The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-10-23
,NsoLENce At A DISCOUNT.

Instsad Of Licking the Hotel Clsrk the
Guest Paid Him In His Own CeiA.
Behind the onyx desk OF modern
hotel in the Tenderloin clerk 10 en-
ployed who is . remarkable exponent
Of the up-to-date young man who
makes fun of others, and thinks that
his wit Is invincible. he met his
Waterloo recently. and now he is one
of the meekest men that shout
'FRONT.'"
It was early in the evening. The
electric lights had just begun to blaze
with an air Of assurance. The music
floating down from the dininR-room
rell with dreamy cadence upon the
ears of the guests who were chatting
in the corridors after dinner. Suddenly
. man broke away from .. group and
stepped up 20 the desk. He was the
last one that . shrewd observer would
have picked out for An ''easy mark" to
use the vernacular. but the clerk made
. mistake. The man said to the dia-
mond-bedecked guardian OF the keys:
.Has anyone inquired for me to-day?"
The clerk stroked his mustache,
looked admiringly 1T a solitaire ring
that sparkled on his finger, and re-
piled, nonchalantly:
''Were you expecting somebody to
ask for you?"
The man addressed looked hard 1T
the clerk and replied in glacial tones:
II never expect anything In this
world. But that makes no difference.
Did anyone inquire for me?'
The clerk eyed him in mild wonder,
and then said with giggle:
II think you would be ashamed to
ask. OF course there did. It was .
lady, aud she was here twice"
s'What sort Of looking lady was
she?" asked the stranger.
The clerk said, with an air Of convic-
ton that was mingled with contempt
for his interlocutor:
"Oh! Just smooth-faced lady"
.'That's my wife," said tho other In
such q cool way that the clerk was
staggered and his joke fell dead. The
other continued:
'sShe will be back, 60 think might
as well take q room. What are your
rates for roons?"
"Two dollars day and upward, :"
said the clerk, glibly.
II guess you mean two dollars day
and down, don't you?" said the pros
pective guest in tantalizing way.
"I know my business" said the
clerk. 1.-Two dollars , day and mp,
and that goes"
mo, you don't" said the man on the
outside, you mean that the rooms on
the top floor arc two dollars . day, and
then they raise IS you come down.
That il two dollars . day aud down,
isn't it?"
The clerk gasped for breath, and
then said, family: "Will you registcr7"
IN. Y. Tribune.
Most Dincult Piece Of Musae.
A number Of the most celebrated OF
French pianists were recently asked to
state the piece which they found It
most difficult to execute. The answers
are naturally most varied. There is :
general agreement that difficulties OF
style are much less easy to overcome
than those of technique. From the
standpoint of mechanical difficulty, N.
Marmontel thinks Beethoven's Sonata
On. 8 the most redoubtable piece. M.
Diemer and M. Plante accord the palm
to Balackiref's LIslamev, and n.
Pfeiffes finds himself embarrassed be-
tween the claims Of Lisxt's .Rhapsodies
and Studies" Tausigs ''Transcriptions"
and Alkan's Variations" M. Della
brodc discreetly and systematically re-
plies that the most difficult piece for
him is invariably the piece which he
happens to be playing at any moment.
To III. de Beriot the modest scale-dc-
manding as It does the most perfect
equality throughout-is the supreme
difficulty, and one must work st It, he
declares, until ones Last breath.