The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-06-15
WONDERFUL WHISTLER.
How His Accomplishment Won q
Valuable Customer.

1t was perfect night and the incom-
ing ocean lines seemed poised between
two ornaments, so truthfully were the
stars reflected in the placid sea. The
hour was late and gradually the pas
sengers drifted away into the bril-
lIantly lighted salons, sought their
staterooms for lew hours straying
upon the. invisible Islands of Dreams;
and only IA few were still haunting the
decks moon-decLed promenade.
Suddenly The scholarly looking and
specialized young man from Chicago,
!. who had been sitting quietly among d
group of friends, with his eyes turned
somewhat wistfulty toward the not
now distant homelands, began to
whistle softly street song that had
fingered in his mind since he heard it
on the wharf the day he sailed. His
com panions listened in delighted sur
prise Never from mortal lips had Is
sued more dulcet sounds; the voices of
hundred nightingales were all CON
densed to form the liquid sweetness of
his notes The struggling groups of
loungers all about the deck drew near
and listened in entranced delight
Bravo" Encore ''Encore!" came
changes of various melodies, he finally
thrilled his hearers with the measures
of dear Home, Sweet Home"
Silence, deeper than all uttered
praise. settled on every soul Only the
music hoated upon the listening air.
Bright eyes smiled out across the sea
through mIsts of homesick tears and
Helen Harper. who WAS standing near
the nag, furled for the night close
round its lofty staff, reached up to
loosen a starry fold and draw it down
across her lovely lips.
Well" said her mother, her brisk
voice broken by sudden closing In
her throat II remember of reading,
years ago, poem entitled 'Whistling
in Heaven The idea seemei strange
almost irreverent-to me then, but
am now fully prepared to think that
the angels songs may well have such
accounpaniments!'
How did you acquire such an un-
usual accomplishment, Mr.. k?" asked
the younger woman Did You, like
Hiawatha, learn OF every bird its Ian
guage?"
Il think Whittier's description of the
barefoot boy with cheeks of tan
echoing all the voices OF the fields
would picture my childhood days bet
ter ne answered. And then, turning
to Mrs Harper, he said:
Your remark reminded me of an
perience / had a number of years ago
although / guess it's pretty late for
story telling"
DO let us have it," they all ex-
claimed.
Mr.. II. looked cut over the star
gemmed waters refiectively 1t was
more years ago than | realized when /
recalled the incident" he said. II was
little more than boy and had just
started in, with capital of hopes, to
make my own way in the world. was
travelling for a Wholesale house in
Chicago and covered small inland
towns within radius of a few hun
dred miles of that center. While rea-
sonably successful everywhere else, L
was kept dissatisfied by the fact that
| the largest dealer in a Michigan village
in my circuit would have nothing to do
with me The home firm observed
| with displeased surprise that MIR.
| Gray's name was never on my order
| sheet, and time after time | renewed
my solicitations for his patronage, only
! to be gruffiy and unceremoniously dis
missed
''One rainy day in early spring l was
| in the town, and my way led past
his door | gathered my courage for
| last attack There was the usual terse
| dialogue, and then the proprietor
| turned abruptly away and went into
his little private office, which was built
| up like huge box in the center of the
store-something after the fashion of
| Tim Linkinwaters den in the office of
=, the Cheeryble Brothers
Outside the rain poured furiously,
| and L sat down on an empty cracker
box 20 wait for it TO slacken. L began
whistling-ln an undertone, as much to
rally my spirits as anything, l guess,
and presently the door of the office un-
closed the width of a couple of inches
and the rasping voice of the obdurate
| storekeeper called:
=. John, who's that?'
! The Young man from Chicago, sir,
answered the lanky youth, respect
fully.
II finished the air
John came the voice again, tell
him he might give us another tune
| Il complied and at its close the
| dealer was sitting beside me on the
cracker box
Give me your book, young man,
he said; when you want an order for
your house here you can--just whistle
| for it
lie slapped his hand down on his
knee and laughed at his own joke and
astonished me by giving me at once a
large and important order. That was
the beginning of it He became one oi
our best customers, always insisting,
however, upon the fulfillment of my
| part of the contract A little insight
into his character proved that the
somewhat harsh exterior covered Z
| hearl as big and tender as a frienC