Iron County register., 1900-02-01
FAULT OF THE STREET PIANO.
Its Music Suggests n Story, Inter-
rupts 1t. and Gets Man
Into Trouble.

| Down below the street piano had
struck up rollicking, jolting, devil
may-care sort of melody, strangely at
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 Il startled
| tiger and listened.
Il never expected to 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 a homing pigeon.
Tell me about it." said his auditor,
| growing interested; there's the mem
| ory of a mighty good time here some
where
rs there!' cried the portly business
man. Just wait and I'll tell YOU about
| ii. But l first want to hear some more
| of that" He ran to the window, opened
it and whistled to the departing mu-
sician. Here" he shouted, throwing
half dollar, ''play that last tune over
until l tell you to stop
The delighted Greek grinned and
dotted his hat. A moment later the tan
talizing strains began afIesh. coming
with added distinctness through the
open window. The portly business man
uttered a gasp of delight.
That's it," he cried, prancing away
from the window like the wild gazelle.
'Te-ump. teedle-deedle. teedle-deedle-
deedledee!" He executed q bow, pirou-
cited on one toe, placed the back of
his left hand on his waist and elevated
the other high above his head to 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-
ton 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, l was going to
tell you. wasn't 1? Well. it was 16 years
ago laSt month
But here the street piano suddenly
resumed business with increased time
to make good the delay. The portly
business man sprang to his feet again
and hurled the furniture aside for a
considerable space. in which he gal
loped, 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 part
of the world. Tiddy-ump, tump,
teedle-"
But his excited auditor had seized
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. ."E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y swing!
Teedle-deedle. deedle-dee. Now. 'Aiimon
left; YOU get over there
just then there was a hurried sound
of feet in the corridor, and the intrepid
porter of the building. with upturned
coat collar and jaw squared for fearful
emergency. appeared in the door. Be
hind him were two policemen and IL
dozen white-faced clerks
why, YOU see" stammered the
portly business man. there ws: a
street piano" and there he parsed.
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 felier." he drawled.
turning to his comrade. ''we amt got
no orders to bust up harvest dance"
IN. y. Sun.