The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-27

poor little man was merely pulling the
stops of a mythical organ, immense ir
size and heavenly in tone. The police
always looked askance at Langly wheI
he moved into a new locality, unit
they learned that he was the organisl
at ST. Martyrs-in-t the East
One night shortly after he took the
back room two flights ND at No. 3
Langly came down the common stair
way and paused in amazement at the
landing opposite Braunts door He
heard someone within slowly and fear
fully numbering Chopin's Funeral
March," part first. The sound made
him writhe, and he crouched by the
door, his fingers mechanically drum
ming against the panel, depressing with
difficulty a desire 10 cry out against
the profanity of a harmony that
seemed sacred to him. The drone
stopped suddenly and the next instant
the door was jerked open, causing the
amazed listener to stumble into the
room, where. as ii seemed to him, a
giant bounced down, clutched his
shoulders, and flung him in heap
on the floor by the opposite wall. Then,
kicking the door shut, the giant, with
fists clenched and face distorted with
rage. lowered over the PROSTATE man.
You miSera bic, Sneaking Scoundrel.
cried Braunt. so that's why you took
a room with the Scimminses-to ferret
and spy on me. I've seen you craving
up these stairs, afraid to look any
honest man in the face. Because /
took no strike pay Gibbons wants TO
know now l live, does he? I'm up to
| his tricks. You're Gibbons spy and he
has sent you 10 live with that other
sneak, Scimmins. Scimmins himself
was afraid, for he knows already the
weight Of my hand. Now" continued
Braunt, rolling up his sleeves, Il IL
| a c I did Sf,ir1nr.1irS I'll throw
you over the banisters and you can
report that to Gibbons, and tell him to
come himself next time. and I'll break
every bone in his body"
Jessie chung to her father, begging
him in tears not to hurt the poor man.
Braunt shook her off, but not un-
kindly.
"Sit thee down, Jessie, lass, and don t
worrit me. I'll but drop the bag O.
| bones on the stairs, and serve him
right for a sneak"
Langly, encouraged by his antago-
nist's change of tone in speaking to the
girl, ventured to falter forth:
| II assure you, sir
Don't sir me, you hound" cried
Braunt, turning fiercely upon him,
land don't dare to deny you are one
of Gibbons spies. l caught you at 1t,
remember
I'll deny nothing, if it displeases
you, but 1 never heard of Gibbons in
my life, and I'm only a poor organist.
I stopped at the door on hearing the
harmonium; for no other reason, as
sure you. I know / oughtn't to have
done it, and I suppose l am sneak.
I'll never do it again, never, If you will
excuse me this time"
There was something so abject in
the musicians manner that Braunts
resentment was increased rather than
n mi hy tho a nnQal He had
big mans contempt for anything small
and cringing.
"Oh, you're an organist, are you?
Likely storyl Organists don't live in
Garden court. But we'll see, we'll see.
Get up"
Langly gathered himself together and
rose unsteadily to his feet. Every
movement he made augmented the
others suspicion.
Now" said Braunt with the def
ant air of man who has his opponent
in a corner, "sit down at the harmon
ium and play. You're an organist, re-
member"
YES" protested Langly "but 1 don't
know that can play on that instru-
ment at all. 1 play church organ"
IAN organs an organ, whether it is
in church or not. If you can play the
one you can play the other
The young man hesitated and was
nearly lost. Braunts fingers itched to
get at him, and probably only the
presence of the girl restrained him so
far.
Have you any music?" asked
Langly.
mo, we haven't. She plays by ear"
Twill you allow me to go up stairs
and bring some sheet muster
This was little too transparent.
Now, by God, cried Braunt, bring
ing his fist down on the table. STAND
there chattering another minute and
I'll break thy neck down the stair. Sit
thee down, Jessie, an don't interfere.
The man plays or he doesn't. / knew
he was a liar, an he quakes there be-
cause it's to be proven. Now, coward,
the organ or the stairs-make thy
choice quickly
The driven musician reluctantly took
the chair before the instrument. He
had played on the harmonium in his
early days, and knew it was harsh and
reedy at best But under his gentle
touch the spirit of all the harmonies
seemed to rise from it and fill the
squalid room. Braunt stood for a mo-
ment with fallen jaw, his hands hang
ing Imply by his side; then he sank
into his arm chair. Jessie gazed stead
lastly, with large pathetic eyes, at their
guest. who seemed himself transformed,
all the lines of dismay and apprehen-
sion smoothed away from his face, re-
placed by an absorbed ecStacy Obliv-
ious to every surrounding. He played
harmony after harmony. one apparently
suggesting and melting into another,
until at last a minor chord carried the
music into the solemn rythm of Chop
ms march; then the organ, like a SEN
tient creature, began TO sob and wall
for the dead. The girls eyes, never
moving from the wizard of the keys,
filled with unshed tears, and her father
buried his face in his hands
When at last the organist's magic
fingers slipped from the keys, and the
exultant light faded from his face as
the dying music merged into silence.
Braunt sprang to his feet
Curse me for a british clowni" he
cried. ITO think that I mishandled
thee, lad, an thou playest like an an
gel l never heard music before"
He laid his huge hand on the others
shoulder gently and kindly, although
the youth, hardly yet awake from his |
dream, tinidly shrank from the touch |
Forgive me, lad. 1 misdoubt L hurt
three"
mo, no; it is all nothing. So you
like the music?"
The musicl shall never forget it:
never. That march rings in my head
all day. The whole world seems tramp |
ing it,
The young man for the first time
looked up at him. the light of brother
hood in his eyes.
Il feel it, too he said. that there is
nothing around us but good music. 1t |
smooths away the ruder sounds of
!, L.