The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-12-25

me with a gentle, reproachfuI gaze.
began TO feel load settling down on
me and the heart within me grew
heavy. ] felt worse than an intruder
I felt like a ruthless foe Ia this mourn
full home OF = happiness that had been-
just then my neighbOr's voice struck
my car:
What can 1 do for you?'
Mechanically, following but the i'm
pulse that had brought me mp there.
told him of my trials and tribulations.
due to his inccssant piano playing in
the evening.
''Whcn / had ended the man looked
at me with the expression of a hunted
dog whose last refuge is about to be
taken from him. lie nodded his head
Yes, yes he said. with a voice that
seemed full of unwept tears L might
have known it Somebody wa sure to
object And as | hastily ilterposed
soEle remarks intended TO make my in
trusion less painful to him, this neigh
Dor of mine with the sad mien slowly
turn ii his face to the light so that /
could study the features furrowed by
sorrow, notice the hair on the temples
and how ii began to-wax THU and gray
despite his thirty five years
lou -AEt E-RII he IunE-
mured Il know what good playinr
means, for my wifc-shc played well
and I've often enough listened to her
to know. Not that she was per
feet performer. She generally only
played simple tunes. those that speak
to and touch the heart. But she played
them so wrii and ,Stt4s-so s.,.,el. -fcrirrI-,-
Il saw tear in the mans cye.1 But
what am / to do? You see, am at the
bank all day long. Tile Is cashier in
it When nv work is over 4 go home.
Often have 1 meant to go to the thea
ter or some concert, OF 10 an en-
tertainment II the house of a friend.
But l cannot 1t Is impossible. These
rooms the scene of our brief happiness.
draw me as with hooks of steel. | can
not resist And what should / do else
where The thought of my poor wife
follows me everywhere And here l
sec her 4 feel her presence. And that
consoles me for her loss. That. too, has
driven me to the piano-hCr piano ]
know next To nothing of music, it Is
true But when l sat down on her
stool for the first time and looked
through her sheets of music the ire
sistible desire came over me To try and
play her favorite pieces - those she
played 50 well and which recall her
most wildly to me-and I've done it |
play them i learned how without Il
teachcr-insensibly, by degrees. just
trusting to my poor knowledge of the
notes and to my memory ! supposc-in
fact / l1now-it must sound horrible TO
others, especially ncighbors, this play
ing Of mine But it il such happines.
to me. | see her again, gracefully
bending over the piano and noddin4s II
me. giving me one of her sweet glanc~s-
And that - why 1 am paying 1T this
piano during my leisure hours in the
evening"
There was silence in that room.
Then rose shook the hand of thS.
man whom / had, an hour ago. wished
in hades, and stole away And now
that is the qneercst thing of all-his
playing no longer disturbs me at my
work In fact, ii inspires me | sup
pose a part of the fancies that come
over him are shared by me, and shall
never disturb him again.
Well" said Simpson, who had n
suspicious moisture in his left. his
weak, eye, that shows that even the
piano is good for something. Let's CO.
Chicago Herald