Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-07-30

Abner led him to the chair OF his
uncle.
"why do you part with the fiddler"
abruptly queried the old man, turning
the instrument gingerly about in his
hand, you'll miss it right smart, !
reckon"
Tears welled into the sightless eyes.
ats like selling brother, sir, but
mother and me arc going West to find
some of ou- relatives, aud we need the
money to take us there"
''lt's heap to pay for crooked piece
of wood" said the close old farmer,
fumbling the notes which filed his we'll
worn lcathern wallet, "but," with n re-
Elective gaze at the face of the blind boy,
where hope and pain strove for mastery,
~ reckon III. take it," reluctantly pass
ing as he spoke, to the lad, two ten dol
lar bills.
81 can already play some of the tunes
you love-" cried the delighted Abncr,
and to the old mans apparent satisfac-
ton he did execute pretty fairly verse
of "Auld Lang Syne."
Twelve months or more have passed,
and nightly had Uncle 81 listened to the
familiar airs played on that ''ere fiddle. ;"
as he persisted in calling the instrument.
But even his unframed ears recognized
that the bit Of wood, cat-gut, and rosin
squeaked most numerically under Alb
ner's manipulation of the bow.
1.-THE critter seems to find its new
home and master not 10 its likin'. he
would say at such times, discontentcdlv.
oa-sooahssi by the -un~orte;n- strain-;-.-it
more than once had the old man repented
him of his bargain.
But" would remark Aunt Priscilla
soothingly. "it enabled Josef and his
mother to reach their friends, you know"
to which bit of womanly reasoning Uncle
81 only replied with grunt.
Presently, however, other matters,
more momentous than the purchase of
fiddle, arose to disturb the old mans
mind. A had investment OF his small
means. the failure of successive crops. q
pinching want OF money. Many were
the c. nsultations between the old folks.
and at last one day, Uncle 81 journeyed
to distant town, to return with a we'll
filed wallet. but accompanied by
shadow which was from that day TO
make its home under their once indie.
pendent roof shadow which the next
year beckoned another to keep it COM
pany; a shadow that in time would de-
velop into monster, a monster with
the grip and tenacity of death.
The homestead was m0rtCaged!
Diligently these days did Abner prac-
tice upon his violin; to it was given all
his spare moments.
The shadow of the second mortgage
was now darkcning the home. when the
lad began to make nightly trims to the
neighboring town. a town which in the
summer months was known as ''water-
ing place.
Uncle 81 grumbled not little when
Immediately after supper Abner. violin
in hand. trudged off during the season.
"IIe's playin' dalcin' tunes like
enough, " he growled, all his prciudices
against the violin returning. ''Jigs and
SIGH for the sons and daughters OF Belial.
warrant he's not giving them fly away
folks up yonder any Doxologies, or the
old tunes. I'm a-hankerin' after. never
would bought that fiddle. Priscilly.
had / knowed what purpose he d put
Aunt Priscilla shook hef uesr nenu
she gazed affectionately after the reced
ing form of the lad.
"Abner is good boy. ST. and he's
Hkin' forward to doin' his duty by us. "
t she made no mention, for certain
reasons, of the old broken pitcher in the
closet, half filled with the dimes and
larger silver pieces, which tho boy had
already earned with that self-same
fiddle.
So that evening. as usual, Abner
stood. violin in hand before the prin-
cipal hotel in the village. Not without
blush, did he draw the bow across the
taut' strings; n blush which one might
construe into an apology for any inhar
monious strains.
An old gentleman, lounging upon the
piazza. smiled as he listened, but pres
emily those about him, saw that smile re-
placed by a look OF eager, intense in
terest Twas plain he could i'll restrain
his impotence till the air was Done.
then, with an imperious beck of his
hand. he summoned Abner to him.
THAT instrument, boy Will you
let me see it2"
Abner smilingly put it in his hand.
Like woman gazing upon an fnestf-
mable Jewel, did the man gloat upon the
bit of turned wood, noting with rapture
how the simple, classical outlines blcnt
harmoniously with the graceful curves
of the back and belly; the scroll executed
with great holiness and the highest fin
ish; the varnish of deep orange color,
brilliant, transparent, velyet-like In tex
ture.
Almost reverently, the man drew the
bow across its strings. Full, sweet aud
noble were the tones which the master
drew from the instrument, an evenness
OF quality from the highest to the lowest
register, as rare as it is satisf ying to the
ear.
Abner, like those about him, stood
lost in admiration and wonder.
"'Tis ole Bull" whispered one to
another, "the great virtuoso.'
"Heyw exclaimed Uncle 81 the next
day, to remark made by this same old
gentleman. "A genuine Straddlevarius.
did you say9 That ere fiddle worth Eve
thousand dollarsl Du tell3" aud the
look with which he favored the stranger
as plainly questioned his sanity as looks
could have done.
eyes," quietly said the stranger, "the
violin is genuine Stradivarius, and fully
worth Ave thousand dollars. The date
1715, you will find here" displaying. rs
he spoke, the figures to the wondering
farmer.
"And you'll give FIVE thousand dollars