The Cairo bulletin., 1907-01-17
A DESPERATE
GAME
BY JULIAN RALPH
Copyright. by Joseph b. Bowles)

healtn ana amDtion, he got city lot
on the strength OF money he did not
have. and then got the money on the
strength OF owning the lot. After this
he built monument TO his own sue.
cess in the form of an apartment
house In which he set up his own
home, and on the granite front OF
which he blazoned his triumph in
carved letters reading "Moriarty Mai.
sonette"
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 II
and her furniture came the next morn
| ing, when Mr.. Moriarty was again abb
! sent.
! Miss Byrne was about 90 years OF
age, slender. OF middle stature ana
dressed hahtually in black or dark
| blue How anyone who looked at her
melting blue eyes, her sensitive pont-
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 a degree. which was
| astonishing This was because she
and it either knew but one tune. or,
at any rate, played but one. This
was a dainty, ripping trfe 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 fo0r
front. through the floor to the fourth
story suites and through the ceiling
TO the sixth story's tiny homes, tie
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 a col |
ander that Cordelia Byrne could play !
them all into the seventh heaven Of |
delight with Paderewskts peasant |
dance-so suited to the joyous TEN
permanent 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 recolect It, on a
Friday night. The following Wednes
day found everything unchanged ex
cept the temper of Moriartys tenants.
That night the Pinochle club, com
posed Of six of the male tenants OF
the Maisonette. met in Mr.. Mahoneys
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 PaderewsMs to
which we have referred, and with
which all the men and women in the
Masonette had for some time been
familiar.
The plot was afoot. The innocent
proprietor of what he once boosted as
being the happiest bunch of homes on
the island was to be trapped when he
came for nights enjoyment. by
rebellious band Of tenants who had
sworn that either they. Miss Byrne OF
her piano must leave the house on the
first of the incoming month.
Meanwhile Miss Byrne finished the
one hundred and sixty.eighth rendi
ton 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
to her sister We may read over her
shoulders as she writes;
There is nothing to write, only |
know you are wondering. 1t is win
all or lose all with me. may go back
to the counter Of a department store
but it won. be until have to.
I've taken the little money mother
left me and furnished the apartment
and dressed myself with the quetest !
taste. so as 10 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 ! don't think you'd
recognize your merry romp of a sister
If you saw me. Butter wouldn't melt
I'm my mouth and never lift my eyes !
above the sidewalk. ! should have
thought by this time some man would
break his neck. almost to get acqusiat-
ed with me. just to see If he comdn't
make me raise my eyes.
The trouble is that only see wom-
en- at the church. and ! made a bad
choice Of an apartment house because
the men here are nearly all married :
and are such oysters that not one has !
yet made my acquaintance. The land !.
lord is single. though. and rich :.
Not that I want to fool anybody.
Lon dear Only. I'm as good as any