The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-03-24

L
wish it hadn't struck him until I'd
had time to go over the Under bust
ness with him."
Three Hundred East One Hundredth
street is house decrepit with a dis
ease of the aged. To Average Jones
inquiring gaze on this summer day ii
opposed the secrecy of a senile indif
ference.
An old lady come to the door. She
was sleek and placid, round and com
Portable She did not seem to belong
in that house at all. Average Jones
felt as if he had cracked open one OF
the grisly locust shells which cling
lifelessly to tree trunks and had found
within a plump and prosperous beetle
WAS an advertisement for a from
bone player inserted from this house
ma'am?" he inquired.
Long ago." said she.
THE person who inserted the adver
tisement-"
HAS left. A month since. Left nc
address,"
His name was Telford. wasn't it?'
said Average Jones strategically.
Might be-" said the old lady, who
had evidently formed no favorable i'm
preston of her ex-lodger. But he
called himself Ransom. He had the
whole third floor, furnished"
"Is it let now?"
Part of it. The rear"
"I'll take the front ROOM"
You're a very queer young man
Are you a B-fiat trombone player?"
II collect EN-" said Average Jones
"References?" said the old lady
abruptly and with suspicion.
"All varieties" replied her prospec
tive lodger cheerfully Il will bring
'em tomorrow with my grip"
For five successive evenings there
after Average Jones sat in the senile
house, awaiting personal response to
the following advertisement which he
had inserted in the UNIVERSAL:
WANTED B-FLAT TROMBONIST
Must have had experience as street
player. Apply between s and 10 p. m
r.. 800 East Tooth street.
Between the ebb and flow of appli.
cant musicians he read exhaustively
upon the unallied subjects of from
bones and high explosives, or talked
with his landlady. who proved to be a
sociable -erson, not disinclined to dis.
cuss the departed guest. Ransom
his supplanter learned, had come light
and gone light. Two dress suit cases
had sufficed to bring in all his belong.
ings He went out but little, and then,
she opined with disgustful sniff, for
purposes strictly alcoholic. Parcels
came for him occasionally. These were
usually labeled GLASS. Handle with
care" Oh! there was one other thing.
A huge. easy armchair from Carruth.
ers & Co.. mighty luxurious for an
eight-dollar lodger. After he had been
here awhile he had a man come in and
box it up.
WAS this before or after the from.
bone players came?"
Long after. 1t was after he had
picked out his man and had him up
here practicing."
"Did-er-you ever-er-see this
musician" drawled Average Jones in
the slow tones of his peculiar excite.
ment. What was he like?"
He was stupid old German. l al.
ways thought he was a sort of a nat.
ural."
"Yes?" Average Jones peered out OF
the window rs this the man coming
up the street,"
1T surely is" said the old lady
Now, Mister Jones, if he commences
his blaring and batting and"
"There1l be no more music, ma am, y
promised the young man, laughing, as
she went out to answer the door-bell
The musician, ushered in, looked
about him, an expression of bewildered
and childish surprise on his rabbit
like face.
II am Schlichting." he murmured ;
Il come to play the B-flat trombone" .
Glad to see you. Mr.. Schlichting,'
said Average Jones, leading the way
upstairs. "Sit down."
The visitor put his trombone down
and shook his head with conviction.
1T iss the same room, yes. he OBJ
served But it ISIS not the same gent
no."
You expected to find Mr.. Ransom
here? Mr.. Ransom, the gentleman
who employed you to play in the stree,
in BROOKLYN"
Mr.. Schlichting made large and ex
passive gestures. 1T iss a pleasure to
play for such gent" he said warmly
Two dollars a day.
You have played often in Brooklyn
Where the fat gentleman told you to
stop and fell out of the Window"
A look of fear overspread the worn
and innocent face
Il don't go there no more. The DO
lice, they take me-"
But you had gone there before?"
mot to play; no."
Not to play? Are you sure?"
The German considered painfully
There vass no feet in the window
he explained. Frightening.
Upon that surprising phrase Aver
age Jones pondered You were not to
play unless there were feet in the win
dow" he said at length. WAS tina,
it?"
The musician assented.
1T does look like a signal to show
that Under was in," unused the inter
rogator. do you know Mr.. Linder?'