Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-09-21
THE SONG OF A SOUL.
4 LEGEND OF THE STRING iNSrRU-
MENT FOUNDED ON ERROR.

MENT FOUNDED ON ERROR.
Mr.. Thomas Catgut's Touching Account Of
His Passion For Miss Pussy Carmine and
tho Tragedy That Resr1tsd Thereffom.
Under the Musicians Touch.
It is known to only a,few people that
the devil once had a daughter-that
was many years ago. The Lord be
praised, she lived only a short time.
She was cut OIL in her youth. She came
to this world. in the guise Of q graceful
kitten, and I, Mr.. Thomas Katgut. was
destined to have my fate intermingled
with hers.
While strolling along the banks Of a
pleasant little stream first met Miss
Pussy Carmine, and we'll was she
named. When I gazed into her eyes.
they seemed to glow with fire, and
when I drew my eyes away they were
SO dazzled that all around and about me
seemed for moment to be red, and the
soft gray fur with which she was COW
cred seemed to be tipped with scarlet.
Despite the fact that my entire heart
went out to her in alteration at first
sight, could not but be conscious Of q
strange and unusual feeling which I
could not localize. It seemed to draw
and strain until it fairly ached, but I
could not place il. It was not my heart,
nor yet my liver, and it seemed to be
far from my head. This meeting was
but the first Of many. Night after night
we met, but in the midst OF transports
Of joy and ecstasies of bliss which these
meetings brought to me always con-
tinued to experience the indescribable
feeling. vague, unapproachable, yet al
ways there when in her presence.
One nightI felt that I could no'longer
contain my feelings, SO, en- the banks
of the river, on the very spot where
first we met, told her of my love-
And, oh, the effect! Fire seemed to
flash from her eyes and mou tn and each
undivided hair on her body was aflame.
All the devil in her seemed to be let
loose Before my astonishment gave me
a chance to act she leaped upon me and
began to scratch and tear and gnaw
and bite. And in the midst Of all the
horror and pain Of 1t came that same
indescribable feeling in the undisc.;-
cred place.
Twas perfectly powerless to resist
her murderous attacks, and any efforts
ON my part would have been useless.
for felt that my hour had come. With
out pausing, she continued to scratch
and tear at me until finally, feeling
that was in the act of taking my last
breath. opened my eyes to cast q
last look upon this sad but beautiful
world. Just then Miss Pussy seemed
to have exhausted her vitality, fol-
she fell back dying even as my last flut
tering breath issued from my lips. And
then my soul left its earthly dwelling
place, and, towering above, looked down
on the scene of the late tragedy.
Horrible dictu!" My own body lay
there lacerated and torn, but the body
| Of the DEVILS daughter had vanished
into space.
Eager as was to soaE away to o bet
| ter land, I could not tear myself from
the spot, but fingered around my pool
body in the hope that some kind NOR
tai would find it and give it decent bur
ial But alas for all my hopes! At early
dawn q strange looking man, tall anG
lean, with long hair and bony. slender
fingers, came wandering toward oul
late trysting place. Suddenly he saw
my body, and trembling took posses
sion of him, which he soon controlled
and lifting me gently by the tail, car
ried me for some distance until ",
came to q little house in the wood
which seemed to be his own. Ny sou
followed through space, eager to SCI
what was to become of my body. Thi
awful man, vino, it seemed. was tn,
commander in chief Of an army organ
lied for the advancement Of music. tool
up q murderous looking knife and de
liberately cut my poor body into bits
He cut in deep until he reached m,
very vitals, and as the knife touched
these my soul gave long, quiverinl
but satisfied sigh, for he had touched tn
spot which had always responded t,
Miss Pussy's presence. and which, Will
had lived, had always eluded my de
lection. He took up my vitals and Gu
them into narrow strips and strunI
them across the window to dry. Though
my body and soul were really separated
SO sensitive was my soul to any toucl
to these parts that each time breez
swept across them my soul could no
resist q cry.
These cries seemed to please the mu
stefan 90 much that he nearly wen
wild with excess of feeling. He manipu
lated the strings-which were my vital
in all sorts of ways, and finally drew
them taut oyer peculiar piece Of glaze,
wood and over this drew q rod in meas
ured time My soul moaned and sighe'
at each touch, but the musician SCENE,
to know how to modulate and moderat
my cries aud at the same time to mingl
with my tones others of such sweetnes
and pathos that the combined effect wa
> heavenly and grand.
, And thus it is that my soul has neve
.. found a,final resting place. for mingle,
with my sad tones are ever those swee
and glorions ones, harmoniously inter