The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-03-13
BY JULIAN RALPH
h1IkLIZ2ZZk LItM4AAAeANAS


Barney Moriarty had done well for
himself. Starting with nothing but
health and ambition, he had acquired
a modest fortune in real estate and
had built a 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 blaz |
oned his triumph in carved letters
reading "Moriarty Maisonette
Barney was a popular chap, good
looking, witty, ready for a hand at
cards, a glass or a joke with anyone
who challenged him. He was quite
alone in the world, an orphan and a
bachelor but possessed Of a romantic
regard for all women. Out Of his
wide acquaintance he easily rented
nearly every suite in the Moriarty
Maisonette before the snowy brick
and granite pile was finished, and
It soon came to be the verdict
Of the neighbors that there was not
happier houseful id the ward.
The Maisonette was nine stories
high BY a 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 one
day. She tcok it at once, to the i'm
mense astonishment Of Florence, who
explained to Mr.. Moriarty that he
was "enly jolIying her along in order
to have her come back later on
when" he added, she flashed the ten
dollars on me to bind the bargain, and
went away"
She and her furr'tnre came togeth-
er the next mornI J, when Mr. Nor
Iarty was again absent; there was
nothing left but to make the best of
the case
Florence declared Miss Byrne to be
"a perfect lady," out of sight as a
good locker" and very we'll supplied
with money and furniture. She was
soon. to be joined by her sister, the
head lace buyer for the Colossus de
partment store Of Harlem. She was
about 20 years of age, slender, Of mid
die stature and dressed habitually in
black or dark blue, with now and then
just touch of red at her neck, or q
hint Of purple in her hat.
Among her belongings was an up
right piano, and she and 1t combined
altered the temper of the people ii
the Moriarty Maisonette with a sud
denness and to a degree which wa
astonishing
When / say that she and her plan,
, altered the temper Of the coterie Il
the Maisonette, ! am anticipating
} later development. To understand thi
/ fully we must come to 1t gradually
) The tenants of the Moriarty MaisoI
: cite had, before this, noticed som
faultness and oheapness in the bull,
( ing. Drafts pouring in around tn
{ mantels and the window castings ha
( borne upon their cold wings the proc
? that the occupants were housed b
, what is called contract work" an
. that of a very fiimsy character. Ther
3 had been subdued and guarded con
e plants, and even gossip about this r.
/ grettable characteristic of the Maisol
s cite. But all fault-finding ceased @
+. the afternoon and evening when Mis-
4 Byrne played the Paderewsky pea
( ant dance over and over some doze
or 20 times. Now it was the e
2 qmsite, rollicking, merry, melodic Gu
rent that flowed through the walls
, the fifth floor front, through the flol
i to the fourth story suites and throug
d the ceiling to the sixth story's til
a homes Upstairs and downstairs Il
II delighted tenants blessed the day th
N Moriarty's builders skimped the
n work, leaving the house SO like a cola
70 der that Cordelia Byrne could pli
them all into the seventh heaven of 4
9. light with Paderewskis peasant dan
n so suited to the joyous Temperance
rs of the Irish audience and to the
70 pretty taste in music. Miss Byrne W
10 taken into the warmest corners Of t
N hearts of the Maisonette on that nigl
et That was, as we recollect it, on
N Friday night The following Wedn'
~ day found everything unchanged {
u cept the temper Of Moriarty's tenan
4. They were all well and at home. Nj
70 Byrne was very well and at hon
n and she and her piano V'ers still
~ producing the elfish, fairy-iige com
~ sition of the great Polish piSni
~ The next night it was the turn
the Pinochle club, composed OF six
~ the male tenants of the Maisonette.
All meet in Mr.. Mahoney's apartmer
aa Five of the members were on ha
1e promptly and waited for Mr.. Mortar
bo the sixth, to arrive. Miss Cords
Byrne, in the rear suite on the sa
q floor with the Mahoneys, regaled
IN club members with that choice morc'
u Of Paderewskfs. s. to which we have
,at ferred, and with which all the n
do- and women in the Maisonette had
or. some time been familiar.
ms "Oh, mother Of Mosesi" one Of
art men exclaimed. there's that te
md goin' again like the wind at Kinsa
mt Easy, easyl" said Mr. Mahor
i'm Never mind the tune. Don't wa
breath and words upon it till Morta