The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-27
VILLAIN WITH A GUITAR.

.'f
VILLAIN WITH a GUITAR.
Got Trusted for Two Weeks Board and
Then Struggled His Security Out in the
Guitar Case-This Landlady Prefers tho
Cabinet Organ to the Guitar.
''Of course. II all were as prompt and regular
as you are there would be no trouble about
keeping guests" said the landlady as she pro-
duced the small SCRAP Of paper prepared in adj
vance that served as receipt for the money
without which one might not occupy the seo-
ond-story alcove room. Il know some ladies'
have trouble with their second-story ~alcoves,
but / always maintain that you have no right
to let your second-story alcove without real
good references. and looking them up. too.
That's what I do. and you see that l always
have guests OF the most unexceptionable char
scter. II you're not careful OF your second
story alcove your house runs Town quick"
As these remarks were made in the very
room to which the lady VIII took guests had
been making reference. there was nothing for
1t but to ask her to sit down. She had scarce
ly taken a seat with o preliminary test OF the
amount Of wear the springs and the uphol-
stery had lately undergone when she epied .
guitar standing In the corner. 1t really served
moro as an object on which to hang q trailing
bunch OF ribbons than as q source OF sweet
music sounding. That turned her remarks
into a new channel. one which went to show
that q musical education must not be regarded
es 4 certain antidote to the treason and strata
gem Of the unmusloal.
II can't bear the guitar" said the landlady.
Il never did think much OF that kind OF music.
It tinkles and It thrums and that's all there 10
to II. II you want real music / always say
tiere isn't anything can beat the cabinet organ.
But even II I had liked the music there's one
experience I had with a guitar that was enough
| to set me against them for all time. It was
with my third-story rear hall. OF course you
ask for references for that, same as for any
other room. but unless they're near By and
you're not as busy as q houseful Of guests
keePe ron thore IN no great chance that you
look up references for q third-story rear hall.
1T was two winters ago that q very nice
appearing young man icame here to see about
becoming one Of MI guests. He wanted Q
square room. but they were all TAKEN. and he
said he'd put up with the rear hall until there
might be o vacancy. He told mt where he
was employed and what minister he sat under
and tho lady with whom he'd been q guest
last and the reason why he moved. He paid
the first week In advance. Of course. and that
evening at dinner I had the pleasure Of intro
ducing him to the other guests. All his bag
gage was o telescope bag and . stifi canvas
case with one Of those guitars in IL. Just like
Bis hadn't . bunch Of ribbons on It. he Kept
have plenty Of clothes In his bureau drawers;
s sSSsy, a. sG sss e sn my re- rd s6Insa R hI5s T tSSsf Ey5hss4aa
mon sepsA win tell you that a lady who takes
money regular. and she has to keep Watching
that her only s%eenrity. which is the clothes OF
s.Rei. this thIrad3-storS rear hall with the
guitar Cud 2 paid up regularly s1nH y enough g f for some time,
a sal IL the sqa tSst 8l ' aSd i0 they Ikea . hare have % duets
together on the cabinet organ and the guitar
and %s ssid tRsts f Sa business 3 ilnsssq resso as f he %o u me
in advance. and II I'd be willing to lie le. Mo eo
Obliged. I. ought to have known better. but
we were wI 80 1 Musical c i'f that ao I said %e XII rG rirh htf 't TRss
got him aropnd to paying Of the end Of the
sick abed one Saturday, He was very good
told me that they didn't pay salaries at his
place only on Saturdays. and u someb2dy did
n ssan s0i ossf n anti sia tSe n sis 1 %sef. wq He ss hSY S. g
but he might have known that 4 lady VIII;
ly I said that,d be all right. and guessed he
Perhaps that put it into, his head, or It may
have been because II was the first time in his
NE that he found himself In 2 position where
II. At any rate, he had the opportunity, aud it
made him a villain. which is a thing thet more
any other kind, OF people. Friday morning
when he came down to breakfast he brought
In tho jag OF the window. One OF the other
Business Sas % sIsSR, that he VS. ESins e have
out to q party the next evening, and SO he was
seemed a perfectly natural thing to do, and
when he came home that evening he brought
while they were having duets in the parlor;
something snapped In the, guitar, and he said
he vas s clad ,n IL h nng ne x then 6 rather tn Than N s ne
H. X as ss s% g ' aS%a u + + Is S5 ss Z r. y VIA a III IL s s{ $%$,5sF
SHSs With ' his overoopt and in sm abnf "iI'G re-:
call now that l asked him II there had been
be all, right by evening. So he marched on
ths .%h tTon6ad tS or the spanish ssqdentf'
two i %eek SS' board oar III through ssfr Sps t Fl ei sry. and '3' I
didn't haze anything 70 she's, for Y except a
s MSGniGuiS IL 0S one Vol" II the hhs'P BINS q do W. Ell cellar nio NOW.
Blu. hiH s cloth ~ sec ssSSp In r.S you know they
to the place where he said he, was employed.
and they told me they didn't know anything
about such a mani; the same way at the church
he said he attended: nobody seemed to know
anything about him; / should never have
found out how he did It II | hadn I heard an
other lady long afterwaTd at the market tell
ing u friend about how she had stopped a villain
now / eame to hnd out, some OF his clothes he
couid wear out without anybody knowing
them from doing that, But all the rsst he
managed TO carry out through him having
musical tastes. His first trip he took out the
guitar oeso 10 get It fixed. but 1t was stuffed as
full Of shirts and things as II could bold, and
made he had the gpitsr in the ca g. for I re,
member he showed one end 81 Il: But that
rest q my security Just the Sfme; Th9 other
out. He had pulled out the back of the guitar.
stuffed 1t full OF clothes and then put the
much ike guitar music. and that experience
|, rather set me harder against It."