The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-28
THE PIANO TUNER.

III, W. III, SUI
In a back room of the great piano
merchant Lefevre Renduel, Rue de
Richelieu, the tuner was working on
this gloomy afternoon of Partisan
winter. 1t was cold and growing dark,
and although it was not yet o'clock
the gas would soon have to be light
ed. In the shop men, women, errand
boys and porters came and went, the
wells of the women and boards of the
men covered with fine frost, and all
complaining Of this exceptional wealth
er, which for the past week had been
Transforming Paris into kind of ST.
IBERIA.
The tuner, through the partially
closed door, could half follow the con-
man Of some 40 years, tall, thin, al
ready much bent, his face furrowed
with deep lines, the hair gray upon his
temples, prematurely aged, apparently,
from suffering He was evidently very
poor, to Judge from his clothes, which
were neat but threadbare. His express
sion had in it something of disenchant-
ment, of bitterness, which would have
struck the least observant At first
sight you would have felt him to be a
man who had been vanquished in the
struggle of life.
A pretty maid, true comedy SOU
brette, in gaudy costume, with an apron
of changeable silk, and upon her friz-
zled hair delicious little hat with red
roses, entered the shop and began to
talk volubly 10 the salesman.
An an instant later the tuner heard
himself called.
You are wanted, NJ. Pierre, at the
Hotel du Louvre. -
1T is very urgent" added the SOU
brette in the bewitching little hat.
"At your service.
On the second floor of the great hotel
Pierre Morel was ushered into an ele-
CANT salon, where stood open an ebony
grand piano, draped with a japanese
cover. Immediately the tuner set him
self to work.
Doubtless they are afraid l shall
carry off some Of their costly knick-
knacks," he said to himself, seeing the
soubrette linger near him.
But long since in his life of labor he
had had TO resign himself to these little
humiliations. They no longer worried
him.
{ And he played some chords.
Still the maid, chattering like par
rot, danced around him and never closed
her mouth for an instant.
Madame will be well pleased. We
just arrived yesterday. This evening
after the opera there will be some COM
pany. They will dance, and these hotel
pianos are always so dreadfully out of
tune. But madame will find one all right
for once.
"Is she an artist?'' asked Morel,
amused in spite of himself by all this
prattle.
AZ should say so! And there are not
many like her. For a long time they
have been clamoring for her in Paris,
but she had engagements. Finally here
we are. 1t seems that not seat is to be
had this evening at any price.
Pierre Morel started. "This even
ing?"
-'Why, yes. Don't you know? At the
opera Faust, with La Salvani. Z"
lis it La Salvani who is your mis-
tressT'
He stood up and trembled like leaf
In the wind.
sis it La Salvani?"
A..
Nothing, nothing. Heavens, you
were quite right This piano is in great
need of tuning"
With a violent effort of will Pierre
seated himself again and resumed his
work.
But in spite of the effort he made to
conceal it his agitation was very evil
dent.
The sound of bell, ringing in the
next room just then, saved him from
his embarrassment.
MADAME is calling me- -
And the soubrette disappeared.
Then Pierre Morel let his head fall
into his hands, while iucoherent words
escaped from his lips:
"Shel Shell Is it possible? And l who
was wishing to avoid her, TO be SO
near. All Juliettel Juliettel'
Then suddenly:
"But l cannot stay here a moment
longer. No, not a moment Let her get
some one else F"
He started to make his escape.
But the door opened, and La Salvani
appeared, enveloped in magnificent furs,
famous furs which had been given her
by the czarina. Tall, slender, of an ex-
quisite beauty, she did not look over 25.
though she must have been past 40.
Splendid turquoises shone in her ears.