The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-03-28

noon, jim. HOW is She going TO-DAY Z"
A thick, husky voice from outside
growled out:
"Silly old'-something 1 could not
in her innards today, I'm thinking"
Jack shut down the window.
"Jim is so colloquial," he sighed,
and of course Lord Anstruther passed
at the moment That's the great
disadvantage of clubs. You can talk
to your friends from the window,
but your other friends can hear what
they say"
He threw himself into an arm
chair.
| "Jim has a real soul for music"
he said, Though of course his taste
isn't educated. He went to the gal
lery at the opera the other night
gave him a ticket-and unfortunately
they were doing the Tristan and
Isolde He's very straightforward.
And he said he'd never heard such
damed catterwaling in his life."
"That doesn't necessarily prove
that he's musical" said 1.
mo. 1 was going to tell you more
about him. He has the most intense
affection for his organ. He took the
pledge six months ago, and put by
twopence a day until he had saved
enough to buy the 'Intermezzo, for
it. 1t was for that reason alone, for
1 know as soon as he had got it he
wasn't sober for a week. He tried
to pawn his blue ribbon as remnants,
Ibut they wouldn't advance him any
thing on it. The man at the pawn
shop told him that the market was
loyerstocked with blue ribbons. That
lpawnbroker appears to be a finished
cynic-I must make his acquaint-
lance."
"Did he get all his tunes that way?"
1 asked.
"I am afraid he stole the Lost
Chord said Jack, thoughtfully. ''He
had long wanted it, and one day a
brother grinder left his organ i'll the
Istreet, while he went into gin-palace.
Jim had had his eye on that organ
for long time; it was just the same
size as his. And while the brother
Igrinder was drinking, he-he abstract
ed the Lost Chord and went away.
He nearly got into trouble over it,;
but of course you can't swear to the
identity of a Lost Chord 1t would
thave been absurd to convict him."
"Yes; it sounds an immaterial sort
of charge"
for a moment.
Its perfectly true, as all your NOR
alists are always fmpressing on us
lthat.a man never gets what he wants
without wanting something he hasn't
got"
He paused.
"what is it that Jim hasn't got?''
inquired.
"He's been walking out with that
girl for two years." he continued,
land she won't make up her mind to
marry him. How odd it is you should
be ignorant of these things! People
like you are supposed to be looking
for material, and yet you never go
where it lies in the streets, broadcast
like mamma"
"Never mind about material. Tell
me about Jim's young woman"
"She can't go out just at present, "
said Jack discursively, "she got a
severe bite a couple of days ago."
"a dog?" 1 suggested.
81 asked the same question, and she
said to me: %, no, it was another
lady what did that She is very
fresh and frank. Anyhow, Jim is
doesn't want to commit herself, l
think. You see, in those classes-I
don't know why 1 talk about classes
Young women sow their wild oats
as well as young men,"
"And even the Intsrmezzo' doesn't
make Jim happy?
Il "No; I hoped it would. 1 expect
she's been unkind to him today, for
he spoke quite-quite GROSSLY to me
just now. Good heavens! it's half
lpast four ...
Where are y0u going to?"
sI'm going to see Frank Carver
"Is Frank Carver an organ
grinder?''
mo; why should he be? I don't
limit my acquaintance to organ
grinders. I don't really know how to
describe him. He's a sort of agent"
"That sounds sufficiently vague"
"Sufficiently inclusive, hope.
Franks very broad in his views.
Well, goodbye"
This conversation took place at the
end Of July, and a couple Of days
afterwards I left London for the
country, and lost sight of Jack for
some months. He had been seen, so
L heard, at Aix-les-Bains in August,
Though what took him there I cannot
pretend to guess. He certainly did
mot take the waters, and the report
that reached me that he was going
to marry a Russian princess with a
hook nose and no roubles was quite
incredible. But in December was in
London again, and passing one day
up Jermyn street. inquired at Jack s
lodgings whether he was in town,
land receiving an answer that he was
in his room, I went up.
On the landing outside his room
there stood propped against the ban
listers large piano-organ. The
thought of Jim flashed across my
mind, and I gave the handle a turn,
and was not surprised when the first
two or three bars Of the "IntermeZzo"
detached themselves, as it were, from
the surrounding dusk, and clattered,
as Jack had said, on the floor.
Apparently the noise reused him,
for he came out from his room to see
who I was.
"Ah, come in," he said. Il am de-
Lighted to see you. Yes; Jim's piano
! organ"
"And is Jim having tea with you?"
I asked.
mo; Jim is dead. He left ME his
piano-organ."
1 followed him into the room, and
he poured me out a cup of tea.
"Yes," he repeated; "Jim is dead
He committed suicide. COMPOUNDED
lfool-poor old Jom.''
''Tell me about it, I said.
For moment he looked at me dis