The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-12-05
with It what you like. I have ~
enough Of It."

my dear fellow, do you suppose ]
would take something for nothing?
That In q human business trait which
Is beneath me. But I'll tell you what
I will do. l win complete your music
box for you, and when 1t IL finished It
shall belong to you."
THAT is very kind Of you. Where
will you do your work on itT'
Fright here, where the tools are
handy"
".Will you work all dayT
II shall work when the spirit moves
me. A man cannot write poetry when
he has a toothache nor compose har-
monies when he is asleep. / may work
In the morning or the evening or at
the dead Of night. 1t does not nce
you OF any one else when l work. But
n thing you must remember-when ]
am at work I don't wish to be disturb
ed. II any one does so I shall not take
It kindly"
There was q malignant look In the
strangers eyes when he said this that
frightened the old mechanic and made
him feel like saying 4 paternostef.
He promised that the man should not
be disturbed. Then the stranger said
he must go. and schreiber. locking tho
door Of his shop, gave him the key. and
be went down the declivity as lightly
as he had come up. Schneider called to
him, asking when he would come again,
but the only reply was q faint echo,
"Come again?"
that's singular" remarked Schrei-
Der to himself. i've lived here man
and boy sixty years. and that's the drst
echo I yer heard. There are no hills
nearer than the other side Of the lake
to send it back"
A week passed and nothing was
heard or seen of the stranger. There
was only one key to the shop. and
Schneider could not get into it with.
out breaking down the door. But he
had no desire to go there; he had
wearted Of trying to produce human
harmonies on q mechanical contriv-
ance.
One night there came from the shop
sounds of music, not Of a violin or q
flute OF any instrument that requires
a human touch, but q music box. Yet
there was nothing mechanical about It.
Indeed, 1t was full of feeling. 1t was
low and sweet, a lullaby. At times it
would rise In a plaintive c~rescendo,
then gradually sink, softly, as It had
risen.
Schneider rose up in his bed and
listened.
Father" came 4 voice at his door,
do you hear tho music? Isn't It de-
licious?"
Schneider saw something white and
knew it was Hilda in her nightgown.
Eyes; the stranger must have been
working on the music box and Is trying
It. / wonder how he has done It."
LET US go out to the shop and see.'
mo. no., my child; he distinctly said
that he must not be interrupted. Go
to bed"
The music ceased and Hilda went
J back to her room. Then suddenly came
q burst of melody entirely unlike what
had gone before. It seemed as IL 1t
were intended to incite men to deeds
Of glory. There was a f~erceness in it
that the Schreibers had heard
before. 1t seemed as IL an army were
about to march to it's death, dealing
death in dying. Hilda ran into her
fathers Dom and to his bed. where
she remained locked in his arms, the
two trembling as II they were about to
be slaughtered between opposing hosts.
The music ceased and all was still
for some time, when it recommended.
This time 1t was a dirge, sad, regret
full, the wall of q broken heart. The
girl chung to her father till 1t ceased,
when she broke into a hysterical Sob
bling such as she had given way to
when her father had broken her violin.
One o piece came in this noe
turnal concert. a piece that made the
! old man wonder how It could be pro-
duced on so c~ircumscribed an instru-
ment. At first a faint, low muttering
was heard, then a gradually increasing
roar. then shrieks mingled with deaf
ening thunder.
ut ia the storm wind,' said Schrieber.
holding his daughter closely to him.
The sounds increased-musical sounds
Interpreting q tempest-until 1t seemed
that all the devils in hell had been let
loose. The commotion ended with one
vivid fash Of real lightning and q
crash of actual thunder. Then all was
again still as the grave.
Something tells me that the climax
has been reached" said Schneider to
Hilda. Neither human nor divine
power could 60 further. We shall hear
no more. Go back to bed"
Hilda. trembling, went to her room.
hut In q few moments called;
Father. the shop Is afire. Come to
my room. You car e 1t through the
window"
The old nan ran as hastily ~ his
trembling legs would carry him and
saw his shop shooting forth flames.