The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-09-25

swered. Come and sit down and toll
me how you got here-and WHY"
WELL" he answered slowly, as they
seated themselves side by side on tho
hard green sofa. y don't suppose
can explain, SO that you'll understand,
but I'll try. Different kinds Of things
brought me. l heard you were here
from Lady Maud, and l thought per.
aaps might have an opportunity for
little talk. And then-oh, don't
know. I've seen everything worth
seeing except battle and 'Parsifal,'
and as 1t seemed so easy, and you
were here, thought I'd have look
at the opera, since I can't see the
fight"
Margaret laughed little.
Il hope you will like it," she said.
Have you good seat?"
Il haven't got ticket yet" an.
swered Mr.. Van Torp. in blissful IL.
norance.
mo seat!" The prima donna's sur.
prise was almost dramatic. But how
In the world do you expect to get one
now? Don't you know that the seats
for 'Parsifar are all taken months be-
forehand?"
Are they really?" He was very
calm about it. Then suppose l
shall have to get ticket from a spec
ulator. don't see anything hard
about that"
MY dear friend. there are no spec-
ulators here. and there are no tickets
to be had. You might as we'll ask for
the noon"
Il can stand, then. I'm not afraid
Of getting tired"
There are no standing places at
all! No one is allowed to go in who
has not seat. A week ago you might
possibly have picked up one in Mum
ich. given up by some one at the last
moment. but such chances are jumped
at! I wonder that you even got .
place to sleep!"
We'll, it's not much Of a place."
sail Mr.. Van Torp, thoughtfully.
There's one room the size of horse
box. one bed. one basin, one pitcher
and one towel, and I've brought my
valet with me. I've concluded to let
him sleep while I'm at the opera, and
he'll sit up when want to 60 to bed.
Box and Cox. don't know what he'll
sit on, for there's no chair, but he's
got to sit"
Margaret laughed, for he amused
her.
~ suppose you're exaggerating little
Bit" she said. Its not really quite
SO bad as that. is IT."
ITS worse. There's lunatic In tho
next room who calls me f. Sharp
through the door, and has lodged a
complaint already because I whistled
while was shaving. It's not very
good hotel. Who is r. Sharp. any
way? Maybe that was the name of
the last man who occupied that room.
I don't know, but l don't like the i'd ga
Of having q mad German pianist for u
neighbor. He may get In while I'm
asleep and think I'm the piano. and
hammer the life out of me. the way they
do. I've seen perfectly new piano
! wrecked in single concert by fel.
law who didn't look as II he had the
strength to kick mosquito. They're
so deceptive. pianists! Nervous men
are often like that, and most pianists
are nothing but nerves and hair"
He amused her, for she had never
seen him In his present mood.
'E sharp lie a note," she said. ION
the piano It's the same as natural.
You must have been whistling some
thing your neighbor knew, and you
made a mistake. and nervous mu-
sicians really suffer II one does that.
But 1t must have been something rath-
er complicated, to have an e sharp in
II! 1t wasn't 'Suwanee Rriver,' nor
the Washington Post either! In
deed, should rather like to know
what 1t was"
"Old tunes I picked up when I was
cow-punching. years ago." answered
Mr.. Van Torp. II don't know where
they came from, for l never asked,
but they're not like other tunes, that s
certain, and l like them. They re.
mind me of the old days out west,