The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-09-04

door Of No. $50. "IIave you any other
children"
INC" Ernest Hoffman, said. as he
preceded the little fiddler up the creak
ing stairs; "only this one-and his
mother is u cripple. This way. Clara
be is here" Dark blue eyes met thf
dark gray. in a long. inquirlng glance,
then Il thin hand soft and white and
cold, went out to clasp the little lid'
dler's thin. hot fingers and a soft voice
said:
"Oh, it is good OF you to come-sc
good. Ernest told you how i'll our boy
was and how he longed to hear you
play? And your playing is marvel
How do you? Why" She with
drew her hand with a little cry
"You are not Il child at all. and J
thought"
"No. am not a child" the little fld
dler said. looking at her puzzled face
with clear candid eyes. 'I am seven
teen. Yes with shrug) am child
in size, l know-I stopped growing
when was nina"
Are you gypsy? Forgive me-
Clara said. with a pretty blush, but it
has been said so--and l wondered If It
was true"
Il am Of gypsy blood on one side
madame" Godfrl,h Ak answered-"thc
mothers"
~ am afraid" Clara said. as he
opened the violin case ana took the in
strument out, handling it lovingly,
you ought not to have come out in
this east wind. You have been i'll
surely?"
mo" Godfrlth said, quietly. 81 am
never strong, madame. But l am never
i'll. either. Shall l begin TO play now
madame? Where is your boy?"
in the next room through that
open door, if you will be so kind. Err
nest" as her husband made as If he
would follow the little fiddler to his
boys bedside "let them be alone to.
gether, dear. Our guest will like it bet.
ter, l know. Madge would say l am
absurdly fanciful. dear" as he came
to her side with a surprised face. But
feel as If you had brought here
good fairy who will cure our Uric
and-what is that he is playing?"
"a cradle song, madame" Godfrlth
answered for himself, through the open
doorway. ut is a Norwegian lullaby"
The lullaby crooned softly away into
silence, and then Clara from her couch
saw the little fiddler bend swiftly over
the bed and kiss her boys flushed, de.
lighted face with murmured $50, this
is better than the Albert Hall"
Then he took up his bow again and
drew it over the strings in a swift,
dainty dance measure. all light, airy
passages, through which Clara could
almost hear the movement of dancing
feet She listened for few minutes
with half smile On her lips then her
eyes, puzzled and half afraid. went
wstfully to meet the little fiddler's,
and came back to her husbands face
with an unsatisfied fear in their blue
depths. Ernest, do know that song?
1t seems so-and wish almost-I wish
he would not play it"
Madame, l am half way through it.
| must go on to the bitter end now"
the little fiddler called to her, with a
tremble of laughter in his voice. II
shall soon have done"
II don't like it," Clara murmured,
dlstressfully. Il seem to know it,
and"
She lay listening in silence for some
minutes, then the fear in her eyes kim
died into a flame. and she caught at
her husbands hand with the look of
a terrified child.
Ernest, remember; ii is the Dance
of Death, that the Bohemian gypsies
play. Stop him"
MY dear Clara" Her terror
made even unimaglnatlve Ernest
HOFFMAN, turn pale. and he turned yet
paler when the music stopped in the
middle Of an airy dance movement.
ION the 26th inst, suddenly,
OF heart disease. Godfrth Ak, violin
ist' That was what the third para.
graph of the Telegraph said. but Clara
Hohmann, sobbing over the newspaper
cutting. cried; Il told you l knew that
dance-and the gypsies say that death
always comes TO player or hearer-one
or the other. But one of the two can
choose which it shall kill or cure, so
they say. And look, dear. am sure
that Godfrith Ak knew the legend, and
that he chose it should be Uric who
should be healed. | know it," And
her husband did not say her nay
Black and White.