Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1894-07-13
A MUSICAL BEAR.
The Novel Experience Of a Gall
fornla Girl
Her Piano Playing Attracts the Attes-
tto1 ~ Brufn, and Re Fats In Love
with .he Young Lady and
the IustrulncDt-

Mary Carter was practiciug her music
and WAS all nloDe in the house. But for
some reason she was always alone when
she did 80 As soon as she struck the
first note of her exercises everybody
went outdoors and staid there regard
less of the style with which she went
over the scales Mary, according to the
Eimira IN ~ Telegram, was San
Francisco girl who had gone tn spend
tn. summer with her sister, who mar
ried rancher that lived away up In
the mountains near the hcadwaters of
American river Ter brother-in-law,
Mr. Matthews. was well-to-do and fixed
the little house to which he took his
bride in fine style Things were 50 Gle
giant il was hard TO imagine that the
place was nearly fifty miles from civili-
cation When he was buying furniture
be was persuaded to take a splendid
grand piano, which in due time arrived
az the ranch, and il was on this that
Mary was practicing She did not like
the idea of being alone at first, but as
she found it impossible to persuade her
sister to stay with her she had to make
the best OF q bad job She went over
the scales carefully every few minutes.
taking a look out into the garden ~
see that her relatives did not get too far
away After finishing one piece she
rested a moment, thinking of what she
would play next Suddenly she heard
a shuflling sound, and. turning around,
l., haar cfan1it,rr in,
the doorway leading TO the back part OF
the house She was paralyzed with
fear and could neither move from her
chair nor scream
She saw the bear come nearer, and she
trcmbed 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 upfor
lost as she felt the grip, which she
knew YVES deadly. tighten around her
and the warm breath of the creature on
her face Looking through the window
she could see her relatives lounging
around peacefully in the shade of the
pines and tried to call them. but her
tongue would not move and she closed
her eyes. expecting TO open them In
that happy land of which she had been
taught from childhood. But what Was
thisP The bear was not hurting her.
He held her gently but firmly in his
paws. and was actually licking her
face. like a pct dog She opened her
ewes, and the world was the same as
usual. She could not tell whether she
WIS frightened or not, but somehow
she did not try to scream. She just
kept quiet, hoping something would
happen to end the agony, which she
did not understand The bear did not
hold her more than a second. although
H. seemed ages to the girl. He. did not
want to hold her. for he threw her on
the floor She was still frightened ard
expected the beast to jump ON her
and devour her at his leisure But in
stead he turned around, commenced to
claw the piano and was evidently de-
lighted with his performance. for he
kept time with his feet and looked
around approvingly. The people out
side heard the chatter bat did net pay
any attention to it. as theJ afterward
said ii was rot unusual Mary has
never forgiven them for this. The bear
began to play furiously, and Mary, see
ing a way 70 escape. took advantage of
1t and ran away screaming from the
room. Her relations at FIRST refused to
believe her story, but hearing the clat-
ter ran to the window and looked H.
Bruin was still at it, and by this time
had become so enthused that he was
performing a sort of can-can to his own
Accompaniment He was in the height
of his glory and had found out where
the bass keys were. and with these he
was particularly delighted. The deep.
continuous rumble seemed to afford him
the greatest pleasure. and he would
execute a bar that sounded like the ca
denza of "A Storm at Sea-"
He howled and jumped and whined.
and at last concluded his soncerf by
getting ON the piano on all fours and
executing jig. AT this time Mr.. Mat
thews thought he had better take a
hand. and he ran into the room
with an AK, as that was the
only weapon available. The bear
did not seem surprised, but got
out of the way, and had there been
room would have left the house. He
was struck several times with the OK,
but did not show fight, and the man
thought he must have found a tame
bear. although he could not Imagine
where it came from. lie then changed
his tactics and tried to capture IL. as II
did not appear dangerous tie got hold
of it and tried to tie it in the piano
cover But at this the brute's wild ma
ture showed itself. and it got ready tc
make an attack Before the man couc
realize what was coming he heard =
deep. angry growl. and the next mo
ment was clutched argrily by the mon
ster The beast could have killed hin
but il did not want to. II just gave
him good squeeze and threw him vic
lently against the wall After looking
at him a moment the bear went out tn,
door ard walked leisurely into the yard
Mrs Matthews and Mary rushed IL
and soon had Mr. Matthews back u
consciousness He got up and looked
out of the window and sow the heal
walking quietly over the hill in the d.