The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-03-23

/
| Gross"
| And her hands are rough and coarse
| Trough and coarse and red and ugly"
| Sand the pits in her cheeks"
Eyes the pits. And her hair?"
"Oh her hair
| The derisive chorus swept down upor
him.
And he ran 1t through his fngers?"
Yes, he ran it through his fingers
''As he did with the maid of the
meadow"
The musician turned with clenched hands
See" cried the star. HE would ans
yer us. Foolish man.
Foolish man. Foolish man"
''Deserter!'
'DeseTter."
The musician, chattering, fell upon his
knees and lifted his hands to the stars. The
tears came into his filmy eyes and the
long filaments of violet light shot from ali
the stars to his dripping lashes.
He ent:satsr'
"For the maid
Deserted. But he cannot get her back
For ne has made his choice
"And he has chosen grease and uginess
and musk
And musk"
The man wrung his hands to the stars
convuisively.
But he can not get her back. It is too
late"
'"Too late"
The musician staggered TO his feet.
II can not get get her back"' he cried
deflantly. who says that? Tell me.
can not get her back. Speak,
His head was roaring, his teeth chatter
ing. The skin had sunken deep upon the
bones of his face and his eyes rolled with
frenzy.
He toppled over. He tried to raise again
but fell forward on his face. Again and
again he tried.
One passion regned supreme within his
heart. They had taken her away. He
must go to her now. Yes. he would go.
He fell upon the ground. He lifted him.
self up as a baby learning to crawl and
began to drag himself on hand and knees,
savagely, madly through the grass, over
walks, into dust and mud wallows. Now
he sank down and lost consciousness. Now
he struggled up again. A freely shone in
the grass before him and he struck 1t away
as # it were monster come to hinder
him.
He reached the door of Mrs. Tilford's
hovel and raised himself by the knob tufn-
ed 1t and fell upon the floor. He struggled
TO the piano and took his seat and began.
There came forth the few first strains of
the rhapsody and then the music became
incoherent.
Mrs. Tilford In the next room waiting,
sitting up to receive him, had fallen away.
At the clang and clash of the piano she
awoke with start and rushed into the
room.
1t was quite dark but she could make out
the figure of her great friend, her famous
friend, there before the piano striking mad
~, blindly: sometimes with his fists and
sometimes with his elbow. She called him.
He did not hear. She crept close to him
and the starlight of the night showed
her picture which sent her staggering
back across the room. Her great friends
eyes were bullying from their sockets, the
SLAYER was dribbling from his mouth to his
chin and down upon his shirt-front and his
features were distorted and horror
stricken.
Still he played on blindly. striking the
keys with a mad mans strength.
Mrs. Tilford put on her cloak hastily.
The man was mad. She had no doubt Of
It. She must so TO Clara.
She FASTENED to the home Of the Drew.
The wakeful, fearful Clara arose. Mrs
TUford could tell her little. Something was
the matter with her lover.
The mad musician played on. The last
desire of a waning life kept his heart beat
ing. Somewhere in the magic of that mu-
sic she waited for him. Clara the maid OF
the meadow with naked, outstretched arms.
Somewhere beyond the stars. in the vast
reach of inf1nity. she beckoned him. All,
he would soon be there. Yes, he would
soon be there.
The two women FASTENED back to the
little howell, speaking no word.
He IS quite upset" said Mrs. Tilford at
last You go to him and soothe him.
''Hark," cried Clara. What is that?"
ITS the piano"
But you have no piaro."
''He gave me one.'
But this ~
HE is playing
mo. that is not-Mrs. Tilford tell me
tell me-is hiS-oh-what can be the mat
terr'
The women stood outside the door hold
ing each Others hands.
The clang and clash Of the piano ceased.
Il shall bring light" said Mrs. Tilford,
DO you go ahead aud speak 10 him. He
would not hear me-"
Mrs. Tilford brought the light. Clara
preceded her. but stopped stiff frozen where
she stood.
"seer' she cried. His clothes are all
torn and muddy"
The musician sat stihy before the piano
his hollow eyes staring namely al the in
strument.
The young woman chung 10 Mrs Tilford
herself white with terror.
Spang,
A piano-string had snapped
speak to him." she cried.
The young woman stepped forward and |
stretched out her arms.
"Aigsrnon.' she pleaded
The musician staggered 20 his feet s7i !
stared az the light
He raised his hands above him and with |
4 thin youthless treble cried in anguish:
She is gone,'
Ms body stinenet coavulsfvely. he,gh- |
tened and iurched forward into the arms |
IF the young woman and ne gasped-
'Agnes''
she did not hear the name then. Size |
placed her hand softly upon the ehalky |
face. and bending kissed the doUgh-hkl /
Hps OF death
The Turk lay dreaming OF the hour when
are.ce-but he Was radely awakened hy /
an TIE guns OF Europe WHO were making i