Middletown transcript., 1909-03-27

shoulder ached, his tongue was
parched. The room Was dark,
save for the golden seam of light
which showed that the door was
slightly aiar.
The man was impatient OF re-
straint. He had always been
free 20 go and come at his own
sweet will. Now he was chained
down BY the bonds Of physical
weakness. He could scarcely lift
the long white hand that lay upon
the snowy counterpane. TO raise
his head was an act Of heroic re.
solve. Even bis eyes ached as
he turned them toward the door.
He felt that he was badly treat
ed. To he held down to u bed
night and day, even az clean and
wholesome bed as this one, with
it's tall black posts and its snowy
counterpane and glowing quilts,
was a serious punishment. In
the great city the men be knew
were strolling 10 and fro, or
lounging at the club windows, or
going when and where they
pleased-and he was here, bound
and shackled in a quaint old cot
tage up in the New Hampshire
hills.
He had found out that the
world was not nearly so desirable
a dwelling place as he had once
thought it.
The darkness oppressed the
man. He was in pain, his nerves
were unstrung, he had developed
bad temper.
Suddenly a tremuluus sound
broke upon the stiffness. The
man grimaced.
1t only needed thai old box of
rattles, he groaned. aud closed
his aching eyes.
ginkle, tinkle, tinkle. f4iut and
uncertain came the quavering
tones. And presently they re-
solved themselves iuto tune,
and the tune was "Bounding Bill
lows" There is a monotony
about the antique air that should
be soothing. or at least sleepin-
dncing, but when 1t is poked from
a stubborn keyboard by uncer-
tain fingers that seem to grope
and hesitate, and when what
passes for the musical instru
ment is ludicronsly out Of tune
on certain notes and silent as to
others, the piece loses all its
soporific qualities But it really
was Bounding Billows." there
could be no doubt of that.
Three times the PLAYER. drew
forth this ancient melt.dy, and
then there was a little pause and
with a queer, patLering accom-
paniment a tliin soprano voice
sang "Rock of Ages .
The man on the bed drew a
long breath as helistened. There
was no music in either voice or
instrument, and yet the old hymn
presently coujured M 4 scene OF
long ago-a boy beside bis moth.
er's knee q white roUtd boy
whose eyes we're uplurn1,d while
the mother bending toward him
sang softly the dear old hymn.
Something suddenly clouded
the mans vision.
He was lying very quiet now,
the pain was forgotten, The tense
hands were unclenched. L
The singer thought him asleep
when she softly entered tile dark.
ened room.
Hullo, he called To her, as she
turned to go.
She was small woman, thin
and angular. Her face was slen-
der apd just . litlle wrinkIed, and 6
there were l.hite threads here !
and there in the dark hair that I
was closely confined in a knob at
the back. Her simple summer v
frock was of an iulricate pattern q
that had mixed itself cotfusedIy q
in the sick mans dreams, and |
mere was u great silver orO0ch n
1t her throat. b
She came back swiftly when be
salled to her and looked 1T him d
b
Better?
Hungry. b
That's encouraging. You shall Il
ave your supper in just min dl
Ite or two. Soon as the tea T
settle boils. Did my playing st
Iisturb You any? th
Oh, no, he hastily answered. in
I'm real glad il didn't, she said. ns
We got so in the habitof settin' pc
own to my nelode0n that the fiji
az don't really seem complete th
Mess ] play tune or two. She in
anne little nearer and took the