The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-27


times n day till she dies"
"But what will you do for yourself?"
I asked.
"Mc? / shall die when / have played
On the BIG organ. / shall not bother
rbout moway any more. have fifty
collars besides my ticket-what more
ran i need?"
That had been on Thursday in Au-
gust. His ship sailed on the following
Wednesday. I helped him pack his,
bag and get his things ready, feeling as
though were aiding and abetting some
unlawful act. The old negress looked
glum and angry.
/ was to help him down TO the wharf,
so | appeared at his house at six o'clock
Wednesday morning. When j rounded.
the corner / saw score OF persons
standing in front of his door, and my
heart sprang into my mouth. l ran
Down the street and pushed my way
into the crowd.
whats the matterr" demnndef~
"A uon't KNOW" said the man, but
listen"
The wailing notes of the organ struck
my ears and made me shiver The same
notes, the same discords walled out un-
ceasingly. The windows were shut j
showed my way up the steps and rang
the bell. | could hear it awaken the
echoes in the all but empty house and
then die down and get lost in the wall
ing of the organ. No one came to the
door. i rang again. and the crowd
looked at me wonderingly. My face
was pale, l know, and / must have
looked as felt, terribly excited.
There's ghosts in there" heard the
old man say. and those who heard
passed the remark to the others, and
all drew away from the house little.
A policeman came up and wanted to
know what the trouble was.
my friend, a musician lives here"
explained, land / think something has
happened to him."
"Ring the bell" ne said, and then
gave it pull himself. He got no an
swer, and the wailipg of the organ still
continued.
"Come with me to the back of the
house and let us break in" suggested.
We went around through a filthy alley.
followed by half of the curious crowd.
A small boy climbed over the fence and
opened the gate for us. The back door
was open, and i rushed through the
house ahead of the policeman and into
I the parlor. / could see nothing on ac-
| count of the darkness, but the wailing
| of the organ chilled me. I knew that
my friend lay on the keys. i opened
one of the shutters, and we picked him
up, the policeman and ], and carried him
upstairs to his warm little bed.
lie was not dead When we had
bathed his head and forced little
whisky into his mouth, he opened his
eyes. He caught hold Of my hand and
gasped:
"She stole il all--all-all! Catch
Millie! / must go and play. for there
are ten thousand pipesl"
Then he fell back unconscious again.
The doctor stood holding his pulse for
a moment.
"Where does he want to go?" he
asked me, studying the old mans face.
/ told him the whole story as briefly
cs possible, and then looking up from
the pitiful, worn face, he said. speaking
in very quiet voice:
"if he does not go he will probably
GO mad. Hes but q short time to live,
any way; so he'd better go. Ill pay
| half If you'll"
/ interrupted him, assuring the other
| twenty-five dollars, and thanked him
| profusely for his kindness. The old
negress had not taken the ticket.
when he comes to again." the doctor
said, you tell him that the woman has
brought back the money. Thatll bring
Kim around all right, for it's only his
nerves that are keeping him alive now.
| Wen see him safe aboard the steamer,
and he'll pull through till he gets to the
organ. 1t doesn't seem TO matter what
happens after that"
lie handed me the twenty-five dollars.
| and then set about restoring his pa
tient to consciousness. Slowly the
wrinkled lids opened and / stood look
ing sorrowfully at my old friend. 1
hated to lie to him.
"Be quick" the doctor said, sharply;
"don't let him think"
Then l explained" TO Mr.. lands.
II all the lies have ever told had repaid
me half so well. Iwould not regret them.
| y
Nearly two weeks after that day
when we saw the old man off for his
long journey / saw a little note in a
newspaper stating that an unknown
man had been found dead on the keys
of the organ in Albert hall. A little
later a friend of mine living in London
10 whom I had written telling of Mr.
lands. sent me n letter giving me the
beautiful end of my sad story.
OF how Mr.. Landis got TO London
and how he succeeded In getting into
the big hall, tie letter did not tell. But
just after daylight one morning Chop
in's "Marche Funebre" was heard rum.
bling forth from the powerful organ
\ policeman. the driver Of hanson
cab and the man In charge Of the hall
/ A..