The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-04


Three months ago the slaw decided
that miscalculaSion in th.eprosecution
of one of his contracts hadnbeen atoned
for. and set him at liberty He came
to the city where nobody knew him.
And yet it was the city where he had
lived and loved years ago. Now, on his
return toit, his new piecei of business
was to be prosecuted in the house Of his
one-tine enlployer-who had treated
him so badly, and whom, in,some of his
various moods, he accused of making
him what he.now was.
Was there, re~enge IN this present act
against the old man? No. The old
man had supply proved his greater
strength that time he paid for The
Tigers wife's divorce, after he had
trumpsd,up a'wllogy false accusation
of dishonesty against her husband-and
then married her himself.
It was bitter cold intthe streets, and
Ahe snow west falling. And there was
She house, Itswas too soon, yet, though,
He would.go round the, corner-to that
pile of deoris opposite the old brew
cry that was utilized! as a church by
a Band of Hope. or something like
it-and gain shelter until the proper
time.
OH cried voice.
He had gone along, his head bent to
the storm, and urtier aigas lamp he had
run against young woman. She
dropped package He picked it up,
and found that it was a music book.
She thanked him and went on; his
black-garbedsform was soon swallowed
up in the dimness. She was young, and
the nigh. was not always kind to such
as she. He reached the old brewery in
time to see her,go in.
The pile of boards, the shelter he had
thought of, was Just across the way.
He went there ,and waited. Suddenly
a strain of organ music swung in to
him. The girl organist was playing
before service began. Surely he had
heard that,tune before. He had once
PLAYED the organ. and that had been
one of his times. Now she was at
another tune-Handcl's Largo" That
had been little Annie's favorite. just
such a night as, this he would come in
from the old MANS books, and after
bit of supper he would go into the
parlor and play for little Annie while
her beautiful restless mother would
look at fashion books land sigh because
she had not the means to get the pretty
things she wanted.
He threw his hand to his head.
What did this mean?-the girl played
the third ofthis old tunes! He had had
them boundstogether; they ran in this
order: ''rraunerei." the Largo"
"Warur" The girl was playing them
from the book she had dropped and
who she was.
Then the desire for the revenge he
believed he had not thought of sprarg
up within frin. The old man. the old
man. The box under the bed! To the
devil with that. There was greater
wealth than that to take From its
pocket he took the long. thin steel. and
iclutched it in his hand. His child to
shrink from him-his little Annie;
who used to love him sol Anniel An
ME! Hark! That music should speed
him on his mission-the music he had
taught her.
he plunged through the snow to the
brewery and peeped in at the door
There she was, in her black frock. seat
ed before the organ. He had not seen
her for twenty years She had been
wee child when he last saw her; but he
knew the face, so like her mothers.
Yes; that music should be the old mans
requieml
He turned his eyes out into the snowy
night
Was il smoke he smelled? Was the
brewery on fire, and she in danger? No;
but the gray cloud came charging
through the snowy air, SO freighted
with its bolls of silence
Fire! Once he would have done what
he could to help Annie! and that look
in her eyesl-her music, She thought of
him as wretch, convict Even
though she should never know, he must
do something for her.
He sprang away; he tore along the
deserted way. He found the house, a
little tongue OF beautiful fame licking
the outside darkness The door was
locked. He pressed his shoulder against
the timber, once, twice. and it Welded.
He was in the hall. thick with smoke: