The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-04-24

Hello, how did Monsieur Daubert
get back 30 soon ? Well.that was his
business. ! was glad Of the cause,
whatever IL was.
put down pen and pencil. and
prepared to enjoy my usual concert,
rs the light fingers ripplsd over . pre-
Jude. all the more 50, that SOC o.
lence would reign In the room next
door.
Sitting in . dimly Ut room, Close 70
the open door Of the balcony. ssd
looking out at . food Of moonlight.
resting calm and white over the quiet
old street and ancient buildings. my
neighbours melodies came like the
farewell Of one long known, whose
absence would leave a strange void.
1t wal last approaching the hour
when Monsieur usually left OF play
ing.
A cab. rapidly driven, stopped be-
| lore the front door. There were
| voices, hurried steps and . slight cry,
| and that indefinite commotion which
| indicates trouble Of some sort.
/ ran down stairs and asked thu
| driver what was the matter.
"One of the musicians at the French
| opera got into a little trouble" the
man explained.
Nothing much, only there had been
some stabbing. He was brought
| home by his friends. He had been
drinking. He'd be all right in the
morning"
Two men coming out of my neigh
boris door, speaking volubly In
French, c~orroborated the mans state
ment.
/ went back, turned on the cleo
tric lights and prepared for an hour
or two of hard work, wondering over
what seemed rather inexplicable.
IL was quite late when there was q
light, hurried knock at the door.
I'm afraid he is very i'll. He is so
restless, and he does not recognize
me. ! can't leave him, and ! saw the
light over here, SO / thought"
I stood silent. too much amazed ut
the beauty Of the face before me, to
answer her timid request, until a soft
color like a pink flame swept over it
and her great grey eyes filed with
tears.
Il beg your pardon a thousand
times" l said hurriedly. "Of course
| will do anything in the world for
Monsieur Daubert. / am sure you
are needlessly alarmed. II you will
let me go to him ! can judge better
what to do"
We went down stairs and over into
my neighbours room, which was bare
and forlorn, an Erard piano standing
against the partition wall.
On a poor. little cot Mr.. Daubert
lay, muttering and tossing.
Nothing to be alarmed about"
said, arranging a bandage through
which blood had oozed
! She knelt by him, and leaning he'
head near him, murmured soothing
: ly, while stroking his restless hands
; "Who is she?" | wondered, doing
! what / could to relieve him. before
{ going for a physician and nurse.
When i came back with both
: learned that the wound was not Sc
rious.
His habits, like all these Bohemian
: musicians. are evidently very bad.
"The man is a hard drinker. Blu
!, he'll be all over it in a few days" m.
: friend Bolton said. writing out a pre-
scription. after giving directions.
"That daughter Of his is the mos
{ perfectly beautiful woman I ever saw
= Splendid, too. She's devoted to hin
I, and miles superior to him. Good oil
= stock, but he's gone to the dogs, an
J She follows him all over the %countr
. to take care Of him. Strangers? N
= indeed, I've known 'cm for years,
Bolton added, as we went down tn
: hall together.
:. "Why, I've told Alma a hundre
times she ought to marry me instea
Of supporting that, her good-fol
nothing father, teaching music an
;, nursing him when he gets into tro,
= bic. She's the greatest pianist | eve
: heard and the grandest woman
y know"
The front door closed ON Boltol
y who promised to come early in tn
!. morning. and I went slowly back I
a the bare room where the wounde
- man lay.
~ 1.-The nurse says she won't nave 20
here. That you must 30 to bed"
10 said, gently taking Alma's hand ar
'e leading her away.
We nursed him together for a fe
e DAYS and he recovered.
~ "We leave tomorrow" Alma sal
io leaning her folded arms on h ire
railing OF the balcony that last eve
W, ing ! recall so well. She was lookir
n musingly out at the ancient old cit
and narrow, lamp-lit streets, soften'
Us by faint mists, and the shadows
u night.
&c "But I will never forget your kin
ia ness" she said softly.
"You will come back?" ask
slowly.
lis "Oh, yes. some day. when we a
de married." she added, srailing, while
nd radiance swept over her face.
The Erard piano was to be cart
lis away after they left.
nd But now IL stands in q corner
this room and the Cupils and Psych