The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-19
The Epeniae Story
The Piano Man.
(By Louis Otis. }

Inc PIANO Man.
(By Louis Otis) -t
Up through the airshaft came the
first tiny notes of TOO Much Mus
tard."
Dauphine threw down her pen in
evaporation anc pressed her hands to
her ears. Always, when she was up
to her eyes IL her evenings work.
gathering up the notes she had ac-
cumulated through the day. the piano
on the floor below would begin. The
weather being warm and all the win
dows open. every one in the tenement
got the benefit of the serenade.
Its maddcning," she exclaimed des-
perately. "The stuff I've turned in
since that public nuisance has started
will soon lose me my job. It's simply
rank. But I can't think with that
racket going en-"
The clock struck 9. Dauphine pick
stopping an instant to close the win
dow. Her copy must be at the office
by 10, and she had no time to lose.
The closed window partly shut out
the sound. but it also shut out the air.
Dauphine typewrote her copy in an
atmosphere tina. would have boiled an
egg.
She slipped on her hat, tucked the
precious manuscript into her bag and
went out into the hall. Up the stair
way came the dunn, dunn, dunn, de DUN
of the awful tune.
Il guess there is only one way left.
That is to do my writing at the office
in the evenings with the boys. But 1t
seems too bad to be chased out of my
little flat that am doing without
meals to pay rent for. I won't go to
a boarding house-never!''
She delivered her copy and was half
way down, stairs to the street when a
young man passed her, going up. She
and the shabby clothes of a young
man she had encountere1 4 the Office
two nights before. Jack Stoddard,"
she had heard him introduce him.
self to Hastings, the city editor. Hast
ings had dismissed him with his
usual brusk. Nothing doing" scarcely
glancing at the applicant, while the
office looked on with an unsympa-
thetic grin. All but Dauphine, whose
heart ached for the young man SO evil
IDENTIFY in hard luck. 1t had been such
short time since she herself had
been going the rounds hunting for
work, tn; t she had been unable Ito
forget the weeks of dreadful discour-
agement.
Impulsively she stopped and held
out her hand. Good evening, Mr..
Stoddard.'
He whipped off his hat and took
her hand gracefully. She was sur
prised at the change in him. The
hopelessness seemed to drop from his
face like a mask at the friendliness
of her tone, leaving him a different
man.
"Going to see Mr.. Hastings again ?"
she asked brightly, and added en-
couragingly. go on up. Maxwells
Just brought in something extra good,
and Mr.. Hastings will be eating out
of the IND for the next hour. Good
luck!"
He looked after her as she ran
lightly down the stairs. Hope-about
gone-had suddenly reappeared a
thousand candiepower strong.
1t was a cheery-looking, stalwart
young fellow who presented himself
at Hastings desk the next minute
with. eff you want something extra
good, Mr.. Hastings, you'd better take
me now. I'm sure to be snapped up
SOON" And instead Of kicking him
downstairs, the editor laughed and
asked him to sit down.
The music had stopped when Dau-
phine returned to the tenement. The
window responsible for the offending
music was dark when she leaned out
to have a look. "Gone to bed!" she
commended with satisfaction. Then
on her typewriter she ratified off a
the piano. She knew it was a man,
because when she had leaned far out
one time she had seen his hands Just
below the edge Of the window shade,
as they pounded on the keys.
The note ran in part "Win you kind
ly help one who is trying to earn q
livelihood and who needs qufetness in
the evening. by closing your window. or
at least putting on the soft pedal and
moving the piano to the far wall?
Changing the tune occasionally would
Very truly yours.
"A SUFFERER"
She stuck the note into an envelope.
ran down stairs and slipped it under
the Offenders door.
The next day sh- found an envelope
addressed, "A Sufferer" pinned to the
entrance wall. No one was in sight
Surprised and amused she took it
down and opened 1t in her room.
Dear Sufferer it ran. isn't II aw-
full? hate it more than anybody. But
they won't have anything else. II I
move the piano they can't hear, and
II 1 change the tune they howl 1t
means 81 a night, you see, and Just now
that's about as big as the harvest
moon. When the music quits you'll
know I've landed q job Penitently
yours THE OFFENDER"
''P. ST. can play decent stun"
Dauphine laughed. Poor fellow, I
suppose they means some Of the num-
erous one-steppers In the building He
is earning his bread and butter by
drumming that awful tune"