Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-01-12

three people who contributed to the
hat carried around by the disconnected
boy who blew the horn-25 cents in all
for 20 minutes work! The band holds
another consultation over this and evil
IDENTITY decides that this corner is not a
remunerative one, for they swing
around and march down Arbor street,
followed by large majority of their
juvenile audience. As they march along
the leader looks a. the windows right
and left. He is evidently sizing up the
probabilities with an experienced eye,
for he walks steadily on without a sign
of stopping until he comes to Spruckel-
meyers saloon. There he stops and
faces about, bringing his bit battered
instrument into position.
1t must have been the magic of the
Teutonic name that induced the leader
to stop and try the effect of Itch Liebe
Dich, Mein Schatze," for he passed Hal
loran's place without faltering, and
Halloran's place is a palace to
-Spruck's," inside and out At some
time or another Spruckelmeyer must
have been seized with brief decorative
fever, for in front of the dingy curtain
screening one of the windows is a lith-
ograph of an inebriated goat capering
on top of a barrel, stained and spotted
with age and the visitations of flies.
There is also a dusty plaster cast of
bibuious gnome and forgotten play
bill in German of a comedy performed
at neighboring society hall two years
before. The other window is bare of
adornment, although above the curtain
the chandelier holding the two kerosene
lamps can be seen wrapped about with
red, white and blue paper frilling.
It is evidently poor day for musical
art. The band plays die Yacht am
Rhein," and certainly that ought to
bring out every German susceptible to
sentimental recollections, but the sa-
| loon is unresponsive. Mrs. Schultze is
PATTERN about in her back yard, but if
she hears the band she makes no sign.
| She is not a sentimental woman, how
ever, in spite of her fat, and her mild,
blue eyes. How Mr.. Bauer would have
| been affected is, of course, a matter of
| speculation. 1t is quite probable that
he would have been good for dime, at
! least, but he started down to Clark
| street for his dinner 20 minutes before
the band began to play in Green street.
| There are plenty of people who ordi-
narily would be willing to pay for al
most any form of entertainment, for
| stinginess is not an Arbor street vice,
but the day is raw and chilly and no
one seems to feel like abandoning
| themselves to the pleasure Of listening
| more than a minute or two.
So the band continues to play and the
| players look more dismal than ever.
The wind blows in mockery of their
r. \
sends the last of the scar willow leaves
! circling about their crimson-tipped
| ears. Their eyes water from the sue
cessive assaults of the singing blast.
| At last one of the doors with the
cheap colored transparencies on the
| lower panes opens and Spruckelmeyer
| comes through, with about an inch to
spare on each side of him. He is in his
shirt. sleeves and carpet slippers and
has the rumpled, blinking look of man
newly reused from sleep. Still blink
| ing, he thrusts a thumb and forefnger
down into the pocket of his open waist
coat, and the leader of the band, see
ing the motion, looks hopeful and puts
additional spirit in to his playing.
For the present, however, he is
doomed to disappointment, for Spruck-
| elmeyer pulls his finger and thumb out
of his pocket again and between them is
a match, which he strikes and applies
to his long weichsel-stemmed pipe.
Having got the pipe to going well he
leans against the doorpost-
Perhaps some fond remembrances
| aroused by the familiar music came to
| the saloon keeper as he stood there and
| pulled at his black pipe. If they did he
was not overcome by them. The almost
despairing band, looking at his express
sionless face, were at loss to de-
termine whether he was enjoying their
harmonies or considering the propriety
of calling the police
Jimmy Refs came along, carrying a
white pitcher, and Spruckelmeyer,
while he moved little to allow Jimmy
to enter the saloon, did not at once fol-
low him. This looked encouraging, and
the optimistic leader nodded and
smiled over his ophicleide to his do1eful
mates. Then Jimmy and his pitcher
were no sooner out of the door than
Spruckelmeyer reappeared.
AS he did so the music stopped. It
was a thrilling moment. The leader
looked at Spruckelmeyer, and Spruckel-
meyer looked stolidly, blankly at the
leader. The rest of the band looked at
each other, and it was plain to see that
they expected nothing. It was going to
be just as they thought it would be
when they started to play. Then, just
as the leader himself lost hope and
shifted his instrument back on his
shoulder, the saloon keeper took his
pipe from his mouth, waved it with a
gesture of invitation to the interior OF
his establishment, and with faces that
beamed with gladness. the musicians
followed him in@Chicaoo Daily Record,