Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-08-22
The Man in Blue.
By Richard Davey.

am the youngest son Of the Is
| children of Burgermeister Kraus, of
Bingen, and his wife Frau Maria.
My father adored music, and we were
taught to play on some instrument or
other, or else to sing, and, by my
faith! / hold we did considerable cred
it to our musical education. When
j. was 16 my father presented me with
a fine old ''Cremona," which / christ
ened Fortunate" and which event
ually became my lifelong friend and
companion.
Nothing gav me greater pleasure
than to take my dear violin into
the woods end there. by the murmur-
ing brook, beneath the rustling trees,
dreamily improvise new melodies n
vary old ones. So greatly did my faith
er delight in our accomplishments
hat he organized an amateur oncer
every Thursday afternoon, at which
at least a quarter of the town assisted
to admire or criticise about as much
music as could be crowded N a
three hours performance, divided in
to two equal parts by a tray OF
light refreshments handed round by
Karl and myself.
One fine autumn afternoon. just as
our first onata was concluded, a
very singular-looking individual en-
tered the concert room. He was as
thin and pale as an apparition and
entirely dressed in shabby garments
of light blue corduroy. His well-worn
knee breeches were blue, his jacket
was blue, his vest was blue, and the
huge cravat that fastened his great
Tapping shirt collar was also of varied
and faded shades of blue. He had a
big hooked nose. thin. hungry-look-
ing Jaws, and the only redeemlng
features that he possessed were his
dark and intelligent eyes, and these
were hidden by a pair of blue specta-
cIes. His long, untrimmed hair was a
ginger red, and his beard, 1 verify
believe. had never been cut since IL
first began to grow.
He did not attempt to apologize Tor
his Intrusion. but without looking TO
the right or to the left made straight
for n vacant seat and began to pay
marked attention to the music. 1t was
nv turn to play, but | was so con-
fused. so utterly dumfounded by the
Of this strange creature
that when I struck my violin with the
how nv hand trembled so h a L could
not produce a single note. Again n
aoain 7 tried. and at last was about
to give it up in despair when the mar
in blue rose from his seat and came
straight to me. young man." he
said. "vou have a more difficult instru-
Won fhinR Hand If
to me and 1 will play in your stead."
| mechanically gave him Fortunate
and he at once commenced his per-
ormance. Never had L heard such
nlaying before. The instrument
seemed to receive from his bow a soul
capable of expressing every emotlon.
We were all amazed and delighted, and
at the termination of his Concerto
such a storm of applause rewarded the
singular performer that. quite over
come, he acknowledged b ovation IN
such a grotesque manner thai we
Youngsters Uttered.
I should have mentioned that we
were on the eve of our grand annual
musical festival at which some OF the
greatest musicians of Germany had
announced their intention of attend
ing. NY father, naturally concluding
that our guest was some celebrated
maestro who had arrived incognito,
FASTENED to thank him for the favor
he had conferred upon us and also to
offer him his hospitality during his
stav in the town. The Man in Blue at
!. first refused, then hesitated, ard final
~ accepted our pressing invitation.