Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-11-28
CHAPTER discontinued,

crow. but 10 you make me sing it's no
fnult OF mine. and you must put up
with it,
He threw down his riding whip and
snuntercd to the piano. lie struck a
chord or two and the character OF the
instrument seemed to change. 1t jinglcd
still-it would have jingled under the
hands Of the king of pianists-but his
voice was richer, fuller and softer than
II had been. Even now he was not GO
ing to waste n snir of the incense which
was waited about him. and was mt once
80 common and So delightful lie pre-
luted at half. random for n minute or
two, and when he had whettcd expec.
fancy to Its kecncst edge he struck some
opening chords and In due time began to
sing.
His voice was of that rare and cxqui-
cite quality which inspires immediate
confidence In the listener. On the song
Of natures born singers the soul en-
barks without hesitation ut the call of
the first true note.
II there had been nothing else to have
accounted for It. 1t would have been u
remarkable tribute to Will 11acketts
vocal powers that a wnyfarer should
have paused In the street at the first note
Of his song. and should have stood stock
still In the wind aud snow to listen.
There was. however. much else TO nc
count for this circumstance. for the way
farer was none other than Will Hack
ett's unsuccessful rival. lie had forgot.
ten the wind and the snow half IN hour
before. and now In the very net of stand
ing still TO listen he forgot the song. lie
doubted the news he Ind heard. and had
tried vninly to persuade himself that he
had no belief In It at ALL but his thoughts
were comfortless and disturbed. lie had
been Mary uowarth's suitor these two
years. and though he had been more than
sufficiently shy In his suit and timid
enough IN his hopes. he had hardly iden-
tilted staggering Will Ilackctt as n
rival.
The lInckctts had been wcll-to.do time
out of mind but for the last three or four
generations the family had been rolling
10 industriously downhill that 1t was n
marvel they had not long since reached
the bottom. This swect-throated Wills
great. grnndfathcr had In his time gam
bled away onc-half the family belong
ings. The grandfather had In like man.
ner reduced his share by II mOiety; and
the father. whose career was briefer and
more rnpid than that Of his predecessors.
had left the remnant of the property NO
heavily mortgagcd as to be almost value
less. Since his death the Iackctt home
stead had been closed and was likely to
remain so. for the mining resources Of
the district round about were fast being
opened up. and coal pits and blasting
furnaces are undesirable neighbOrs for u
country seat. The discovery Of the min
crnl resources Of the land would have
made careful people wealthy, but It had
only encouraged the later generations OF
the Hucketts to larger extrnvagnnces.
VIII had inherited the tastes md procliv-
tiles Of his ancestors, and was as deep
in debt as he knew how to be.
II there had been nothing worse than
the fallen fortunes of his family witt,
which to reproach viii IIackett the thing
might have been borne with; but the
young fellow kept the family reputation
alive In all ways. and the Eraver sort
OF people shrugged their shoulders ut the
mention of him, whilst the feeblcr held
up their hands In horror. The long and
the short of 1t IL, he was the last sort
Of man In the world for a girl to think
OF marrying Now the disappointed lover
knew all these things. and they CALLED
him terribly.
Edward Blame. sunk deep In the mem
DRY Of these things, stood in the storm.
wrathful. sore.hearted and piteous. When
the song was finished and the applause
which followed 1t urOuscd him from his
thoughts. he awOke out OF dream which
had carried him both into the past and
the future by II year or two. lie could
not have told then or afterward what
impulse drew him into the hotel and led
him to the upper room In which the sing.
ing was going on. The thing seemed
most to desire just then was solitude,
and he had no mind to exchange unmean-
ing talk with people he did not care for.
or even to listen to viii Hackett's de-
lightful singing. Yet he entered and
stood rather modify propping himself
against the door, until his old half-aban-
doned crony discovered him. and crossed
the room to shake hands.
"Why, Ned. old lad. it's hundred
years since ! saw the last Of you. What
brings you hereT
II heard your singing rs ! was going
by" said Ned. II wouldn't come up till
you'd finished"
"And now" cried the landlord. "it's
pi ty well beknOwn as there's nothing
Mr.. Hackett wouldn't be willin' to do to
oblige Mr.. Blame and he can hardly do
less than sing another song to pay him
for standin' out / the cold to listen to
the first un.'
SAY. sing us song Will" said his
old companion. They're all rarely pleas
cd to hear YOU"
"Why, so l will" answered Hackett;
"but I'll have II little refreshment first,
II You please. Warden"
The landlord hustled from the room
ana soon returned. Then Hackett sang
another song. This time he chose "Sally
In Our Alley" and the unlucky lover.
though not easily disposed to be aifront-
ed rs rule felt n personal application
In the ditty d took umbrage at it. The
joyful r'd tender exultation of the line
"Oh, : IN I'll marry Sally" especially
wOunG ID him, and the singers accident.
al smiling look In his direction seemed
to his raw and distempered fancy as il
It were meant to barb the shaft. Hc
leaned modify against the wall and re.
signed himself to bitter fancies. Hack
EFT, his song being ever. began to rally
him upon his gloomy temper.
you've taken rather more than's good
for YOU" said the sufferer. Better stop
It and 70 home"
"WhO2 II" clice Esckett. "Not bit
Of It! To-day's the only day we own.
We mayn't DO alive to enjoy ourselves
to-mOrrOw."