Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-12-30

clans are always eccentric, you know.
! heard him tell father that this is am
anniversary he doesn't like to spend
alone. Some love story probably. No.
he isn't married. He spends his entire
tllne with his wonderful music. That is
mat the Interested guests We're forced
to be content. for the player had VAN
ish"d from among them as suddenly
as he appeared. and soon the gayety
esumed it's sway"
All III O'Clock the hostess seated her
guests in n circle. saying: Nov we
viii turn down the lights and tell
ghost stories till midnight. Everybody
must contribute something. The more
grueSome and narrowing the BETTER"
she d laughingly. The young peo-
pie fell in with the spirit of fun, and
shouls moaned. till the more timid
begged for mercy.
III was almost IL o'clock when a new
voice suddenly broke into ii momentary
pause. Everyone looked up to see the
musician standing i'm the door.
MY friends he said, my story Is
not of the spirits of the unseen world
1T is of Il lad in the far-away father
iand. who once. on a night like this.
left home and friends and went out
into the wide world. with music as the
pllestess who presided at the altar.
w y Jul IIcI tuc ll1eS Oh MS ambition.
So brightly did this fire burn h it's
GLOW hid the quieter emotions which
fingered in the shadow. and father and
mother and home We're left behind. The
youth had not dreamed of the pain of
broken tics-but he afterward learned
it all.
"Shipwrccked. IL weary sickness and
dcliverance, miscarried letter returned
TO ITS writer long afterward-all these
came between the lad and his loved
ones. and when at last, overcome by the
deadly 'hei:nweh.' he turned toward
nome, ne found it empty-the loved ones
gone, while the chimes in the tower
which the father had played ever since
the lad had lived, responded sadly to
the touch of strange, u%nfriendly hands.
With breaking heart the lad turned
back to the country of his adoption,
hoping, against hope. to find the dear
ones who had followed him there dur
ing his long silence The years have
passed and the lad is a man, but the
father and the mother he has not
found, nor does he expect to greet
them again until the new year of heav-
on dawns for him.. as he believes 1T has
already awned for them. So, when the
midnight comes l play a New Years
eve as las the lad played on that last
night long agony message to my
dear ones"
The clock on the mantel warned for
u, n the musician turned to the
piano n played again simply and
lovingly Pleyels hymn. singing as IN
the long & the beautiful words his
mother loved.
AS the last n ote died away in the
quiet room the tower clock began to
strike. but was drowned by the mu-
sic of the chimes. A thrill ran through
the hushed circle as they recognized
the strain they had just heard. but the
musician arose with Il mighty cry:
"Alein Nater!" and ran out into the
night. guided by the music of the
bells.
When the old bell ringer shut the
door he could not see. for the tears
that blinded him. the hurrying figure
on the pavement. A moment later ha
was gathered close to the heart that
had yearned for him through all the
space of silence and loneliness. and to-
gcther, in the Opening Of the glad New
Year. they went out from the shadow
of the bell tower. home to Eispeth.
whose mother heart anne near to
bursting, with the joy of a sons nome
/ coming