San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-14

1t was the Key TO MS improvisation, ana as
wove his chords together the music laid its
spell upon every ear and heart. He felt his
way along the keys, like man treading I'M
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, q suggestion of melodies here
and there, and it was enough
s.See him counter with his leftI" said an
old rough.
"He calls the turn every time on the upper
end of the board, responded a man with
stack of chips in his hand
The player wandered of 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 I'M
known player drew from the keys. His
hands kneaded their hearts like dough, and
squeezed out the tears as from a 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 tho heather of Scottish
hills, the white cliffs of Britain, and heard
the sullen 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; the subtle music
that brings up the glimmer of wax tapers,
the solemn shrines, the evergreen, holly, mis-
tletoe and surpliced choirs Then the re-
nlorseless performer planted his final stab in
every heart with Home, Sweet Home"
When the player ceased the crowd SUNK
away from him. There was no more revelry
and devilment left in his audience. Each
man wanted to sneak off to his cabin and
write the old folks a letter. The day was
breaking as the last man left the place, and
the player, laying his head down on the
piano, fell asleep.
Il say, pard," said Goskin, you want a
little restT
81 do feel tired" the old man said. "Per-
haps you'll let me lest here for the matter of
a day or So"
He walked behind the bar where some old
blankets were lying and stretched himself
upon them.
81 feel pretty sick. l gress l won't last
Iong. I've got a brother down in the ravine
his names Driscoll. He don't know I'm
here Can you get him before morningT
Goskin started. He knew Driscoll well.
He your brother9 I'll have him here in
half an hour"
As be dashed out into the storm the must
clan pressed his hand to his side and groaned.
Goskin heard the word Hurry" and sped
down the ravine to Driscoll's cabin. 1t was
quite light in the room when the two men
returned Driscoll was pale as death.
MY God! hope he's alive! / wronged
him when we lived in England, twenty years
ago"
They saw the old man had drawn the
blanket over bis face. The two stood mo
ment, 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, too"
The next day the boys followed a horses
tracks through the snow, and lost them in the
trail leading toward Phoebe.
There was 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
hair, and called to mind when the stranger"
had pushed those locks back when he looked
toward the ceiling for inspiration, on the
night of Dec. "A, lS6l.-Sam Davis in Carson