiiis +bn