Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-10-10
In" protested Mrs. Bowser. "I think

- IE1Nl1hNe
the Idea is TO soften the sound"
swell. l don't l think the idea is TO
attract rats and mice. and our they
come"
When Mr.. Bowser had finished pull
ing out the rags" he very quickly dis
covered the method Of tightening up
the strings. With II hand he fitted
the monkey wrench to turn the keys,
and with the other lie started a tum-
tum-tum ON the keys, as he had once
or twice seen n regular tuner do. He
couldn't exactly decide whether all the
strings ought to be frightened or loosen
ed, and so he took a middle course and
frightened half and loosened half. The
effect wasn't exactly magical; IL was
worse. Some Of the keys piped and
sobbed, and there were others which
produced sounds as of a saw trying To
eat its way into a crowbar.
"For the lands sake, but what are
you doing nowY' called Mrs. Bowser
after three or four minutes.
Saving a piano from wreck and
ruin" replied Mr.. Bowser as two chills
tried 10 Sallop up and down his spine
at the same time.
He hadn't quite hit II. He grudg-
ingly admitted the fact to himself and
then began anew. In n dim, uncertain
way he seemed to remember something
about n pitch" in connection with tun-
Ing. He couldn't possibly recall wheth-
er 1t was high pitch, low pitch or half
and half pitch, but he wasn't the man
to hesitate. He began humming the
air Of The Girl / Left Behind Me-
and keeping up the tum-tum on the
keys. After awhile he found a sound
TO agree with his hum, and he took
that for n rallying point. 1t was what
he called n $3.50 pitch, and after half
an hour of keying up and keying down
he got three keys which appeared TO
agree that some sort of n girl had been
left behind somebody. The other
strings were obstinate. They wanted
TO play "Sally Waters" THE Sweet
By and BY" or Yankee Doodle" and
every five minutes Mrs. Bowser kept
calling down to know IL n strange cat
had got into the house or If Mr.. Bow
ser had got an attack Of collie. lie
finally refused to answer her, but with
teeth shut hard and a glare In his eyes
he started out to bring those strings
into harmony or bust the box. He
frightened ten, n after another. until
they set up a humming, and then he
mopped his brow and started in to tum
tun the keys. There were ten sounds
to bring out the gooselesh, but scarce
ly had the first shudder passed over
Mr.. Bowser when the wires began to
snap. The end Of the first one licked
his ear, the second one curled his hair
and the third just brushed his chin.
He was moving away when four went
ut once, and one of them had business
with his nose. Mrs. Bowser heard a
yell and n sit down, and she cane fly.
ing down stairs to find Mr.. Bowser sit.
ting against the wall with his nose in
his hand. 1t was bleeding Ike a cider
barrel with the bung out, and the skin
had been peeled from end to base. His
eyes were also weeping large tears, AM
his bald head had n welt across IL.
"Well. you've tuned the planoI'' said
Mrs. Bowser as she looked down upon
him:
"Who-who threw a cat in my face?'
he asked as he realized her presence.
"Its q wonder you didn't say l did,
she answered, land then 20 and threat
en- n divorce and all that. 1t was one
Of the wires that struck you, and you'll
want court plaster on that nose for 8
month"
''Wo-man-wo"- he began, but she
stopped him with n gesture and said:
at will cost $23 or $50 to have that
piano fixed, but it shall be done tomor
row! You've got TO the end Of you
tune, and now go up stairs and let m,
see how nearly killed you are"
Mr.. Bowser obeyed without a pro
test. More than that, he never said 9
word while she was crisscrossing hi,
nose with six strips of plaster. 1t wa,
only after he was in bed that he growl
ed under his breath:
at was a put up job to assassinat,
me, and you bet your life I'll make 4
cost somebody mighty dear"
NJ. QUAD.