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Show Myslcrious Stranger Plays Like Master in Working Men's Hotel. Then Disappears him aa he might see fit In aiding aoma other fellow mortal who might be In trouble. , And than he disappeared. Ha left no word aa to his Identity, or aa 10 hla past, or aa Jo how he had been enriched, and dropped out of the ken of the little circle at the Friendly Inn ae quietly aa he had entered that circle. But It will be a long, long lime before the fortunate few who heard the stranger play will forget the maglo of hla touch aa he aat at the old piano. v A working men's hotel Is conducted by the Volunteers of America on Eaat First ftouth etreet, opposite police headquar-tera. headquar-tera. This hotel Is conducted aa a seml-charitabie seml-charitabie Inatltutton, where men who have been "down on their luck." or who have but slender mean a of aupport, may obtain clean beds and wholeaome surroundings sur-roundings at a surprietngly amall coat. Aa low as this coat la, 4are are from time to time men who have not the price of a bad for the night. They are never turned away, even though they are "broke," provided they are sober and appear worthy. Credit la extended to them, with the understanding thai If they get work and money they may pay. and If they remain down and out tha Mil will be canceled. There are many life's t raged lea covered cov-ered up beneath the threadbare coats of the men who have sought shelter In that hotel during the laat few montha. Ther are many accrete locked up In the hearts of thoae men who, temporarily at loaat. are "down and out," and those talea were told, fiction would hold no pictures of keener sorrow or mors bitter dlaappolntment than thoaa men have felt, i Captain N. W. Edaon, In charge of 1 the work of conducting this worklngmen s hotel and friendly shelter, waa on duty In the office a few nights ago, when a man knocked on the door and was told to enter. Captain Edaon turned to greet hla caller and saw a man of middle age, tall and straight, but etender. His face waa covered with three or four daya growth of beard, and We threadbare clothing, neatly bruahed. a bowed the affects af-fects of long wear. 'L beg vmir pardon, are yon tha gentleman gentle-man In charge?" the stranger aaked In quiet tonea. An sfrtrmaflve reply waa given and the stranger stated bla case. He had been In the city a waek and was without funds. He expected a Place to work within a day or two as ha had been promised employment. He had no money whatever, and desired a place In which to eleep. , . " Attracted by tha man's evident sincerity, sin-cerity, snd by tha tone of patient suffering suffer-ing in the man's voice. Captain Edaon asked him to be seated, and questioned him briefly. Convinced that tha man waa In earnest and not an Impoeior. Captain Edsoa extended the courtesy of tha bouse to the stranger. -JV : r. v N The next mornlnc Captain Edaon met th strencer ae he waa leaving the hotel ho-tel and calllns him Into the office, questioned ques-tioned him aaaln. He then ars tha man a half dollar, telling him to set a nret rises breakfast before seeklna employment. em-ployment. The etranser thanked him and left . On th same crenlns the man returned. Captain Edaon did not rwoanls him for a moment. Ha had been ahared. and the An clean cut countenance Impressed the msnae-er. He had found a place and would brain work th following moraine. A few mlnutea later tha man went Into tha readlna room, where the dally papers are on file and where a few maaaxlne may be found. In thla room la a piano, an old one. to b aura, but etill It a a plana. It la used at times la th llttl Chanel adjoining th Medina room. Th mom area empty sar for thla man. MAM OW1.U. Who win direct the Samaria, Ida., ehotr , at the Walsh music festival at Wan-dam Wan-dam ere Autist lo. Th aonaet streamed through the window win-dow and tinted the dusty walla with gold. Th man looked about him for a moment aa though hesitating and then took a eeat at tha piano. Then earn a treat that had never been Imaalned would come to the worfclng-men'a worfclng-men'a hotel. Th strange visitor's fingers fin-gers wandered Idly ever the ksye for a moment aa though eeeklng a them. After a brief Introductory Improvisation, the sweet etrstns of on of Schumann'e arm phonies held the few casual listener. In a spell f genuine enjoyment. Quickly changing from thla, at the conclusion of the composition, the player gave a Beethoven Bee-thoven sonata writh all th grace end skill and power of a professional mual-clan. mual-clan. Then came some of the fighter music. Including a dainty eeranade and a quiet, peaceful nocturne. ... FOr an hour. In tha alowly deepening gloom, the man played on. reveling In the uieuiortea of a past that area dear to him. regardls of ta sorrow, end disappointment dis-appointment that had Intervened, and oblivious t the barrenness of hla eur roundlnga. Then he seemed te aweken front his musical revert with a start and crept all.ntly to hla room. He waa not see the next morning, nor the next, but on the third day he appeared ap-peared again In Captain Edaon'a office and thenked him for the courtesy he bad received. H aaked for a atatement of the amount of hie lodebledneaa and promptly paid the full amount, whn It was stated. He alao repaid the half dollar dol-lar which bad bean lent him by Captain Kdaon. "I arxnt to thank yew for your Idnd-weaa Idnd-weaa before I leav." he aald. aa a emlle llehted bis clean cut face: "Te I am leaving tonight ttor th old horn. They have sent for me. and have sent wis ail that I may need." With these word he stripped a new Mil from a roll nf ereenbsrks and tendered ten-dered It te Captain Edaon, to be need by |
