Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-13
II,
TIE EXTERMINAToR.

The Young mamie was in his shirt
sleeves; he emitted an aroma that trans
ported me in fancy to Marseilles; and he
spoke like Frenchman who had picked
up his English on the Bowery-the young
man said, walk into de awffus and set
down; go call de bosse."
''The boss?" queried. "That is Mr..
Muselle?"
|"Sure," the young man responded.
The office into which be ushered me was
section partitioned off from what had of old
time been the drawing room of the house.
A large desk stood between the windows
and behind sat a snub-nosed young lady
with ruddy hair, writing in a huge leather
bound account book 1 took possession of
ane of the half-dozen chairs that were ranged
along the wall, and waited patiently for the
Ixterminator to materialize. 4,
1 did not have to wait very long; and
then, of course, 1 saw that he corresponded
in no particular with my preconeeption,
being neither rolly-polly, nor bland of coun-
tenance, nor fereelv mustachioed. But l
saw also and instantly that be was vast i'm
provement upon it. He looked precisely as
though he had stepped out of a French
vaudeville. Indeed, if an accurate portrait
of him had been shown to me beforehand, /
could never have believed that it repre-
sented a real man in real life. / should
have taken for granted that it was either
fancy sketch or a caricature, or bit from
the theater.
He was tall, spare, erect, and manifestly
very old. He had the face, and especially
the hands, of a very old man. His hands
were emaciated and discolored upon the
backs with freckles and large yellowish
l. l. l. H., LII
age comes on; and the skin hung loosely
from the bones, and the veins stood out
dark and wiry, and the tnger-nails were
parched and corrugated, in a way that sig
nifed Enthusiastically advanced old age. His
cheeks were sunken: his hollow eyes were
framed in by network of wrinkles; from
each side of his Jaw, and beneath his sharp,
prominent chin, the mottled skin sagged
downward and formed a dewlap over his
Adams apple. Yes, he was manitestly very
old; at charitable guess, say IS. And yet,
BY the employment of sundry ready-enough
devices, be had contrived to turn himself
into most grotesque simulacrum of young
ishness. He wore wig of abundant curl
ing hair, in color that dead, dry, reddish
brown which one never sees except in wigs.
His cavernous old cheeks were painted car
mine. His wrinkles were halt filled
up with powder. He was dressed
in the latest and most youthful
fashion, wearing a natty cutaway coat, a
white linen waistcoat, a tower-like standing
collar, a modish blue cravat and trousers
that had been carefully creased in a straight
line down the front. To give his toilet the
finishing touch. he had loaded himself with
as much jewelry as there was room for on
his person. His scrawny fingers gilt
tered with rings, set with diamonds,
rubies, emeralds and sapphires; his
cuffs, pulled down well over his
wrists, were fastened with buttons of
amethyst; massive gold watch chain, with
dependencies of charms and lockets,
stretched from pocket 10 pocket across his
stomach and monstrous solitaire flashed
from his cravat pin. To be sure, all this
was very uncanny and repulsive in a way;
but it was SO extraordinary, too, that, taken
in connection with the gentleman's extra
ordinary calling, it only intensified my pre-
vious curiosity about him. Besides, the
CLEAN in ais bleary old eye was not unami-
able.
He marched briskly into the room, and
after brief glance at me, and polite bow,
began in rather piping treble voice: Good
morning, sair. You weesh to look at re ap-
parliament! W III you OeA &c dVpple W MaAh
g up-stairs?''
I don't know what had expected him to
say. but was disappointed at what he did
say-a matter-of-fact and business-like in
quirY, with nothing more than foreign ac.
cent to lend it oddity. That seemed scarcely
worthy of his get-up.
But, "Yes," admitted, 81 should like to
look at the apartment"
And 1 followed him up two flights oi
stairs.
The apartment comprised the whole Of
the third story of the house. There was a
goOd-siEed front room, 20 feet in depth by
25 in width, lighted by large window fac
ing north; and behind that, a bedroom, q
bathroom and q sitting-room completed the
suite. The front room, or studio, was well
colored in neutral tints, and the other rooms
were ,Pl-assntly prepared.
whats the rent7'' I asked.