West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-06-28

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". around the lower part of the
house. Mrs. Bowser realized that
Something was up" but she main
tanned silence until at length he
paused before her and said:
"Last night while you were play
ing the piano l noticed that it was
sadly out OF tune. You must have
heard some of the keys make a sort
of ur-ur-ur as you struck them"
al heard nothing of the sort !"
promptly replied Mrs. Bowser as a
dim idea of what he was up to flash
ed across her mind. "The piano
was tuned only month ago, and
there were no ur-ur-urs about it,"
"But | insist that there are" con
tinued Mr.. Bowser. al have a
quick ear, and say that no less
than seven different keys had the
sound of an egg beaten at work. 1t
may have been tuned a month ago,
but by whom ?"
"By first class tuner"
"That is, he of course claimed to
be first class and charged you s. to
81, but how do you know he wasn't
carpenter or blacksmith There's
piano which cost me 5000. 1t is
going to rack and ruin for the need
of little overhauling. To get a
competent man up here will cost
$50, Whereas
"Whereas you can do the work
in an hour YOURSELF" finished Mrs.
Bowser. "Well, now, you let that
piano alone You know no more
about the works of piano than l
do about the kitchen Of the Gar of
Russia. If there's anything to be
done, I'll get man up here"
MADAM" said Mr.. Bowser as he
stood before her with his hands
clasped under his coat-tails, "there
is an ur ur to that piano. 1t is out
of repair; it is going to ruin. can
overhaul it in one hour and save $50
1t will be pleasure to me to do the
work, and | also feel it my duty TO
save the money which would have
to be otherwise paid out. | shall
proceed to tune"
"But you'll only destroy it. II you
feel that you must tinker away at
something, WHY don't you take the
lawn mower, the gas meter or that
old shotgun in the garrett ?"
al do not ask you to remain in
the room during the tuning process.
You can put on your hat and take a
walk, or you can go up to your room
and read a novel When | have
restored the tone to its original
volume and sweetness, | will call
you"
"But l beg of you to-to"-
Mr.. Bowser waved his hand to
signify that nothing on the face oil
the earth could turn him aside, and
as Mrs. Bowser went up stairs with
tears in her eyes, he got out his too
box and peeled off his coat and
jacket to begin work. He met with
an adventure at the very outset. He
wanted room TO work on all sides oil
the piano, and he therefore got be
hind it to push it out in the middl,
of the floor. He was heaving away
with his shoulder against the cas-,
when his foot slipped on the carpe
and he went down and rolled Owe
with the weight of an elephant. II,
fetched up against a chair anC
knocked that over, and he was still
lying on his back when Mrs. Bowssi
came half way down stairs to cal
out:
81 thought the walls were fallin,
in ! What are you doing on you
back on the floor ?"
81 wanted to see the underside o
the piano, he replied, as he got up
"Should ! find myself in need o
{ your assistance ! will call you"
As tools for piano tuning Mr.
Bowser had a hammer, a Ratchet,
tack puller, corkscrew, screw
dryer and a monkey wrench. a
he folded back the cover he saw th
inside Of a piano for the first tim
in his life lie had taken only on
glance when he walked TO the foo
Of the stairs and called to Mrs
Bowscr
"No wonder there was an ur.ur
ur When you mt some Of the keys
What d'you 'spose your FIRST elias
piano tuner left among the wires ?
ole couldn't have left any Of hi
tools ?" she quericd.
"No tools, but half a dozen strip
of red flannel Re even woye then
10 among the strings. That's prob
{ ably where my missing flannel shir
went TO- Tic was probably som
man from a wooden mill"
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