Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-11-10

squeak" said Fielder to him. do you
you'd have been handled sight worse
than you handled your man. let me tell
your
The man of no memories smiled. the
same smile that had Infatuated the bar
room-and yet somehow 1t was more
difficult to smile now.
rs 1t possible" he asked, that
through an nnlucky error have
trounced the local archbishop"
Fielder looked at him narrowly Be
meath the sarcasm he distinguished I'M
familiarity. aloofness. genuine aston
tshment The appearance in the person
Of Hugh Stires Of the qualities Of nerve
and courage had surprised him out Of
his usual Indifference. The 'tinhorn
gambler" had fought like man His
present sang froid was as singular.
Had he been an absolute stranger In
the town he might have acted and
spoken no differently. Felder's smooth
shaven. earnest face was puzzled as he
answered curtly:
you've trounced man who will re-
member 1t long time"
"Ah"' said the man addressed easily.
HE has a better memory than l..
then"
He gazed over the heads of the silent
roomful to the simmering street where
Devin. with the aid of supporting
arm. was staggering into the saloon In
which his humiliation had begun.
"They seem agitated" he said. The
Feeling OF embarrassment was passing;
the old daring was lifting. His glance,
scanning the room, set itself on shah
by. clear figure In the background apol-
ogetic, yet keenly and pridefully inter
ested. A whimsical light was in his
eye. He crossed to him and, reach
ing out his hand drew the violin from
under his arm.
Music hath charms to soothe the
savage breast" he said, and opening
the door, he tucked the instrument
under his chin and began to play.
What absolute contempt of danger,
what insane prompting possessed. can
scarcely be Imagined Fielder looked
for quick end to the folly. but he
saw the men in the street even as
they moved forward waver and pause
With almost the first note 1t had come
to them that they were hearing music
such as the squeaking fiddles of the
dance halls never knew. Those on the
opposite pavement crossed over, and
men far down the street stood still to
listen
More than the adopts cunning that
had at first tingled in his fingers at
sight of the instrument was in Harry
Sanderson's playing. The violin had
been the single passion which the old
Satan Sanderson had carried with him
into the new career. The impulse to
''soothe the savage breast" had been a
Hare or the old character he had been
relieving. but the music. begun in
bravado. swept him almost Instantly
beyond its bounds. He had never been
an Indifferent performer Now he was
playing as he had never played in his
| life, with inspiration and abandon
There was a diabolism in it. He had
forgotten the fight, the crowd his own
| hooking mood. He had forgotten
where he was. He was atioat on a
riuctuant tide Of melody that was car
rying him back. back. into the far
away past toward all that he had loved
| and lost
"It's Home. Sweet Home" said
Barney McGinn. No. It's Annie
I q. ~
| what 1t is!'
The player himself could not have
| told him. He was In kind Of tranced
| dream. The self made music was call
Ing with sweet tnsistence to buried
things that We're stirring from long
sleep. 1t sent gulp into the throat
OF more than one standing moveless
In the street. 1t brought suspicious
moisture to Tom Folders eyes. 1t drew
Mrs. HallOran from the kitchen, wip-
Ing her hands on her apron. 1t called
to girl who crouched In the upper
hall with her miserable face buried In
her hands. drew her down the stair
to the Office door, her eyes wide with Il
GREATNESS wonder, her face gistentng
with feeling.
| From the balcony Jessca had wit
messed the fight without understand
ing its meaning A fascination she
could not gainsay had glued her eyes
to the struggle. 1t was heit was the
face she knew. seen but once for a
single moment In the hour of her mar
riage. but stamped indelibly upon her
memory. 1t was no longer smooth
shaver. and 1t was changed. evilly
| changed. But 1t was the same. There
yet strength. not weakness. Stunned
and despised as he might be-the chief
actor, as 1t seemed to her. in cheap
and desperate barroom affray, a coarse
AFFAIR of fisticuffs in the public street
yet there was something intrepid IN
his bearing. something splendid in his
victory.
| To Jessica, standing with hands close
clasped. the music seemed the agony
of remorse for past fall, the cry of a
rorlorn soul. knowing itself cast out
appealing to Its good angel for pity
and pardon Hugh had often played
to her. lightly, carelessly, as he did all
things. She had deemed it only one OF
his many clever. amateurish accom-
plishments. Now 1t struck her with q
pang that there had been in him a
deeper side that she had not guessed
Since her wedding day she had
thought Of her marriage as loathed
bond, from which his false pretense
had ahsolyad har Now a dOuht of ha,