Arizona republican., 1893-03-19
A MUSICAL BEAR.
The Novel Experience of a Cali.
 fornia Girl
u,t Piano Playing Attracts the Atten tIon of Bruin, and He Falls in Love with the Young Lady and
 the Instrument.

Mary Carter was practicing her music and was all alone in the house. But for .ome reason she was always alone when .be did so. As soon as she struck the s-St note of her exercises everybody vent outdoors and staid there regard lsss of the style with which she went orer the scales. Mary, according to the Tlmira (N. Y.) Telegram, was San Francisco girl who had gone to spend ,be summer with her sister, who mar ,,d a rancher that lived away up in ,be mountains near the hcadwatcrs of American river. Her brother-in-law, ur Matthews, was well-to-do and fixed be little house to which he took his b-ide in fine style. Things were so ele- gant it was hard to imagine that the oace was nearly fifty miles from civili- ation. When he was buying furniture he was persuaded to take splendid rrapd piano. which in due tune arrived ', the ranch, and it was on this that Mary was practicing. She did not like he idea of being alone at first, but as she found it impossible to persuade her sister to stay with her she had to make be best of a bad job. She went over inc scales carefully every few minutes, nking a look out into the garden to xe that her relatives did not get too far away. After finishing one piece she psted moment, thinking of what she would play next. Suddenly she heard ,shuiling sound. and, turning around, she saw a large, brown bear standing in he doorway leading to the back part of Ae house. She was paralyzed with lear and could neither move from her hair nor scream.
 She saw the bear come nearer, and she rembled like a leaf. Oh, how she wished she could faint. But she was strong girl and couldn't, and the bear kept coming closer, and soon had his paws around her. She gave herself up for los. as she felt the grip, which she new was deadly, tighten around her nd the warm breath of the creature on her face. Looking through the window she could sec her relatives lounging sCund peacefully in the shade of the pines and tried to call them, but her r1gue would not move and she closed sr eyes, expecting to open them in that happy land of which she had been naght from childhood. But what was Ak? Tho bear was not hurting her.
 He held her gently but firmly in his uTs and was actually licking her he, like pct dog. She opened her Jes, and the world was the same as a1al She could not tell whether she Eas frightened or not, but somehow she did not try to scream. She just
 kept quiet, hoping something would
 lppen to end the agony, which she
 di not understand. The bear did not lhcr more than a second, although tscmcd ages to the girl. He did not
 vant to hold her, for he threw her on
 hc floor. She was still frightened and zpccted the beast to jump on her ,2l devour her at his leisure. But in- sead he turned around, commenced to taw the piano and was evidently de- lighted with his performance, for he kept time with his feet and looked G0uud approvingly. The people out Sie heard the chatter but did not pay any attention to it, as they afterward sid it was not unusual. Mary has never forgiven them for this. The bear began to play furiously, and Mary, sec ing way to escape, took advantage of t and ran away screaming from the nom Her relations at first refused to believe her story, but hearing tho clat- Ter ran to the window and looked in. Druin was still at it, and by this time lad become so enthused that he was Friorining a sort of can-can to his own compartment. He was in the height dhis glory and had found out where the bass keys were, and with these he was particularly delighted The deep, nltinuous rumble seemed to afford him Ae greatest pleasure, and he would execute bar that sounded like the ca cenza of "A Storm at Sea-" He howled and jumped and whined, and at last concluded his concert by getting on the piano on all fours and &ecuting Q jig. At this time Mir. Mat news thought he had better take a hand, and he ran into the room With an aX, as that was the only weapon available. The bear Gd not seem surprised, but got out of the way, and had there been loom would have left the house. He Vas struck several times with the ax, out did not show fight, and the man thought he must have found tamo Nar, although he could not imagine Where it came from. He then charged DIS tactics and tried to capture it, as it ld not appear dangerous. He got hold 1t and tried to tie it in the piano over But at this the brute's wild na- nre showed itself, and it got ready to make an attack. Before the man could yal2c what was coming he heard n Oeep angry growl, and the next mo- lent was olutched angrily by the mon- Ser Tho beast could have killed him Oo'l did not want to. It just gave nm good squeeze and threw him vio- TltIy against the wall After looking ,' nm moment the bear went out the o0r and ycllyp1 lpicurplv into the Vard |