The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-05-03

Preferment.
Few people were ever more astonishec
than | was not long since. / happened t
be riding through Harlem on a Fourtl
avenue surface Car when | saw something
that bewildered me very much.
Standing on corner was a man grinding
away at a hand organ OF all the horrible
disCord that ever heard this was the worst
1t was like dragging cat backwards by the
tail from under an ash barrel. 1t vas more
excruciating than the music of japanese
tom-tom orchestra. 1t was worse than the
eventide song of an American tom-tom cat
However, the dscord was not what excit
ed my surprise, but the fact that the organ.
grinder was none other than my friend
Sykes. Now, Sykes is n gentleman of re.
tinement and culture. Moreover, Sykes is a
man Of means. Not longer ago than last
year he inherited thirty thousand dollars
from deceased uncle, who died. Then why
should Sykes be twisting hideous discord
cut of wretched hand organ. 1t was
an inexpiCable mystery; however, as
had business appointment aud WAS late,
could not stop to investigate. Here was
something more mysterious than the Keely
motor, for was perfectly satisfied that the
talented organ-grinder was none other than
my friend Sykes.
A few days later met Sykes near City
Hall. He didn't have his musical instru-
ment with him.
Sykes, do you ever have crazy spells?" l
asked.
"Of course not"
"Do you ever make silly bets and lose, and
then play hand organ on the corner like q
demented idiot?"
"What are you talking about" he asked
apgrily;
"Nothing, except that am willing to bet
the drinks that | saw you playing ON hand
organ day before yesterday at the corner OF
One Hundred and Sixteenth street and Madi.
son avenue"
Sykes eyes rolled furiously He clenched
his fists, CRASHED his teeth and said, In a
voice hosrse with rage, as he jumped up and
down
30, I'll murder that scoundrel yet. I'll
murder him in cold blood. I'll get gun
and cause him suddenly TO die of lead poison.
ing"
What scoundrel?'
"Never mind. Some day you will read in
the paper in big headlines SYKES, TIE FRA.
TRIcIDE.' Some day my patience will give
the press chance to compare me unfavor-
ably with Cain, and III also give the public
chance to see how Tom looks inside"
"Fratricide SO you have brother ~
"Yes, measly twin brother, condemn
him, who is trying to drive me into suicide OF
an insane asylum. But might as well tell
you all about it. Come along"
Following Sykes entered Il saloon; in the
secluded back room, at table on which was
a bottle of wine and two glasses, Sykes clear.
ed up the mystery.
$50 II hrpi I N . a..
hand organ"
"Yes, it was my twin brother, Tom We
are so much alike that ii is almost impossi
BILE to say which is which. lie takes mean
advantage of this resemblance to make life q
burden TO me, but he Is strulting on the edge
of a volcano"
"What is the cause of his enmity i"
at grew out OF that legacy left me by my
Uncle james Sykes in Boston. You see
was named after him, and that think is
why he left me thirty thousand dollars. He
didn't leave Tom cent, and consequently
Tom has been playing for even ever since
Where does Tom live ?"
tom lives over in New Jersey, and | live
in Harlem, and we rarely visit each other
The people in Harlem don't know that have
a twin brother, anu he took advantage of il
to defeat me when ran for the Assembly,
"How did he manage It'll"
"1ou see am very popular and have O
great deal of influence in my district. was
solid with the church people, for | attend
the Episcopal church and pay big pew rent
| am, or rather was, the popular idol of the
Germans, and contributed so literally to
the Parnell fund that am, or rather was, the
darling Of the Irish voters. Every class OF
voters fairly dotted on me. There never was
a candidate with such pull"
Then why did you drop out of the race ?"
Because this twin brother of mine did me
up. He is cur if ever there was one"
"How ?"
"Ill tell you One Sunday happened to
be out of town When got back | noticed
that the members of my church gave me the
cold shoulder. Some Of them glanced at me
reproachfuly, and finally my pastor came
to me with real tears in his eyes and after
urging on me the necessity of joining tenn
perance society, gave me a book entitled
The Fallacies Of lnfidely."
why did he do that?"
81 investigated and discovered that on the
previous Sunday while was out of town,
just as the congregation was emerging from
the sacred edifice, appeared on the side
walk in beastly state of intoxication and
hurrahed for Bob Ingersoll"
Didn't you suspect who the guilty party
was ?"
81 knew right off that Tom was the guilty
party, but when explained about my twin
brother my friends smiled increduliously, and
some said talked like liar who had been
practising thousand years"
it?"
II did. | we yer to Jersey City, and
asked what he meant by it, and he said that
was nothing at all TO what he was going to
do if did not divide the 100000 Inheritance
with him.
did you give him the money!"
No, indeed"
swell, what next?'
About q week afterwards | met one of my
warmest and most influential German sup.