St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-01-17
tanned THE LANDLORD.
Apecies of Wild Animal That the Suf-
ferinS Suburbanite Had n Hard
Time With.

| For years his family had roamed the
| suburban range. Constant confic,
| with human beings had developed their
| craftiness and cunning until they
| could scent an irate tenant ten blocks
away. Naturally, having inherited
the piled-up caution Of generations OF
landlord ancestors, he was the ne Plus
ultra OF dodgers, writes Josh Wink, in
the Baltimore American.
L had been on his trail three months
before l got sight OF him. One morn
ing, early, | peered from my window
and saw him looking at the house.
But before could slip on some clothes
and rush to the door he was gone, leav-
ing nothing but the long stretch Of
trolley rails to mark his course.
One day l got connections with him
ON the telephone, but no sooner had
l tried him with gentle lure, suggest
ing that the hall needed repairing,
than he was off like shot. had cen
trail ring his bell until central grew
more than usually curt, but could not
again draw him from his lair that day.
Truly, his caution was past under
standing. Shrewdly baited letters
were dropped in his path every week,
limiting at willingness to pay more
rent if he would put more paper on the
hall and have the woodwork vanished.
but he shifted distainfully at them, and
sent his agent for the money.
There were others in the range who
hunted him, but l had marked him
for my own. The others went blum
deringly about the chase. They
tramped in serried columns to the very
door of his private office, but the
anemic private secretary was always
ready to throw them off the scent.
Once, one of them was brash enough
to walk past the private secretary ane
into the private office. But the place
was empty. The game had flown. Had
the man known as much as l about
wild animals he would have realized
that this species always provides it.
self with means Of escape, even from
its best-hidden Businesses.
AS for me. l was patient and bided
my time. Oman evening in December
| met him in the theater lobby and
asked him for match to light my
cigar. l could see by his start of sur
prise that he knew me for an enemy,
yet l regulated my conduct in such a
way as to throw him off. pretended
not to know him. l drew him into
conversation that developed the fact
that we had many likes and dislikes
in common. After that it was easy to
get near to him when next l met him
on the street, and from that to an
exchange of introductions was simple
ity itself. But it took me whole
year to lead up to the point of asking
him to call. Then l had him out to
dinner. Took him over the house, still
pretending ignorance of his identity.
Pointed out what should be done and
bewailed the fact that my generous
landlord was so pressed for time that
ne could not come to see for himself.
A few days later he wrote me that |
ne had seen my landlord and taken the |
liberty of suggesting for me that the
repairs l wanted should be made and
that they would be attended to at once.
Then was my time. Iclosed in on him
lext time 1 saw him.
Now. he will come to me and take
money from my hand.
That is why am the wonder, des-
pair and envy of all the others on the
suburban range.