The Bessemer indicator., 1893-04-15
MUSIC AT MIDNIGHT.
"ogrrINo OLD BEETHOVEN
DOWN FINE"
A Mysterious serensde-Jonathan Uses
Gun ON = Ghostly visitant with
Startling Enect-It Was
Not Son Jacob.

"Gosh!" and Jonathan rubbed his
eyes and sat up in bed. "Gosh!
what's got into Sarah Jane to be
humping away on that old nerve
twitcher at this time OF night.
I'll"
"Twangl Gwang! Thump it ia
thump! Bnngm interrupted tho
piano, as though dozen imps were
waltzing up and down its keyboard.
Jonathan" and Selma planted q
trembling hand between her hus-
bands shoulder blades. Jonathan.
that amt Sarah Jane playing. It's
midnight's holy hour and ghosts"
"Ghosts be-fiddlesticks. Selma,
don't you suppose know my own
daughters style of thumping9" and
with an inpatient jerk Jonathan
slipped his breeches on and stood
upright. "Ghosts! 1t takes real bone
and muscle to make that sort Of
racket. Listen!'
"Rattle to bang! Thumpit ia thump!
Twang lang twang! Bang" like
bed am broke loose came q rush Of
sounds from the piano.
"She must be getting old Beethoven
down fine,n muttered Jonathan, MS he
scratched match on the seat of his
pants and lighted the tallow candle
which stood on chair at the head of
the bed. But can't stand this sort
of thing, even if ''tis midnight's holy
hour III stop it right here and
now" and, with the tallow candle in
his right hand and u hard, set look
upon his face, he started for the
parlor.
"Jonathan!" and Selma bobbed out
OF bed and seized her husband by the
arm. that amt Sarah Jane playing,
tell you. It's something or some
body else. You'd better take your
gun"
Jonathan gave u snort of disgust;
but, nevertheless, paused long
enough to extract from under his
pillow large, old fashioned five-shot
revolver. Then. with the revolver
in one hand the candle in the other
and Selma following close behind
he again started for the parlor, where
the piano still continued to make
night hideous with its uncarthly
thumpings.
Just as he laid his hand on the
knob of the parlor door there was
rush of hurrying feet from behind,
and Sarah Jane. seizing him by the
shoulder, whispered excitedly: "Oh
pop! what can it be?"
"Gosh! 1t amt your and in his
alarm Jonathan's arm twitched SO
that the old revolver, which he had
cooked just before reaching the door,
went of with deafening roar; SO
did the end of Jonathan's big toe.
Jonathan was mad.
"If it's that little imp. Jake. Ill
thrash him till he can't stand. Ill
hero, Selma, take the candle and I'll
see what that Internal racket means"
Jonathan handed his wife the light
and, with great show of courage,
threw open the parlor door; but he
didn't step over the threshold-st
loast, not just then.
Straight across the room from the
door stood the piano 1t was playing
as madly as ever, but not a human
being was near it. The case was
closed, and there was no visible
means by which the music might b,
produced.
Jonathan's HAIR began to rise, and
his chin whiskers stood out straight
and stiff, like red shoe-brush.
"Music,and not mortal hand touch
ing the keys! Gosh!" and his lower
aw began to fall.
.'It's ghosts" Selma whispered,
lille her hand, which held the candle
yer Jonathan's shoulder, trembled
that drop Ct hot tallow fell upon
lis bare neck.
The tallow seemed to stimulate
Jonathan's courage. for ho suddenly
lifted his revolver, and bang! bang!
bang! bang" four times rang out the
deafening report. The room was
filled with the smoke, but the piano
had stopped playing.
Gosh! l reckon / plugged that
ghost. or whatever the tarnal thing
was" Jonathan spoke in an awed
voice. Cautiously tiptoeing across
the room, followed by his wife holding
the candle and Sarah Jane holding
tight on to her heart with both
hands, he stopped before the piano.
From tho keyboard little stream
of blood was slowly oozing and fall
ing in little pool of red on Selina's
new rag carpet.
BLOOD! Selma, blood. and from
ghost" he gasped, as he struggled to
recover his equilibrium.
"Blood! My new carpet" and Civ
ing Jonathan vigorous push to one
side Selma sprang to the front. She
saw the little stream of blood. AT
the sight an awful thought came into
her head.
"1t's Jake! know it's Jake! Oh,
my son Jacob!' And, forgetful of
the blood on the carpet, she threw
herself upon the piano and began
frantically endeavoring to tear open
the cover.
Every muscle in Jonathan's body
quaked. What II he had shot his
only son, Jacob
Tho cover gave way; and there
upon the white keys, with great
huge rat,
Jonathan saw the rat. The look OF
horror left his face.
"Gosh! What 'tarnal fools you
women folks are! To think OF your
making all this fuss over rat! Go
to bed" And he srode out Of the
room with the look OF man whom
nothing short OF cyclone could up
set.-Samuel Zoxzy in the Chicago
Inter Ocean.
nrav H~Ir and A,nr,onlu
Gray hair is SO common now that