The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-03-20
= AAAMMAAAM@@A<
n$%&@@%@&%%&%

brown leaves were strewn in little
heaps along a street that sprawled its
way az the foot Of a mountain that
rose in easy gradients upon the one
hand; upon the other turbulent riy-
Ier tore its way to the sea through a
Canoned pass. The sun had but just
Hipped behind the white-tOpped
trags, and the frontier village was
sunk in sweet Obscurity in the purple
bhadOws that stretched along the base
of the hills. 1t was as though the
everlasting mountain had drawn its
royal robes about its rugged form,
donned its white nightcap, and was
preparing to sink TO sleep i'm the calm
bosom Of approaching night. Just
another touch OF realism was given
the metaphor by the moon that 1irtcd
q moment with the silhoucttcd crags
and then, with a cold, passionlcs8.
goodnight kiss, parted reluctantly
from them and sailed majcstically OF
into the star-lit dome. From arar
out upon the plain came the mourn
full howl of a solitary coyote, which
was echoed dsmally from cliff TO
beetiing cliff The faraway murmur
of the rock girted river and the oc-
casiOnal hoot Of an owl among the
towering pines were the only sounds
that disturbed the stiffness of the
evening.
Dan Cupid stood at the intersection
Of two well-nigh deserted streets and
bethought him of some congenlal oC-
cupatiOn for his meddlcsome and mis-
chievous fingers.
Upon the opposite corner n youth
and a maiden met, stopped and con-
Nersed in guarded undcrtones.
Dan unfastened his bow from an
invisible baldric and drew an arrow
from the well-lilled quiver at his
back; fitting the notchcd shaft care
fully to the taut string, he took delib-
erate aim and let nyat the pair across
the road. The downcast eyes Of the
maiden, the blush upon her cheek, the
abashed look of the youth, gave un-
questionable evidence of the little
god S unerring aim.
1t was an excellent shot and pretti-
ly planted, yet il afforded the little
Eportsman no more satisfaction or
amusement than would have been felt
by mighty hunter upon potting q
sleeping antelope. The game was too
easy, and scarce worthy the skill OF
the marksman
Dan turned disdainfully upon his
chubby heel and wandered aimlessly
down the darkening street. Being
The author OF his own code Of ethics.
he did not hesitate to peep through
a keyhOle here or between the Chinks
of a shutter there. Whenever occa-
sion offered ne winged an arrow from
Jhis tiny bow.
He arrived at length near the
point where the street canted up into
the mountain. There at the end of
The level thOroughfarc, stood a ram
shackle, two-story structure. which
might have been said TO have been an
"Old Curiosity Shop" transplantcd
Within its grimy windows was ar
raycd a wondrous variety Of msal-
able kniCkknacks So far as could be
seen they were thickly mantled with
dust, and a busy spider had set the
anchorage of his intricate web from
the headpieCe of a stuiuglCSs guitar to
the rusty muZzle of a revolver that
was fashioned after the manner OF
another time. The room opening OF
the street was untenautcd, but from
somewhere within came the plain
tive strains of a violin The most Gu
phemistiC would have hesitatcd to
dignity the sound by the name of
music, yet upon occasion note rang
true, and as il Quiyercd on the night
air spoke of "a genius uututored and
dcitn"ss and sympathy of touch
once acquired, but long since forgot
ten.
Glaucing above the outer door Dan
Cupid noted the half-obliterated
name, Thomas MacWhWter. Without
a moments hesitation he melted
through the two walls and stood with
in the inner room. The room was
meagrely FURNISHED. and the table
benches and chairs were OF the most
primitive pattern. The wood fir,
that glowed within the open graf,
performed the double duty of pro
viding light and heat for its two oc
cupaRts. Bathed in the ruddy fire
light sat an old woman bent far for
ward, with her elbows fixed upon he
knees, her chin resting within he
open palms. She might well hav
been a rustic figure cast in bronze
so far as any outward semblance o
life was concerned. BY the side o
the curtainless window, illumined b
the pallid radiance of the moon. al
old man sat, drawing a listless boy
over the strings
Dan Cupid shivered. climbed TO
seat upon a high-backed bench nea
the windcw. and bent his gaze upo
the aged musician.
The old man paused for moment