The Ely miner., 1903-04-24

| SSAAPo anu PA CPetiCo AoA SoAd~ AouiS
of solid work.
Hello, how did Monsieur Daubert
| get back so soon Well, that was his
business. / was glad of the cause,
whatever it was.
L put down pen and pencil, and
prepared to enjoy my usual concert,
as the light fingers rippled over pre-
lude, all the more so, that soon 81
lence would reign in the room next
door.
Sitting in dimiy Lit room, close to
the open door of the balcony, and
| looking out at a flood of moonlight,
resting calm and white over the quiet
cid street and ancient buildings, my
neighbor's melodies came like the
/ farewell of one long known, whose
absence would leave a strange void
1t was fast approaching the hour
wheu Monsieur usually left OFF play
ing.
A cab, rapidly driven, stopped be-
fore the front door. There were
voices, hurried steps and slight cry,
and that indefinite commotion which
| indicates trouble of some sort.
| I ran down stairs and asked the
driver what was the matter.
| zone of the musicians at the French
| opera got into 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, corroborated the mans state
| ment.
l went back, turned on the cleo
tric lights and prepared for an hour
| or two of hard work, wondering over
what Seemed rather ineXplicable.
1t was quite late when there was
light, hurried knock at the door.
''l'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 1 thought"
1 stood silent, too much amazed at
the beauty of the face before me, to
answer her t1mid request, until soft
color like a pink flame swept over it
and her great grey eyes filled with
tears
Il beg your pardon thousand
times,' / said hurriedly. "Of course
| will do anything in the world for
Monsieur Daubert. / am sure you
are needlessly alarmed. If you will
let me go to him 1 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 poor, little cot Mr.. Daubert
lay, muttering and tossing.
Nothing to be alarmed about" I
said arranging q bandage through
which blood had oozed.
She knelt by him, and leaning her
head near him, murmured soothing
ly, while stroking his restless hands.
'Who is she?" / wondered doing
what l could to relieve him, before
| going for physician and nurse.
When | came back with both l
learned that the wound was not Sc
rious.
His habits, like all these Bohemian
musicians, are evidently very bad.
''The man is hard drinker But
he'll be all over it in a few days." my
friend Bolton said, writing out u pre-
scription, after giving directions.
''That daughter of his is the most
perfectly beautiful woman 1 ever saw.
Splendid, too. She's devoted to him,
and miles superior to him. Good old
stock, but he's gone to the dogs, and
she follows him all over the country
to take care of him. Strangers? No
indeed, I've known 'em for years."
Bolton added, as we went down the
hall together.
"Why, I've told Alma hundred
times she ought to marry me instead
of supporting that, her good-for-
nothing father, teaching music and
nursing him when he gets into trou-
BILE. She's the greatest pianist L ever
heard and the grandest woman I
know"
The front door closed on Bolton,
| who promised to come early in the
morning, and I went slowly back to
| the bare room where the wounded
man lay.
''The nurse says she won't have you
here. That you must go to bed," 1
said, gently taking Alma's hand and
| leading her away.
We nursed him together for few
days and he recovered.
"We leave tomorrow" Alma said,
| leaning her folded arms on the iron
railing of the balcony that last even
| ing / recall so well. She was looking
musingly out at the ancient old city,
| and narrow, lamp-it streets, softened
| by faint mists, and the shadows of
night.
But will never forget your kind
ness" she said softly.
"You will come back?" 1 asked
slowly.
| ''Oh, yes, some day-when we are
married." she added, smiling, while a
radiance swept over her face.
The Erard piano was to be carted
| away after they left.