Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-11-13

of dancing, withered, blood besmeared
talons. Now they form themselves into
ranks, and as they charge they become
endless rows Of figures. He fights desper
ately, with the courage born of despair,
but they bear him down, down, down.
He is crushed, suffocated. Gasping, he
throws his arms wildly about, and-awak-
| ems.
When Algernon went to the dingy office
! that morning, to the high stool and the
dancing columns of figures, his head seem
ed welf nigh about to burst.
The day dragged endlessly but at last
twas done He felt better in the evening,
and when he went to see his Madeline he
was almost to the point Of cheerfulness
Yet there seemed to be a GOODNESS that had
not existed before The frank, open, good
| fellowship seemed not to be so frank and
open. When she spoke enthusiastically of
harmony and of how impatiently she
awaited the time when she could better
know and appreciate the grand old mas
tiers, he only briefly assented. He could
not enthuse. Algernon was truthful. His
opinion of the grand old masters had suf
| fered a serious relapse that might at any
moment prove fatal Sympathy, so far as
he was concerned, was withered as the leaf
of autumn, and he talked of the weather
| and away from music.
| But let it be said the Algernon McCurry
was a young man of resource His ex-
| pedients to reach given end were great,
and, though he still loved Madeline Nc
| Gregor with an undiminished love, when
he thought of the night past and of possible
| other nights yet to come his heart grew
ca lr h inn, ic hnp cot
| look, and his handsome gray eyes seemed
| to fire with resolution. All next day from
| his high stool he thought, and his thoughts
| were those of youth--long long thoughts.
When Algernon McCurry went home
that evening, he carried under his arm Il
mysterious looking stiff leather bag, large
at one end, smaller at the other, while in
his hand he grasped short, round bundle.
Mother" he said, fought you not stay
with Mrs. Jones tonight"
81 have been thinking ofit Algy, dear,
but had almost decided to stay at home
and do some mending for you.
Never mind the mending, mother
It'll worry along. Go stay with the poor
woman"
And then Algernon was alone with his
thoughts, and his bag, and his short,
round bundle
The September night wore on. From
the westward came the great loud note of
the curfews warning. Lessening, fading,
| the last echo dies away to the east. Then
out upon the air, hardly yet stilled, there
creeps an indistinguishable, indefinable
something. 1t is not natural of anything
on earth, nor is it supernatural. Now it
| is blast, clear and resonant, penetrat
ing, all pervading bugle note coming from
space, ending in it's birthplace. Now it is
| a moan, a low, dull monotone, telling of
anguish and grief, of a heartbreaking sad
ness, and now fitfully dying away it be-
comes a slow, dragging, piercing note, like
| the cry of wild beast in pain. 1t gathers
strength and now, in Il weird minor,
louder and ever louder, it tells of infinite
suffering, of the rack and pinion and
stake of martyrs and the wall of a soul
eternally damned. Now it partalles of
the melody of rusted wire, and now of
blunt steel scraping human bones. Now
it is the din and crash, the cannonade,
musketry, saber clashing, drum roll,
Charge double quick, advance, retreat of
a thousand battlefields and now it dies
away into the feeble wall of poor dying
| kitten.
Minutes grow into hours and hours into
the lapse of ages. Again the long, creep
ing cable stops. Again the watchdog bays
the moon. Again the distant, suburban
cock crows the waking light. At last all
is still. Algernon McCurry has finished
his first music lesson.
On Friday night when dark haired
Algernon calls on fair haired Madeline he
hears something that makes his heart to
beat faster in his bosom. Madeline has de.
cided that, after ALL she does not care to
go in so much f music, and the new
piano has been Sc. back to the install
1nent house. She intends to buy bicycle.
And now when Algernon MoCurry and
Madeline McGregor coast down the asphalt
streets they talk of bikes and bearings, of
narrow treads and rams horn handle
bars while melody and the old masters
are far, far off. Algernon is no longer
limited to three nights in the week. for
Madeline and Nadeline's mamma have
heard an old, old story.
Among Algernon McCurry's treasures
there is pale green ticket. Far down on
North Main street, almost to ancient Bat
tie row, there is dingy window, over
which hang three golden spheres. In the
window is q silver bell cornet labeled For
Sale. kansas City Times.