The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-08-24
FAULT OF THE STREET PIANO
supts II. and Gets Man
Into Trouble.

Down below The street piano hac
struck up a rol!icking, jolting, devil
may-carc sort of melody, strangely al
variance with the hackneyed ragtime
and all out Of keeping with the sur.
roundings. Its theme was bucolic.
Through every trill and treble it sang
Of the green hills and pastures up the
state. The portly business man
Strengthened himself like a startled
tiger and listened
Il never expected 10 hear that tune
again" he said.
Then he paused and took up low
whistling accompaniment to the air, his
head unconsciously nodding from side
TO side and his elbows making spas
modic efforts TO lift themselves out
ward like the wings Of homin & pigeon
Tel me about it, said his auditor,
growing interested; "there's the mem.
DRY of mighty good time here some.
whtre.'
rs there!" cried the portly business
man. Just wait and III tell you about
il. But 1 first want to hear some more
of that" He ran to the window, opened
IL and whistled TO the departing mu.
sican. Here" he shouted. throwing
half dollar, ''play that last tune over
until | tell you TO stop"
The delighted Greek grinnec and
dotted his hat a moment later the tan.
talizing strains began afresh. coming
with added distinctness through the
open window. The portly business man
uttered gasp of delight
That's it," he cried. prancing away
from the window like the wild gazelle.
''Te-ump, teedle decide. teedle-deedle.
deedle-dee.' He executed bow, pirou.
cited on one toe. placed the back OF
his left hand on his waist and elevated
the other high above his head 10 grasp
the finger tips of an imaginary partner,
whom he then seized about the waist
and swung into place with great en-
ergy.
The street piano at this moment was
attacked with Indigestion or similar
consequences of the unwonted repeti-
tion and stopped. The portly business
man sank into his chair looking little
shamefaced.
You must excuse me" he said. You
see it's so long. Why. was gong TO
tell you. wasn't r. Well. il was l6y years
ago last month"
But here the street piano suddenly
resumed business with increased time
10 make good the delay The portly
business man sprang 10 his feet again
ard hurled the furniture aside for a
considerable space, in which he gall
Hoped. capered, raced. rollicked and
few. like Pawnee Indian in the rites
preceding the warpath.
Dance" he shouted. why. they
don't know what it means in this par.
of the world. Tiddy-ump, lump,
fcrdle---
But his excited auditor had seiz9a s
chair and was venting his enthusiasm
by vigorous blows on the floor in time
to the music.
That's the kind" roared the portly
business men. Ever -b-o-d-y swing
feeble decide, deedle-dce Now, 'A,imon
left.' YOU get over there"
just then there was hurried sound
of feet i'm the corridor. and the intrepid
porter of the building, with upturnrd
coat collar and jaw squared for fearful
emergency, appeared in the door. Be-
hind him were two policemen and a
dozen Whitehead clerks.
"Why, you see" stammered the
portly business man. "there was a
street piano" and there he paused.
But as the fatal melody came floating
up from below the face of one Of the
policemen relaxed into a knowing
smile.
Come on. city feller," he drawled
turning 10 his comrade, I'VE amt got
4 no orders to bust up q harvest dance
N. Y. Sun.