Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-06-05


while but one of floss. Added to Gray.
sons inexplicable treatment Of the
nago kid. they told the story Of his hal
fluctuations how in the still nights
he claimed to hear bursts of exquisite
melody such as only the great masters
OF music might dream and. dreaming.
reproduce. Grayson was only hum
bic student. and. try as he might. he
could not reproduce those haunting
melodies that would give him no rest.
With his awakening the melodies were
stilled. and only their echoes. like the
half remembered taste of some Schild.
ISL delight, the name and substance,
color and form of which we have long
forgotten, remained. He haunted the
opera and concerts, but he could never
hear them save in his dreams. Be
cause he dreamed these things and vet
could interpret them no better than his
average companion student they called
him daffy. Daffy Pietro thought of him
when in the wee small hours of the
night he awoke and heard those glori-
Gus sounds. His first quick glance
showed him that his hosts bed was
empty. His second showed him the
figure OF the young man standing full
In the light of the moon, his violin in
his hands. his face slightly uplfted
and with a Thanksgiving look upon It
that would have made him pass almost
unrecognized among his best friends
His eyes were strange. staring, I'M
earthly. and Pietro, encountering them,
shuddered and dived under the cover
let, where he lay trembling, awaiting
to feel the hands of his uncanny host
upon him. Seconds passed, seeming
like hours to him. The flood of har-
mony still poured on uninterrupted.
and he peeped cautiously forth again
and forgot his fear In his keen enjoy
ment. Pietro's ancestors had Been min
listers Of the gospel of music. though
he did not know it, and his ear drank
In those exquisite sounds greedily,
though his ignorant brain knew moth
Ing of their worth.
Days passed, and Pietro was still a
guest In Grayson's lodgings. The man
had taken a fancy to him and dreaded
the loneliness that must follow his de-
parture. Pietro's business affairs had
improved. The election was over. as
he reminded Grayson. who replied that
he could see no marked Improvement
In his own affairs. Pietro answered
sagely that "a Teller never kin tell.
was pretty hard up that night me an
you first seed each other. an now, see,
I made a dollar an quarter today,
an you kin have 1t wells not"
Thanks" replied Grayson. declining
the proffered silver. you're pretty
good pal of mine. aren't you, Peter
Grayson spent a good many Of his
spare moments teaching the boy to
play on one Of his violins and was sur
prised and gratified at his rapid COM
prehension. His own affairs looked
darker as the days went by. The en-
ployment he had found to help him
through his music course was taken
away, and he was left stranded. Com
ing In one day after weary round of
disappointments, the sight of the boy
handling his most cherished violin,
which no one else had right to touch.
angered him unreasonably. Before he
had time to demonstrate the boy had
commenced to play. and at the first
notes the man stood spellbound. Slow
ly. uncertainty, with many blunders.
the child played. and Grayson listened
to one of his own dream pieces. He
was bitterly disappointed that this
child. this waif of the streets. whom he
had befriended should have heard his
music and, having heard, had been
given the power to interpret 1t, though
imperfectly.
"You thieving bratw he exclaimed,
grasping the lad roughly. Where did
you learn that? Who taught you my
music?"
"Aw, cut 1t out" said Pietro. wrig
Cling away like an eel. "You learned
me yer old squeaks yerself in de night
when youse git dem bughouse fits on"
He told of the many nights he had
awakened to the sound Of music and
struggled to reproduce 1t. He ended
with request, uttered with an elabo-
rate carelessness that failed to conceal
his real earnestness, that Grayson
teach him to become lone of dem sure
'nough fiddler chaps" Grayson, with
the harmony ripping through his
brain, ready at last to be put upon pa
per to open up brilliant pathway to
its authors success. gravely shook his
hand and answered. "Surev'