The times., 1897-03-25

1t at her funeral. They say / tainted
odd, isn't it? I used to be an architect
l was pretty good one, too. Yes,
was & good architect. i did that fol
her. Why, when got married j was
ten years ahead OF any man of my age
| was thirty five then. I'm not sorry
she's dead, for she suffered q great deal
| Her horse threw her two years after We
were married, and she was an invalid foi
| five years. l stayed with her all ths
| time. There was nothing to work foI
/ then, because | knew she would die"
He paused for a moment, but did not
! take his eyes from the floor. Then he
| went on again:
| Il spent almost all of my money for her,
| but | was very glad to Go that. / had
| earned it for her.
| ..Do you know he said, looking up at
| me, musiugly, while he spoke very slowly,
"she is always with me when | am play
| ing, and l know she is OF suffering. AT
| first I'm afraid it had a bitterness i'll it,
for 1 could not equite satisfied. though
i knew i should have been glad at once
| she was in heaven / sold tie house we
had and bought this, because only had
| in both selling and buying. But / didn't
care much. i had enough left over 10 get
pretty good piano after paying my debts.
I've bought three more pianos since, and
I've had this organ put in. 1t is very
beautiful, is it not?''
/ said it was.
Its very hard work, though, on two
hundred a yeaI-I can't eat very much.
and them"
He broke off suddenly, and asked me
If | should care to see his pianos. I
said 1 should, for I wanted to move
around and shake myself together
The pianos were all over the house
five of them and he played the march
on every one, beginning with the oldest
and telling me how much starving each
one had cost. Then he took me back
to the organ, and played the march On
it, exerting himself to bring out the
contrast.
He wrote it for the piano-Chopin
did, he said to me, but he did not
know it as 1 do-no one ever did Some
day / will write it down as 1 know it,
and it will not be played on the piano
any more"
/ nodded my head and said yes
but could not agree with him. He could
write il down, yes; but who was th--e
to play it as he played it? Who else
could sacrifice his world for the pleasure
of one march?
When I went to see him again about
week later 1 thought that he looked a
little thinner, If it were possible, but he
seemed greatly pleased at sight of me.
He did not seem inclined to play, but
wanted to talk. He apparently had some
thing important to tell He left me in
the parlor and slipped quietly away after
putting his finger to his lips cauti0ning
silence. i was at my wits ends to make
out the reason for his mysterious actions.
Something unusual had happened Or was
going to happen that was plain. The
parlor showed that a change for the worse
had taken place in it. Where there had
been a chair and stool before, there was
only Il stool now and the one engraving
was gone.
.'she's eating in the Kitchen the old
man said when he reappeaTed, speaking
in a whisper.
who's in the Kitchen" I asked
Ssh, she'll hear you-Millle's there, eat
ing sausages. She says she won't starve
any more. But she don't starve-I could
never keep her from eating three times a
day ] eat only once now. She sells
my things because | don't give her money.
She shan't get the money, though. and l
won't want any of the things in six
months"
But why don't you give her money TO
buy food for you both? What do you want
to save for now, when you have such an
organ?'' / questioned.
He seated himself upon the organ bench
and played few bars.
Ibid you ever hear of the organ in
Albert hall?" he asked, presently his eyes
glistenisg as he spoke.
nodded my head.
I'm going to London to play on it,"
he said land that's why I'm saving my
money. IT has 10, 600 pipes-1O 600 pipesi
Think of it, And nearly $50 stops. I will
play my march OF it, My dear old march
/ hope some one will play it for m when |
am dead Think of it; 10000 pipes, l will |
play on the big organ, and then l shall be |
ready to die "