The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1908-11-21


planning that it was pledge, he acted
| as though he intended to eat it, look
ing it over with the thoroughness of a
rube conductor on narrow gauge
railroad.
1t is a Cremona, says he, and it
is sacrileged against I knew it as
soon as I saw it in the window. 1 am
Girstman; here is my card
He puts down his card Both the
pawnbroker and 1 had heard of Girst-
man, the celebrated violinist, then
playing in that section.
I am Girstman, says he, I will
buy this violin
''Tolma looked like a man that was
| slowly strangling. He limited that it
was a piece of entailed goods and
wasn't his to let go. But the other
fellow did not seem to follow him.
will give one thousand dollars
says he.
Now I've seen men dumped, dazed
and breathless, into the arms of de-
| spair by a single whirl of the roulette
| wheel, but for a clear and complete
stoppage of mental machinery, ToIma
at that moment, had them beat to a
! fare-you-well. But the violinist thinks
! the whole thing is a STALL
g will give two thousand says he,
a little louder. He waits a minute,
showering glares on Tolma, then slams
his fist down on the counter, I will
make it three thousand
HE had out a bundle of money,
ready to pay before the pawnbroker's
almost fearful notes appeared to make
him understand the situation. When
he did understand, he grew alarming;
he tossed his hair like a side-show
Sampson and spared all over the
place. He demanded to know the own
er's name and where he was to be
found. but Tolma had, by this time,
begun to gather in some fragments of
his scattered wisdom, so he refused
to give up. l could see him mentally
dramatizing scene in which a hungry
man with valuable violin got all the
worst of it.
He calmly allows to the musician,
however, that the instrument is soak
! ed for q big sum, and that it was not
altogether according to etiquette to
! herald the owners name about to any
! great extent. But he'd find out, SO he
said, when the party came in to pry
loose the mortgage, and if the goods
were on the market would let the gen.
tleman know Immediately. When I
! left, the musician was excitedly ex-
| planning just where he intended to
give concerts for the following month.
Il meets the pawnbroker one night
about a week later and he seemed
! jovial and elated, and had a bundle
under his arm.
I've got that VIOLIN says he, and
I wrote that fellow Girstman this
morning that it was his at a price
"'How much did you give?' says I,
and he looks less happy
1.-The fellow that owned it was a
wiser plug than 1 thought says he;
he knew all about the value of the
thing and refused to sell at first al
any price. He said he regarded the
violin as his friend-the last he had
But kept after him and kept adding
to the price; and at last l landed him
at the two thousand mark
And Girstman offered three says
1. You've got profit all right
Hell pay more than three, says
Tolma; I think it's worth five Any
how, 1 am going down to see that
German that lodges in the same house
you do. 1 hear he knows all about
1 violins, and maybe he can give me tip
I'VE walks down the street together.
1 was unlocking the door when the
postman came along and handed me
| letter; then l took Tolma up and in
troduced him to my friend the 'ceIlist
The Bavarian took the violin in his
hand while 1 broke open my letter.
WHAT laughs the 'cellist; this a
Cremona! 1t is a cigar box with a stick
in it
''Tolma turns as yellow as the violin
"Tts a Guarnerius,' says he; why,
you must be daffy!
"A Guarnerius!' The German lean
ed back and rocked with pleasure 1
had just got the drift of my letter and
was also doing some rocking on my
own account while he continued:
Why Guarnerius would not have
| burned such thing in his stove.
Look here
with wrench he had the .yiolin's
back off, and staring us in the face
was the legend: Made at Egg Harbor,
n. J..
q have been gold-brickedr easps
Tolma
1T looks like it, says I; Just listen
to this, and reads my letter aloud:
ITO Bartholomew Scanlon, ESD
Greetings: He who speaks to you in this
wise is the man of the yellow violin I
inclose you a one-dolIar note which you
/ kindly loaned melt is the same one
For this, many thanks. I am departing
! from St Joe with considerable speed
much content and $1,000. A gentleman of
foreign birth, whom you have met. using
the name of Girstman, bears me com
pany On the train we will cut equally
in two the roll which once graced the
| jeans of Senior Tolma. He was so easy
that it was almost shame to take the
money; but needed ii.
'-As our progenitors OF ancient Rome
were accustomed to say: Waller
THE MAN WITH THE YELLOW yIo-
LIN.
Unless concluded Bat, "Tolma has
managed to convince some one that
Josef Guarnerius at one time trans
acted business at Egg Harbor, n. J.,
| he still holds the violin; and I am OF