St. Tammany farmer., 1906-12-08

By mere chance, no one except
Florence. the elevator boy, was at
hand when Miss Cordelia Byrne called
to inspect the fifth floor back, which
was advertised for rent. She took it
| and her furniture came the next morn
ing, when Mr.. Moriarty was again alb.
sent.
Miss Byrne was about 20 years OF
age, slender, of middle stature and
dressed habitually in black or dark
blue. How anyone who looked at her
melting blue eyes, her sensitive pout-
ing mouth, and her pale complexion,
enriched by her auburn hair, could
have found reason to doubt her good
ness, few men would be able to say.
Among her belongings was an up
right piano, and she and 1t combined
altered the temper of the people in
the Moriarty Maisonette with a sud-
denness, and to degree, which was
astonishing. This was because she
and it either knew but one tune, or.
at any rate, played but one. This
was dainty, ripping trifle by Pader-
ewski. On the first afternoon and
evening Miss Byrne played the Pader-
ewski peasant dance over some dozen
times. Now when the exquisite. roll.
licking. merry, melodic current flowed
through the wall to the fifth floor
front, through the floor to the fourth
story suites and through the ceiling
to the sixth story's tiny homes. the
star" tenant sat entranced, his silken-
robed better half leaned forward,
plucking her youngest from the floor
to bid it listen to "the pooty moo
zicks." Upstairs and downstairs the
delighted tenants blessed the day that
Moriarty's builders scamped their
work. leaving the house so like col
ander that Cordelia Byrne could play
them all into the seventh heaven OF
delight with Paderewski's peasant
dance-so suited to the joyous tenn
perament OF the Irish audience and to
their pretty taste in music.
Miss Byrne was taken into the
warmest corners of the hearts In the
Maisonette on that night. She could
almost have demanded instant mem
bership In the Bloomingdale Bowling
club, to which nearly all the tenants
belonged.
That was, as we recollect 1t, on a
Friday night. The following Wednes-
day found everything unchanged ex
cept the temper of Moriarty's tenants
That night the Pinochle club, com
posed of six of the male tenants OF
the Maisonette, met in Mr.. Mahoney's
apartments, Five of the members
were on hand promptly and waited
for Mr.. Moriarty, the sixth, to arrive.
Miss Cordelia Byrne, In the rear suite
On the same floor with the Mahoneys
regaled the club members with that
choice moroccan OF Paderewski's to
which we have referred, and with
which all the men and women in the
Maisonette had for some time been
familiar.
The plot was afoot. The innocent
Of what he once boasted as
being ''the happiest bunch of homes ON
the island was to be trapped when he
came for nights enjoyment, by q
band of tenants who had
sworn that either they, Miss Byrne or
her piano must leave the house on the
first Of the incoming month.
Meanwhile Miss Byrne finished the
one hundred and sixty-eighth rendi-
tion Of the dainty peasant dance. and.
closing the piano, moved across the
neat and cozy parlor, family perfumed
with a delicate odor of lilac. to the lit
tie writing table and penned a note
10 her sister. We may read over her
shoulders as she writes:
There is nothing to write, only
know you are wondering. It Is win |
all or lose all with me. I may go back
to the counter of department store
but 1t won't be until have to.
1--WE taken the little money mother |
left me and furnished the apartment
and dressed myself with the quietest |
taste, SO as TO look ladylike on the |
smallest outlay. I've thrown myself |
headlong into everything that's doing |
In a swell church, and am SO quiet |
and demure that l don't think you'd |
your merry romp OF sister
L you saw me. Butter wouldn't melt |
II my mouth and never lift my eyes
above the sidewalk. should have |
.hought by this time some man would |
break his neck, almost to get acquaint-
I'd with me. just to see If he couldn't |
make me raise my eyes.
''The trouble is that only see wom-
N at the church, and made bad /
choice Of an apartment house because
he men here are nearly all married
Ind are such oysters that not one has
-et made my acquaintance. The land I
ord is single. though, and rich.
"'Not that want to fool anybody,
lou, dear. Only, I'm as good as any
yirl that's got home and a husband
-and love. I'm too good to stand and
,ell cash! here, cash!' behind a coun-
er, year In and year out, with filmy, i
chance OF marrying
door walker before die.
Il am SO lonely and I am playing
uch desperate game! But II you
.ould look In on me. Lou. I'd just sim
,ly let loose and we'd have q real old
ime romp. ! am breaking the ice
lere in the Moriarty Maisonette In the
unniest way. am doing 1t with q
'iano. It's bound to get me acqnaint-
d with somebody OF the adorable sex.
3ut you must wait until tell you how
ny piano Is helping me-when know
low It all turns out. Your loving
lister,