Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-02-08


muttered something under his breath
by no means complimentary to our hero
and motioned him angrily to the seat
usually occupied by Mr.. O'Leary The
audience, perceiving the mistake, ex-
pressed their opinion of Mr.. Whites
in candid and unmistakable terms as
he ruefully made his way to the spot
indicated by the irate conductor. After
trying to reduce to. something like or
der the sheets of music udon the stand
before him, Mr.. Whites regaiued suffi-
cient courage to look around him. The
house was packed from floor to ceiling
Everybody was on the tiptoe of ex.
pectation, and sundry anxious voices
appertaining to impatient" gods" i'm
piored the musicians to strike up at
once and appease their anxiety.
Again the small bell tinkfed. Mr..
Lovejoy tapped his lesk-raised his
baton-looked on each side of him,
and-stopped. He whispered the First
Fiddle, then left his. seat III the or
Mr.. Whites asked his next neighbor
what this might portend and was in
formed, in reply, that Pufler, the other
trombone hadn't as yet put in an ap-
q Couldn't they do without him g.
asked Mr.. Enthusiastically hoping
in his heart Of hearts they couldn't.
"Certainly not, was the reply.
Wouldn't the big drum do as well2"
inquired Mr.. Whites,
His neighbor regarded him with some
surprise, smiled and continued:
"Do without him! how can they i?
Don't you know that you and he begin
the moment the curtain rises, to bring
on On old sRusset, the heavy mans He
couldn't chine ON without his music,
you know; as he appears at the back at
tirst-then crosses the mountain from
left to right-then from right to left,
and finally comes down left upon the
stage, where he expresses variety of
emotions in pantomime, and all to your
music"
k At these words Mr., Whif1es resigned
Fall hope }and was mentally calculating
the dangers to which he would be ex-
posed if he leaped into tho stalls, from
thence into the pit, and fought his way
out of the theatre; when the leader re-
turned ian ominous frown; upon his
brow, followed by q fat, pale-faced gem
tleman, apparently Of foreign extrac-
tiOn, who carried q trombone under
his left arm. Joy! Mr.. Whifles felt a
man again. This, then, was Puflerl
Mr.. Whjffies remembered his instruo-
tions and watched the new conner at-
tentively, who, upon his part, appeared
to regard him with the uttermost con-
cern. Mr.. Whites had occasion to
shift his strombone-Pu Puffler did likewise.
Mr.. Whites felt for his handkerchief
Mr.. Pufaer followed his example. All
this seemed very ;mysterous, and Mr..
Whites was lost in wonderment when
the overture commenced. Luckily, the
trombones were not wanted until the
commencement of the drama. The
overture ceased.
"Now, look out" observed Mr..
Whiffie's neighbor-"it's you now. ~
| MIR. Whites mechanically raised the
instrument to his lips, keeping a stead.
fast gaze the while upon the proceed.
ings of Mr.. Puffier, who did his best to
stare Mr.. Whites out of countenance.
Mr.: Lovej jov looked around, and see.
ing the trombones perfectly ready,
awaited the rising of the curtain. II
was an s&Gnps nnm' moment The The sense
have heard q pin drop; The small bell
was heard again. Mr. Loveioy tapped
his desk, and the curtain slowly rose
on solemn silence! Mr.. Loveioy be.
gan beating the time slowly, aud had
even accomplished few strokes before
he realized the fact. Turning round tc
ascertain the meaning of this extraor
dinary circumstance, his surprise aud
Ebewilderment may we'll be imagined al
percciying the two trombone players
hard at work, distendlng their cheeks
to their utmost capacity, nervousi,
manipulating their Instruments, nni
producing not n sound! And the most
unacco',ntable thing WAS they never took
their eyes off one another. Mr.. Love
Joy was transfixeil with amazcment.
"This is very strange" thought Mr.