The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-06
THE ADVENTURE OF A coRnEr.

bring his violin.
My violin does net dine. was the sug-
gest.ve answer Of the Norwegian genius
Arthur Heminway was not a genius
not even a virtuoso in the special nUsica
! Inc he affected, but his friends were al
| ways pleased with his playing and he
was member Of high-grade orchestra
and had been cOmplimented on his cornet
| solos by nc less an authority than TheO-
dore Thomas. which was high praise.
He sat in his office opening MS morning
mail and had found an invitation from
his friend and chum. Walter Abbot, ask
| ing him to come Town 70 MerrycOurt for
Z house party, which was strictly en- IA
mile. The letter closed with this para
graph:
we shall expect you for dinner. and
you Will stay over night Be sure 70
| bring your cornet. WALTER.
The six words preceding the signature
were heavily underscored. What did
! mean? When he had visited Walter once
before he had been as earnestly requested
| IN the invitation not TO bring his cornet-
! That had troubled Heninway at the time
4 as much as the other invitation was
troubling him now. Walter had been his
! roommate a Princeton: they were as
fond Of each other as brothers. fonder
for the enforced propinGuity OF blood
! often causes dissension. He knew that
/ Walter loved 10 listen TO his playing and
1 deeply regretted his own inability to mas
/ ter the instrument There was no other
male member OF the family, so It must
/ be his sisters who had objected then, and
! possibly had relented now. He Vas prob
/ ably expected 10 contribute 10 the en-
tertainment OF other guests But no. there
were TO be none others outside Of the
] family. The mystery despened-
Arthur Hemiway knew. as all high
| strung, sensitive souls must intuitively
| know. that it does not require the state
ment of a situation, its limits or posi-
bilities, TO make a mystery. be knew
/ that
J The rounded world is fair TO see.
| Nine times folded in mystery.
A silent and shrouded room in a house
suggests more than We care to investi-
gate. Arthur took his suit case and his
cherished cornet in it's unwieldly green
bag and soon found himself at the home
of his friend; il was only few hours
ride from the city. And ArthUrs fears
all fed when he saw Walter Abbot's
clean-shaven, distinguished cOuntenance
beaming upon him as he stepped from
the train. After hearty greeting Walter
reached his hand for the suit case.
The carriage is right here, he said
III carry this. Tom cannot leave the
horses"
Take the cornet, dear boy" said Ar
thur. but, though his friend heard him,
he did not heed. Soon they were flying
along the pleasant country road that led
to Merrycourt and Arthur was hearing
news of the family.
You know Camille, my youngest sis
ter, but 1 think you have not met the
two older ones who are married and have
families of their own. Camille and 1 are
host and hostess on this occasion. We
all think she is very like our mother"
Then Arthur remembered how much
this family adored the memory of this
mother who had been dead some two or
three years
When Walter gave him an opportunity
Arthur referred to the cornet. Il look
like a professional musician on a tour.
he said. jauntily, but you asked me TO
bring it,
Yes. Camille intends to have some
kind of an entertainment tonight, but you
need not say that I requested you TO bring
the instrument Fact is. Arthur, some Of
the family have an objection to !t-but
l love it, and when ] call on you 70 play
1 want you to play-will your
My dear Walter, you would hardly ask
me to make any member of your family
uncomfortable. You have a piano? Why
not use that? We used to play duets to-
gether tolerably WELL
We'll, old fellow, I won't ask you to
play, but If Camille does you can hardly
refuse. She is more daffy about the cor
net than either of us And I am just
yearning TO hear one of your long-drawn
sweet tremolos. with its vibrating pain.
The young men looked al each other
affectionately, and then the country house
with its turreted windows blazing against
a western sky, was in sight, and a group
gathered on the wide veranda awaited
them. Arthur was Hospitality welcomed
and his old friend Camille gave him a
cool, slim hand. the charm Of which he
remembered. He was introduced to tn.
married sisters and their husbands. and
later, when they met at dinner. he felt
that his lines were cast in pleasant
places.
Camille Abbot was the embodiment IF
refined sincerity. so pure in look and bear
ing. that Arthur Heminway felt as if ne
were not worthy 10 be in her company.
Yet with no assumption Of superior good I
ness. She talked in the most friendly way /
with her brothers friend. recalling inci- /
dents of his last visit. which had been /
disturbed one, owing TO the fatal illness /
Of their mother Arthur did not aIlud- /
to the late Mrs. Abbot. as he did not /
consider il in good taste under the cir /
cumstances. In looking around the ia
bic, observing individual members Of the /
family. he noticed an unoccupied space (
Camille saw him regarding il and said 1
quietly:
That is where mother sits She al |
ways preferred that place. so we keep it /
for her
Fortunately for Arthur they rose ~ 1
that moment and he was not under the /
necessity OF speaking But ne had felt .
a decided shock. not OF repulslon. bot as 4
anyone might feel who is suddenly told OF 1
a supernatural presence. lie waited TO
know more. and was invited TO be one OF I
circle whose members would hold a i
seance.
He was greatly interested. These peo-
pie. educated. sincere. with 10 desire 10
exploit themselves before the world OF
make disciples OF the credulous. were
really interested in spiritulism. with an
earnest desire TO investigate and evil
IDENTIFY with q belief in its possibilities
He sat IN the circle. and saw nothing.
heard nothing-yes he heard the clear
notes OF a cornet. His own he could have
sworn. And in the semi-darkness he felt
a hand passed over his face. slim. cool
hand. that he dared 10 touch. II melted
from his grasp. tantaliziug and elusive
He heard The rest saying Il was their
mothers hand
When the scance was over the family
ignored any reference 70 IT. Camille suE- +
scsted music and asked Arthur II ne
would play on the coTnet- He went 10 his
room for IL. but il was not where Re had .
left it. Nor did any amount % search
ing discover # He vas chaErined and 1
toTmented By its loss. but wisely kept (
silent. Waiter was distressed and an
CRY. Camille. hopeful that IL was oniy
mssid. Or his way 70 his room Where
Walter was 20 Join him later for q smoke
and chat. Arthur noticed tray contain