The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1914-07-10

! enough OF II"
My dear fellow, do you suppose
would take something for nothing
| That is human business trait which
4 is beneath me- But I'll tell you what
! will do. l will complete your music
box for you. and when it is finished ii
shall belong to you"
THAT is very kind of you. Where
will you do your work on it?"
Right here, where the tools are
handy"
"Nill you work all day?"
Il 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. l may work
/ in the morning or the evening or at
| the dead of night. 1t does not concern
you or any one else when l work. But
one thing you must reconsideration !
am at work l don't wish to be disturb
ed If any one does so I shall not take
it kindly"
| There was a malignant look in the
strangers eyes when he said this that
frightened the old mechanic and made
him feel like saying a paternOstGr.
He promised that the man should not
be disturbed. Then the stranger said
he must go, and Schneider, locking the
door of his shop, gave him the key, and
he went down the declivity as lightly
as be had come up. Schneider called to
him, asking when he would come again,
/ but the only reply was a 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 first
echo | ever 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
wearied of trying to produce human
! harmonies on a mechanical cOntriv-
ance.
One night there came from the shop
sounds of music. not of a violin or a
flute or any instrument that requires
human touch but music box. Yet
there was nothing mechanical about it,
Indeed, it was full of feeling. 1t was
low and sweet, a lullaby. At times it
would rise in a plaintive crescendo
then gradually sink, softly. as it had
| risen.
Schneider rose up in his bed and
listened.
Father" came a voice at his door,
do you hear the music? Isn't it de-
licious?"
Schneider saw something white and
knew it was Hilda in her nightgown.
Yes; 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
back to her room. Then suddenly came
burst of melody entirely unlike what
had gone before. 1t seemed as If 1t
were intended to incite men to deeds
Of glory. There was fierceness in 1t
that the Schreibers had never heard
before. 1t seemed as If an army were
about to march to its death, dealing
death in dying. Hilda ran into her
fathers room and to his bed. where
she remained locked in his arms, the
two trembling as If they were about to
be slaughtered between opposing hosts
The music ceased and all was still
for some time, when it recommended
This time it was a dirge, sad, regret
full, the wall of a broken heart. The
girl clung to her father till it ceased.
when she broke into a hysterical sob
bling such as she had given way to
when her father had broken her violin.
One more piece came in this noe
turnal concert a piece that made the
old man wonder how it could be pro-
duced on so circumscribed an instru-
u6uI. AT ulSJ q IdlLl' INV LhuLISl MS
was heard then a gradually increasing
roar, then shrieks mingled with deaf
ening thunder.
st is the storm wind said SChrieber,
holding his daughter closely to him.
The sounds ncreased-musical sounds
interpreting a tempest-until it seemed
that all the devils in hell had been let
loose The commotion ended with one
vivid flash of real lightning and a
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 go further. We shall hear
no more Go back to bed,
Hilda. trembling, went to her room,
but in a few moments called:
Father. the shop is afire. Come to
my room. You can see it through the
window"
The old man ran as hastily as his
trembling legs would carry him and
saw his shop shooting forth flames.
There was a lurid glare in it that he
had never seen in a fire before. Every
tongue of flame Kissed like that of
serpent, and a sulphurous odor came in
through the open window.
For more than an hour the old man