The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-01
PLUNKRTT'S PIANIST.
ICONCLUDED.l


up, ne placed his arms akimbo, and re-
marked, grayely;
"Plunkett, We blamed old rascal, We de-
sarve 10 be kicked, no doubt about it. but
yell hev ter get somebody else ter do Inc
kickin'-1 kaint!'
81 sh'd reckon notp' acqulesced Piunkett,
grinnng broadly.
Essay, les compromise this hyar matter by
both on us a-kerryin' nv her to the pean-
ner," suggested Jack; and then, bright
thought striking Lin, he continued, You
kerry the stool and I'll kerry the gal!''
'Not much, yer won'tl' cried Plunkett;
and seizing girl and stool, he carried them
and seated them az the piano.
Now go it, leetle one" lie remarked, en-
couragingly; give us some music"
The girl heSitated a moment, glanced over
her shoulder a. the door, then throwing her
head back and gazing u at tie ceiling with
half closed eyes, as In sort OF Teverie, she
laid her hands upon the keys. She struck
out single note, but ii had q wonderful
effect As il by magic the dancing ceased,
and the men at the faro tables neglected to
take Up winnings or grieye over losings.
Even the Chinaman and Greaser stopped
quarreling over disputed Jackpot, and
listened as if spellbound.
The note was the key note to the girls
improvisation, and as she woye the chords
together the wonderful music laid its spell
VI all and thrilled every heart. TEen the
player wandered off TO the old ballads of
their childhood days, and tie chins of the
girls audience sank slowly down upon their
breasts. All the sad and touching ballads
they had ever known this little girl knew,
and drew forth at will and with wonderful
effect Her fingers kneaded the hearts
of these rough men Ike dough, and
squeezed out the tears as if from a wet
sponge. In their memories, called up by
the music. appeared many l0ng-forgotten
pictures. They were children again, play
ing once more in their homes Of long ago,
among the maple groves of New England,
under The sunny skies of Italy, amid the
peaks and crags Of the Scottish highlands,
in the cypress groves OF the South, the
flowers Of Mongolia, the peppers and
spices of the southern seas, all these, and
more, had places in the mystic piano.
rama, for they all had representatives there
IN the ono little rOum, and the heads sank
lower upon the breasts and the tears flowed
faster still. Their hearts were held en-
tTaneed. and no one saw the door open and
a thick-set, shOct-haired Individual
wicked-looking ruftian. more properly
speakiEg-enter the room aud approach
The inspired PLAYER.
There was look of triumph in the new
comeT's eyes, and his thick lips parted in
smile Of sarcasm as his eyes took in the
scene within the room. Evidently the
musie-wonderful though it was-had no
power to affect him. Raising his hand be
let it fall heavily upon the shoulders of the
girl.
There was startled CRY and crash as
the girl sank forward upon the keys. and
her eyes had look of terror in them as she
gazed up into the evil face Of the rufhan
towering over her.
AT the crash every man In the room
spraug 10 his feet as If shot. Not until that
moment did they know that anything I'M
usual was occurring in the room, and for
" al NJ nflF Ina cd
They did not know what it meant They
hsd heard the cry TO which the girl gave
utterance, however They noted the loOk
of covering terror. took In the evil aspect
OF the intruder and immediately decided
their hew-found idol was in danger.
Enough! The thought was like sparks to
magazine. 4 hoarse. inarticplate roar of
rage burst from their threats. and weapons
flashed in every hand. Long-hladed, mur-
deTeus looking knives, powder stained
Wee Sing, the Chinaman. forgetting all
about the disputed Jackpot. pulled fiatiron
from the capacious depths Of his ample
trousers and eyed the intruder threaten
guitar firmly by the neck ana fairly ached
for chance to smash it over the head of
tie audaeiOus stranger.
If that worthy had but known it, he was
running terrible risk-and he soon found
it out
The crowd did not stop to ASH questions.
The girls look of terror. the fact that the
stranger had laid sacriligious hands On
their IDOL was enough.
There was a long-drawn breath from
many brawny breasts, hoarse murmur Of
rage, a rush Of feet, crash of splintering
wood a. the Greaser's guitar was smashed
over the strangers head, thwack and a
howl of pain as the Chnaman's fatiron
caught him back OF the ear and then down
went the ruffiau with a crash that shook
t6o nd of wit ba
ferocity of tigers, sprang dozen of the in
furlated miners.
xiii himi"
"Tear i'm ter piecesr'
Stirring Their yilyun up to the highest
treeP'
Such were tie cries of the maddened min
ers, and no doubt they wonld have killed
the stranger then and there had not Plum
kett interfered.
"Hoi on, boys. boP on p he cried. Don't
be too fast. Let's hear what the critter hez
10 say fur himself afore We do auythin'
RASH; and reaching down the giant land
lord grasped the fallen man by the collar of
his coat and jerked him to his feet, spilling
Of the miners on the floor as he
did so.
NO! mol we don'twanter hear wat he hez
ter say; he'd only lie about it. We seed him
take holt O. the leetle gal. rough like. and
thet's enough"
"Hain't no time ter waste listenin' ter
liesi"
mo use O. talkn'. We're goin' to settle
bis case ter wapsto
"Thet's right, You bet; string i'm upr'
was the general cry; but Plunkett was firm,
and no one dared lay hands On the stranger
while the landlord had hold of him.
We'll hear wat the cuss hez ter say first.
boys. declared Plunkett, with quiet deter
mInatiOn. ''Ye all know me. an We know
that when say think I'll stick to ct. FL
this Teller" giving the man shake. don't
rzQE and e. ~
ct to I'm. be sure o. thet"
wed orter sack ct 10 i'm anyhowP' NUT
tered dark-browed scowling miner.
You. Jim Bangs, you jest best keep yer
head shet?' said Plunkett. You amt none
too good yerseIf. an yer may be in some sech
predicament afore We die"
Il know ez how't thet's so, ole man." was
the shamefaeed reply. II know at I Ulster
be a awful tough old sinner, but thet air
ieetle gals moosic hez just kinder-well.
token Their meanness all outen me! Et hez,
DO. boys"
who air ye, an wat do We want hyar?"
asked Plunkett, giving the stranger a shake
to stimulate his mental faculties.
1t evidently only stimulated his lying fac
uities. however, for he hesitated moment,
and his tone and manner both showed that
he was lying as he said:
I'm the gals father"
Ihat isn't trueW cried the girl, and then
threatening movement of the man caused
HcL W etop anu COVER back upon the pia no
"Hyar, none O thet! replied Punkett.
shaking the prisoner. I'VE don't allow mo
characterization O. witnesses, we don't. Make
another motion toward that lectle gal. an
down goes your meathouse. In course 70
ain't her daddy. Ennybody with half an
eye could see tibet such a back-muzzle
mean-lookin' cuss as you couldn't be the
daddy o a little angel like thet."
am her father, though. just the same -