San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-14
$50 Reward
To a compliant Pianer Player.

This he stuck, up on the music rack, and
though the inscription glared at the fire.
quenters of the room until midnight, it
failed to draw any musician from his shell
So the merrymaking went on; the hilar-
ity grew apace. Men danced and sang to the
music of the squeaky fiddle and wornout
guitar, as the jolly crowd within tried to
drown the bowling of tAe storm without
Suddenly they became aware OF the presence
of a whlUe haired Mau cgouclIng near the
fireplace. His garments, such as were left,
were wet With melting snow, and he had
half starved, half crazed expression. He
held his thin, trembling Lands toward the
fire and the light of the blazing wood made
them almost transparent. He looked about
him once in a while, as il in search of some
thing, and his presence cast such chill over
the place that gradually the sound Of the
revelry was hushed, and it seemed that this
waif of the storm had brougNt in with it ali
Of the gloom ana coldResS of the warning ell
ements Goskin, mixing up P cup of hot egg
nog, advanced and remarked cheerily:
'Here, stranger, brace up! This is the real
stuff"
The man drained the cup smacked his lips
and seemed more at home.
Been prospecting, hey2 Out IN the noun
tains-caught in the storm! Lively night,
this!"
Pretty bad" said the man.
"Must feel pretty dry"
The man looked at his streaming clothes
and laughed, as if Goskin's remark was sar-
casm. How long out" asked GosGin.
-Four days"
Hungry
The man rose up, and walking over to the
lunch counter fell to work upon some roast
bear, devouring it like any wild ANNA!
would have done As meat and drink and
warmth began to permeaUe the stranger he
seemed to expand and tighten up His feat
ures lost their pallor, and he grew more and
more content with the idea that be was not
in the grave. As be underwent these changes
the people about him got merrler and hap
pier, and threw off the feeling Of de-
preston which he had laid upon them.
DO you always have your place decorated
like thisF he finally asked Of Goskln.
This is Christmas eve" was the reply.
The stranger was startled
December twenty-fourth, sure enough"
THAT'S the way put it up, pard."
when was in England | always kept
Christmas. But | had forgotten that this
was the night I've been wandering about
In the mountains uULll We tOsI u dSA Va LILO
feasts of the church"
Presently his eye fell upon the piano.
where's the playerF he asked
'Never had any" said Goskin, blushing.
81 used to play when was young"
Goskin almost tainted at the admission.
stranger, do tackle it and give US tune!
Nary man in this camp ever had the nerve
to wrestle with that music box" his pulse
beat faster, for he feared that the man
would, like all others, refuse him.
I'm do the best l can" he said.
There was no stool, but Selling a candle
box, be drew it up and seated himself before
the instrument 1t only required few sec
onds for hush TO come over the room.
That old coon is going TO give the thing
a rattle"
The sight Of a man at the piano was some
thing so unusual that even the faro dealer
who was about to take IN a fifty dollar bel
on the tray, paused. and did not reach foi
the money. Men stopped drinking, with the
glasses at their bps. Conversation appeared
to have been struck with a sort Of paralysis
and cards were no longer shufled.
The old man brushed back his long, Whit
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 q
SucIe note, yet TIA sound thrilled the room
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