Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1903-10-23
A Dream Melody.
81 SUPPOSE I've been III! wonder
what's the matter with me?"

what's the matter with me?"
Colin Stuart opened his eyes, and,
struggling into a sitting posture. saw
that he vas in the shabby bed sitting
100 in the dull side street which for
a dreary time now had been his
home"
He was still only half conscious and
painfully weak, but gradually his brain
cleared a little, and bit by bit memory
anne back.
80 she didn't turn me ont, after
all, She must have looked after me,
too. and found money for medicine and
food. Her bark was worse than her
bite, poor creature! | daresay she's
Inard pressed enough herself at times.
especially II many Of her dodgers are as
Improbable as | am.
How much did ! owe her. now, be-
fore | was taken III? How long have
| been lying here In delirium? and.
worst problem of all, what am to
do with myself now | have my senses
back again? Life was pretty rough
before: It will be impossible now"
Another glance round the room
ireahcned his memory %again-the open
piano, the loose sheets of torn music
carelessly strewn all around. How
aver long the Illness had been In dura-
ton, no loving hand tended him. only
%grudging service tgiven, pcrchance, as
an alternative to IN inquest) had been
bestowed on him.
Il remember! I'd reached the end Of
an tnu ~nt .n. ., I.E. 49,,
wOrk-seasOn fiat-couldn't sell music
Dr get 1t sung not one solitary engage
ment through all those awful weeks.
only the clothes | was wearing left,
not a friend in the whole world |
could turn to for h~clp-brcad and wa
ter for a week-thcn water without
The bread. with the Frenchman's ex-
reriencc to follow: 40 Ooncr had !
taught the horse to live on one straw
a day than the brute splted me and
died,
But | didn't die, No, here | am. un-
fortunately alive. I've been under thu
Wa,ers Of fate once, and like other
IOdies risen TO the surface. shall 80
down again directly. Mrs. Wilcox
thinks she can turn me ont without
being held up for manslaughier or any
thing of that kind. Shall | rise the
second time through the casual ward
or he allowed to die quietly in the gut
ter? Heaven knows: I don't"
Another long. weary pause, at the
end Of which the ~landlady popped her
head in at the door. gave Il grunt
which might either have been satisfac-
ton or disgust IN realizing the in
valid was consciOuS-bcttcr; then
dived back to the kitchen. emerging
therefrom a little later with a basin OF
very weak soup and a piece OF bread
which she set down with a clattcr on
a small table near the bed with the re-
mark:
"You can feed yourself again now;
the time it's wasted every day a-l0ok-
ing after you no money could ever pay
for"
I'm sure I'm very grateful" was
the shamcd reply. Have ] been III
1ong?'
MORN two weeks" ungraciously
AN me scared to death with ali this
talk o smallpox about
Colin started violently.
But II cant be that-there is nc
rash"
Good thing for you II wasn't was
the sharp retort, ITS dclirium, the
doctor says. You've been a-playing
that there piano to death. but there
amt enough on those bones to suit
me; it's all noise an nc meat In
pianos. Never no more musicians
take my rooms. and out you go just
az o o az ever you can set foot to tho
ground"
II must owe you an awful lot" he
murmured, br0kenly. II see medicine
and food. and wine. besides the rent;