The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-05

IND myself in need OF your assistance.
/ will call you!"
AS tools for piano tuning Mr.. Bowser
had hammer, q Ratchet, a tack-puller,
a corkscrew. screwdriver. and a mon
key-wrench. Al he folded back the
cover he saw the inside of piano for
the first time in his life. He had taken
only one glance. When he walked to
the foot of the stairs and called to Mrs.
BOwser:
mo wonder there was an ur-ur when
you hit some of the keys Why d'you
s'pose your first-class piano-tuner left
among the wires?"
He couldn't have left any Of his
tools?' she inquired.
mo tools. but half a dozen strips Of
red flannel. He even wove them in
among the strings. That's probably
where my missing flannel shirt went to.
He was probably some man from a
wooden MILL.
why. those strips are always put
in" protested Mrs. Bowser. Il think
the idea is to soften the sound
We'll, don't. 1 think the idea is to
attract rats and mice. and out they
comet"
ing out the rags he very quickly dis
covered the method Of tightening the
strings. With one hand he fitted the
monkey-wrench to turn the keys and
with the other he started a tum-tum-
tum on the keys as he had once or twice
seen a regular tuner do. He couldn't
exactly decide whether all the strings
ought to be frightened or loosened. and
SO he took a middle course and tighten
ed half and lOosened half The effect
wasn't exactly magical 1t was worse.
Some Of the keys piped and sobbed. and
there we're others which produced
sounds as of a saw trying to eat its
way into crOwbar.
For the lands sake. but what are
you doing now?' called Mrs. Bowser
after three or four minutes.
Saving piano from wreck and
ruin!" replied Mr.. Bowser, as two chills
tried to gallop up and down his spine at
the same time.
He hadn't quite hit it. He grudgingly
admitted the fact to himself, and then
began anew. In dim, uncertain way
he seemed to remember something
about a pitch connection with tun-
ing. He couldn't possibly recall wheth-
er it was hfgh-pitch, but he wasn't the
man to hesitate. He began humming
and keeping up the tum-tum on the
keys. After awhile he found a sound to
agree with his hum, and he took that
for rallying point. 1t was what he
called $3.50 pitch, and after half an
hour Of keying up and keying down he
6OI tITce Keys WHICH lpPcAICQ " d6ICc
that some sort OF girl had been left
behind somebody. The other strings
were obstinate. They wanted to play
"Sally Walters" 1.-The Sweet By-and
By or Yankee Doodle" and every five
minutes Mrs. Bowser kept calling down
the house. or If Mr.. Bowser had got an
attack Of collie.
He finally refused to answer, but with
his teeth shut hard and a glare in his
eyes he started out to bring those
strings into harmony or bust the box.
He frightened ten, one after another, I'M
til they set up a humming, and then he
mopped his brow and started to tum-
tum the keys. There were ten sounds
to bring out the goosef.esh, but scarcely
had the first shudder passed over MI.
BOwser when the wire began to snap.
the end of the first one tickled his ear.
the second one curled his hair. and the
third just brushed his chin He was
moving away when four went at once
and one Of them had business with his
nose. Mrs. Bowser heard yell and q
sit down, and she came fitting down
stairs to find Mr.. Bowser sitting against
the wall with his nose in his hand. 1t
was bleeding like a cider barrel with
the bung out, and the skin had been
peeled from end to base. His eyes were
also weeping large tears and his bald
head had a welt across it.
"Well. you've tuned the piano." said
Mrs. Bowser as she looked down upon
him.
"Who-who threw a cat in my face:''
he asked as he realized her presence.
Its wonder you didn't say did,"
she answered. And then go and
threaten divorce and all that. It was
one of the wires that struck you, and
you'll want court-plaster on that nose
for MONTH"
"Wo-man-wo-"h he began, but she
stopped him with a gesture and said:
1T will cost SIS to $50 to have that
piano fixed, but 1t shall be done tomor-
| row. You've got to the end of your
tune, and now go upstairs and let me
see how nearly killed you are!"
Mr.. Bowser obeyed without a protest.
More than that, he never said q word
while she was criss-crossing his nose
with six strips of plaster. It was only
after he was in bed that he growled
under his breath:
1T was put-up Job to assassinate
me. and you bet your life I'll make it
cost somebody mighty dear."-(Copy-
right, 1914, by the Mcclure Newspaper
| Syndicate.)
| The Woman of 1t.
| Crabshaw-You told me If I took
you to Europe last year, you'd never
| ask to go again