The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-03-19
THE STRANGE FLUTIST.


Last January. on the first evening that
light snow carpstsd the roofs of Paris,
closed carriage rolled aleng the boulevards,
spinning like q zebra It was so loaded with
trunks that you wctun have thought an ac-
tress was setting out On 4 journey.
Worse Within wa q Valetudinarian, large
and fat. one Of those whom tI'ille distUrbs,
and who think their nsl day of reckoning is
near when they have y cold In the head This
one imagined ne had UVe'Lk lungs. So at the
approach of cold yreat her he bundled himself
with furs and fed to Nice.
He vasa bachelor Although he could have
married at any time, fl * he had 100, 600 francs
In stocks, and thereforb suited many young
ladies, he had been unl Wiling TO dispose of his
right hand Next to hi nlself, the one he loved
best was his cool-not for herself, but for her
cooking. No one took better care Of No. l.
Under no circumstance IS would he have dis
turbed himself to DO aYor. He would not
have lent five SOUS to his father in the street,
for IT would have been yecessary TO unbutton
his U7ercoat to take out his purse.
He was indeed the me st eItravagant crank
to be met with. His n ost insignificant acts
were on system; he sic pit, rose, ate, smoked
and took medicine wit his watch in hand
Many curious stories were told at his ex-
pense. For instance, re was so nervous, 50
Irritable, that he detest ed the songsters in the
courtya r,ls. The port sr had to drive them
away with the broom. To persons who per-
sisted in singing in the street he quickly
tbreuy,a half franc on condition that they
would leave. Now, every time the porter
lacked Ihe price Of q drink he put on a false
=. ],
the window, tapping on a pan as c prelude
70 a dan4e. linn ediateLy a half franc was
forthcoming.
The neieslilors had to hold their Sides for
there are paolle WHO cannot help laughing.
At Nice be always put up ut the great
United Stsres hotel where Tor fifteen years
the same magnificent room, wall exposed to
the sun, had. been re6erved fcr his use 1t
was the only, one he ia ncied, ard he occupied
it until April at nOo1 precise b, the hour at
which he set out for Paris
His name excited 2nirth. I viii not at
tempt an exp Janation, but ev eryb,dy smiled
whenever he Was introduced. He was known
as II. jaime
Now NJ Jaur e arrived at Nicethe day after
Ielgving Paris al 6 o'clock in the evening. He
par 5ool of gu ex celIent dinneT-a be uillabaisse
aux langoustes, fillet marine, a quail, as
paracq2s, and Il bottle Of Chateau Ia Rose.
With this he .aoped not to die Wit hunger.
Then. after having smoked good cigar to
settle his coffee and champagne, he retired to
rest.
1t IVES Q O'Clock when he enscorced himself
in bed. lie extingulshed the light, and,
stretching himself out, anticipated sleep like
a dormouse.
But scarcely lad he dropped into dozs
when flute was heard in the next apart
ment playing tsle air from Faust:
Let, oh, Lex me sRze upon thy facen'
The tone was sweet and silvery, 50 the first
impression was char ming; but tire 1utist cut
short the melody at the fourth measure and
repeated it several times, then re sted for five
minutes and resumed in like N amer, stop
ping at the same point.
What is the matter with hiang' said II.
jaime to himself.
The other continued without a sign of
troable
At the fifth rehearsal, as there is nothing so
agreeable as not to weary III the end, NJ.
Jaime tapped on the partition wall The
flute was silent Satisfied, be took a potation
from his night table and closed his eyes. 1t
was 10 o'clock. The hotel was almost empty,
the greater part Of the guests not having yet
come in. Suddenly the peaceful silence was
broken by the flute
LET, oh, let nc gaze upon thy facer'
n jaime grow excited.
''Whew! He Is getting TO be nuisance.
If this is for an extra attraction viii dis
pense with it."
He tapped loudly and cried out:
''Win you stopl If you don't I'll gaze
upon your face pretty soOn'
= When NJ jaime got angry he forget the
dictates Of poIiteness. There was silence
again, and he began 70 get drowsy.
Suddenly:
Let Oh, letrne gaze upon thy face.N
"Fiel The mean scamp
He rang for she chanbermaid.
"Who is this IDIOT OF fiutist whom have
for a neighbour he asked.
"A flutistln she exclaimed with a vacant
air. why, HI. Jaime. you arc dreaming.
The chamber is empty
" jaime dared not reply. The surmise
obtruded itself that perhaps he was beginning
TO have decisions. Besides, SO long as the
chambermaid was at : nd the flutist could
not be heard But scarcely was she gone,
crack:
Let, Oh, let me gaze upon thy face"
And SO on about once a minute. NJ. Jaune
foundered about and sank under the bed COW
erings exhausted.
At Il O'Clock he heard some one enter.
Under the partition door he saw a CLEAN of
light Ee heard the rustling OF garments
and preparations for bed. AtteFward quiet
reig1Ied, and he slept, as usual, until the next
noon.
On this second day, after having taken
walk on the Promenade Des Anglais for
sun bath, passed a little time at the club and
dined composedly, he went up to retire ct 10
O'Clock
he commenced undressing. Suddenly-just
so-you have it:
Let, on, let riie gaze upon thy face,'
Forgetting his grotesque appearance in his
nightcap, half undresSed he rushed down 70
complain to the master Of the house.
All. Favioi, why do you furnish lodgings
10 musical artists IL house which thought
SO commepdable!'
Truly. n jaime, DO not know what YOU
mean. beg you to believe that have re
gard enough for my interests to refuse those
people"
'"Then you have one without knowing it
c duoist-at No. 10, next me."
~ be- your pardon, III. Jsure. at No. 10 is
q most seda5s lady, Nine. KissnicoaicS, Of
the United States, anu at No. Sis Mss White
rose, OF London"
- repeat that there is futist a. No 10
Perhaps the lady thrusts him into tie ward
robe when any one GOES in"
81 beg your pardon sGsiu IL jaime Nine
kisSn2icouicS enjoys an TTeprcacnabler evsl-
tsticn 10 landlord in Mos would be willing
10 receive doubtful character. Mme. Kiss