The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-18
Stories Of an Inland State.

| is down in community. riots in furnishing
| evidence to keep him down.
| One of Burr's few friends was an instru.
| ment Of this kind in the hands of Fate
| Having been convicted of being an inbecilt
| by the community 1t was unfortunate thai
| Burr's chief caller should be simple" Nc
Graw's congenial advances 10 the man
| music-teacher were viewed with hilarity
| by the community which saw in them the
| proof of a belief that birds of feather
| will flock together.
| McGraw was a rather aged Irishmar
| whose misfortune consisted In having q
| stomach more stable than his brain
| Whisky had, some years before, attacked
| both. The brain made a wavering stand
but fell back disordered and disabled The
stomach stood up CALAMITY under fire and
| refused to bulge step backward.
It so happened that McGraw was still ir
Hqour without the ability 20 do much think
ing. Being bereft of mental exercise, he
soon drifted into idleness, which is pro-
badly the natural condition of man-and
loafed.
By a close applica ton TO this task he
soon became supreme IN that particular
lne-and arrived at the title of the town
Ioa fer"
Loafing without visible means Of sup
port is high art. 1t is entirely distinct
from vagrancy, for vagrancy involves
travel, and. locomotion, TO the expert loaf
er, is as repugnant as a flaw in a stone Is
to diamond expert.
AS loafer, McGraw was an expert. Few
understood his methods. These were his
own secrets, and as dear to him as those
of Stradivarius, in seasoning, vanishing
and joining, were to him.
How does that }oafer McGraw live?"
citizens and taxpayers had asked Of one
another time and time again. No one ever
answered. The police could have answered,
but they would not. Their secrets too,
are professional. Still a close study of Nc
Graws habits might have revealed, to the
taxpayers, some suspicion of his means of
livelihood. His fondness for certain veter-
ans of the late war was a good clue, but
no one ever took 1t up. Sherlock Holmes
could not have avoided discerning that in
the month of January, McGraw's attend
ance on Comrade Banks waxed warm and
grew cold by February, that in February
and March, his consuming love Of convivi-
atty attached itself to the presence Of Com
rade Roach; that In April, May and June
it swung steadily about and into the train
of Comrade York. Then it would begin
with the first again and travel through the
list of three, the cornwall affection growing
in duration until it reached its greatest
length with Comrade York again the last
of December.
This evidence was patent. This mastered
position, unless access could have been had
TO McGraw's books. Expert loafers ordi-
narily do not keep books. 1t involves labor
which is repugnant and unprofessional.
But McGraw kept book which no one but
himself ever saw. 1t was a small yellow
back memoranda published as an adver-
tsement by some patent medicine house.
There were three entries in this book
McGraw was magnificent listener Com
rade Banks rejoiced In the thoughts Nc
Graw exchanged with him, over a glass of
hot whisky, paid for by Banks. The war
left Comrade Banks one arm. Thus de.
rrived of a capacity for complete gesticula-
ton the remaining member had always
been striving tirelessly to do the work OF
both. in this way:
Comrade Banks had waved his hand fear
lessly over the table and said:
''McGraw. do you think they would dare?
No. And if they should, McGraw, what
would happen?''
1t was not McGraw's place to answer and
he knew it.
I'VE would whip 'em clean out Of exist
ence in the first brush. What would we do
with 'em on the sea, McGraw?"
McGraw as before was silent.
Sink 'em like bags Of bullets full faith
oms five. McGraw."
As the speaker ceased the arm gesticu-
lated independently for moment having
caught the velocity of the speech and be-
ing unable to stop. He continued: What
would We do for generals, McGraw? What
would we do, McGraw? Why, every old
codger like me would have the youngsters
like veterans in a week with training 'em.
McGraw'
This able conversation between Comrade
Banks and McGraw had for it's thesis the
constant belief of Comrade Banks that the
South would some day attempt a second
secession. McGraw was not an old soldier.
But he was congenial to Banks His
silence was so refreshing and so confirma-
tory of all he said, that ne loved him like
a brother.
When Comrade Banks had departed, Nc
Graw, happy under the effects of the hot
whisky and the free lunch which went with
It. shuffied lazily along and climbed the
stairs leading to the room" Of Alsernon
Burr, the man music-teacher. There were
no pupils there and McGraw sat down in a
chair and said to Burr:
Play something soft-like"
IN the loafer He sat down at the instru-
ment and played away.
McGraw's eyes closed and his head drop
ped. The man loved music.
When the teacher had finished. McGraw
asked:
"Mr. Burr. what would you call that?"
1T is Beethovens Farewell 10 the Piano
forte"
Whose forte?' With a slight memory
OF Comrade Banks
ITO the piano. His last piece to this IN
strument, to his piano-sor. OF goodbye"
do YOU suppose he wrote 1t and that
ended il with the piano?"
Il suppose So"
do you think after he got Il finished, he
went to the piano and tried II jus, to see
how II would sound?'
Perhaps"
What if ne played it q second timer"
Why
Then It wouldn't be fare-ye-weu. II
would be Just like any other piece.
The music-teacher laughed.
"McGraw." asked the music teacher" Do
you know that Mr.. York died this morn
ing9'
McGraw arose quickly. "Comrsde York;"
he asked
Yes. The old soldier
McGraw fshed his yellow book from his
pocket and read the account TO himself.
studying IL keenly.
10 al Lee