The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-29


HcGregor and Algernon McCurry-Made-
line at the first landing, Algernon at the
second. Madeline, who is go, fair haired
and dreamy. had dragged out many moons
In the respectable fiat before Algcrnon
had come to gladden. her existence and TO
make life for hor. not weary, lovcloss
waste, but glad heyday Of Joy illumincd
by tho ndoring looks OF her new neighbor.
When Algernon first saw the fair, sweet
face and the soulful eyes of Madeline his
heart gave one wild throb and then stood
still. He, whose whole life was full OF
ambition, who had heretofore existed
automatically ana found most of his
pleasure In having the balance sheet come
right the first time, had at last surren-
dercd TO the tender passion--and at first
sight Stolid business ambition that had
persistcntly refused TO see aught of charm
In duck skirted and shirt wasted feminin-
ity now dreamed solely Of pink and white
compilations and fluffy, sunny hair.
Thoy met and loved.
Gladly had things progressed up TO tho
time when combination Of circum-
STANCES came 80 near disappointing tho
fair dream of true love. IL was on a Fri
day night toward the end of dog days.
When Algernon McCurry came down TO
tho fat on tho first landing, his heart wns
full Of JOY. And Madeline, too, seemed
TO be In an unusually jubilant mood How
sweet then did it all seem and how little
did they know Of the dark days that werc
70 follow. When they went out for a stroll
along the residence straets. it seemed as IL
night were never so full OF love. Tho
great, round, silvery, harvest moon flooded
the earth with lovelight, the stars OF the
armament, tho greae dome of heaven,
seemed mad alone for the love of Algcr-
non and Madeline. 1t was then that in
the fullness Of her young lifc Madeline
told why her heart was OVERLOOKING with
gladness
In years gone by she had lived alone for
music. Royerses had come upon them,
and she had been forced to give IL up, to
surrender what was then TO her her whole
life, but now fickle fortune had again
smiled, and the very next week sho was to
have new piano Her lot was i'm very
truth an enviable one. In her fresh young
enthusiasm Eve poured out all her glad
feelings, and Algernon sympathized, and
he, too, was glad.
That night when he sought his folding
bed il was TO dream OF sweetest music, OF
feir, white hands, dear hands, slender,
taperlng fingers, tendorly. lovingly wan
dering over stretch of ivory keys. IN.
fancy ho could hear heavenly strains and
a sweet young voice In tender, soulful love
songs-and all for him. All, Algernonl
How little did no reckon then of what was
TO follow
On Wednesday the people across the way
saw new piano, bright and beautiful,
taien into the first floor entrance of the
respectable 1nt
Algernon was kept at his Office that night
by stress of business. From his high stool
he cast up long columns Of dancing figures
and his dull, tired eyes ached and grew
weary. All the while fairy vision how
cred between him and the endless columns
IA vision OF n dear, sweet maid, with
golden hair, seated before n piano, from
which, with the magic touch OF her lily
white hands, she brought dulcet strains OF
heavenly melody. At last the final dane
ing column is finished, the big pile OF slips
that seemed not 20 have an end Is exhaust
ed, and Algernon with tagging footsteps
gees to the car and home. How welcome
seems his little fat ROOM How pleasant
Gle folding bed How eagerly does he
MOO sleep and tho dreams of his true lovcl
But what is thisS What sound breaks
in upon the rest that is about TO Gomez
Rudely the midnight silence is fractured.
broken, severed, scattered to tho four
winds of heaven. There is a preliminary
tinkle, silvcry, Introductory ping. ping
a resonant, melodious pang, pang, and
then long, harmonious ping, ping, ping,
pang, ping, ping. pang, pang, ending IN
a grand boorn, boom, boom! Algernon
starts up in alright
"Cnn this be sheg But, ah, Ii Is over" +"
Not yet. Again there is the tinklc and
the ping, ping and the pang, pang and
the boom, boom--booml And then again
and again, and then louder and louder
ccasclcssly, endlossly.
An hour passes, or is Il week. Rest.
lcssly Algernon McCurry tosses on his
pillow.
"Oh, mothert" he cries "Can this be
trueY oh, father, forgive her! Apollo,
Calliope, hosts of high Olympus, what
means this wild clamorg Am mad or is
this but weird. horrible nightmare that
will not be driven away?"
But hist The din lessons. Something
that was Is not The long. creeping cable
beneath the car tracks has stopped The
witching hour is here. The city sleeps,
but not Madeline, not Algcrnon, not any
one in the respectable Hat. Hours pass.
and then-oh, joy--it ceases. "Silencc,
like poultice, comes 10 heal the blows OF
distant suburban cock crows the waking
light and Algornon dreams.
- And he sees n storm Great, tfuck clouds
mount up the sky. Forked lightning huge
tongues of flame, darts hither and thither
in the blue black night. Mighty crashes of
thunder test tho strength Of heaven S artil-
lery. Beginning nc his very feet he secs
path of glistening keys, pale keys like tte
hue of death, and they stretch intcrmi-
nably into the distance, narrowing into
thin thread of white light that seems 10
pierce the blackncss of the storm Ncw
come two long. tapcring. armlcss hands,
whose severed wrists arc foul with cloytml
blood, and as he looks the two hands are
four, and the tour arc eight Now there
arc million, and as they dance upon tho
endless chain OF keys the thunder grows
In volume and the crash Is soul narrowing.
The white, tapcring hands change To re
pulsive, horny talons with long and filthy
nails. Now he seems himself in the midst
OF the storm. surrounded by the mutitudoS
of dancing, wlthcred, blood Dcsnearvd