The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-10-16

" OCTAvUs ROY {
HOW FLOR1AN sLAPPEY
CHALLENGES DARK
TOWNS
BOUNCER WITH
PROFITABLE RESULTS.
- Ode WEST entered the front
and on1y-parlor of the
Grunt's seven room 7th avenue
- apartment, thumped his suit
case on the floor, cast jaundiced
eyes upon his ebony landlord, and an
nounced with unmistakable vehem-
ence that he was leaving.
Willie Grunt met the startled gaze
Of his buxom wife, Diana, and made
a helpless gesture which indicated
merely that the Inevitable was in the
process Of happening.
whats wrong. Brother West?"
:Ey'ything.tha's what's wrong. I
CANT STAN 1t nc no."
"You CANT stan which,"
"Eustace Todd"
The eyes of Mr.. and Mrs. Grunt
flashed apprehensively toward the
long, gloomy hallway and, in chorus,
they said, "Ssssh!" But the departing
boarder made a violent gesture.
I'm plumb sick an tired of sssh-ing.
Tha's all I been doin' since I come
heah. So fun now N what you can
git TO- my room is another boarder."
out conviction. This was no new story
albeit it was no less melancholy be-
cause of frequent repetition. BOOMERS
came and roomers went, but Eustace
Todd continued forever. They did,
however, ask the usual question.
What got you all het up?"
THAT Teller Todd. He works until
wants to sleep all day he won't let
nobody in the house, say nothin' nor
neither do anything. This mawnin' I
started to play my radio-real soft
an he come into my room an flang it
on the floor. Then he said if I didn't
like what he done I knowed what I
could do about it."
Did. you know?" inquired Mrs.
Grunt.
II know now. Use gittin' out of heah
sudden an permanent. An If I never
see that big bully again it'll be twice
too soon."
The thoroughly irate and justifiably
indignant Mr.. West picked up his suit
case, tramped loudly down the hall, and
slammed the front door with malicious
intent to awaken the slumbering Eus.
to the front window of his apartment
and stared out across the rooftops of
Harlem.
His view embraced rows of ancient
red brick apartment houses; a line Of
small shops-pork stores, beauty par
lors, bars, groceries, markets but
his thoughts were within the apart
back room; the big man who-because
he worked at night and wished to sleep
all day-had managed to drive away
every boarder whom the Grunts had
succeeded in enticfng to their place.
Even without the disturbing pres
ence of Eustace Todd, Mr.. and Mrs
Grunt found it difficult to find ten
ants to help them pay their $50 month
too savory. It was said Of them that
they would rather do wrong to their
fellow man, and lose money on it, than
act gently and make a profit.
But unpleasant or not, the Grunts
faced an economic problem which Is
prevalent in Harlem and peculiar to it:
They had to have an apartment, and
ll Vic OxOxC oCCtxOkx "a 4NC" Ao40
rentals are absurdly high and accom-
modations limited. So, in an attempt
to solve the virtually ~unsolvable, the
dusky residents Of Harlem have de-
veloped the habit Of room-renting.
In theory the thing which Willie and
Diana Grunt had tried to do was feas-
ible and commonplace. Being persons
of some financial stability, they had
obligated themselves under lease for
fhic u,o1k1In onortnnant m 7fh avenue
at a monthly price Of $50. For them
selves, they proposed to use the par
lor (Which was, thrice a day, the din
ing roOm), the kitchen, and their bed
room. Each of the other four room was
to be rented for IS per week.
On paper it was an excellent propo-
sition. Twenty dollars per week, four
$50. From this there was to be sub
tracted their $50 rent, plus about SO
for lights and water . leaving a
| clear profit of $40 and the three rooms
which they occupied.
Unfortunately for the tranquility Of
the Grunt menage, they were personally
unpopular to start with. And even more
unfortunate was their selection of Eus-
tace Todd as star boarder.
nacious person. He was constructed
along the lines Of a key, and was re.
puted to have been both boxer and
wrestler. Certainly, he brought to his
profession of bouncer at the Hi Teller
club an enthusiastic efficiency which
proved definitely embarrassing to OBJ
stgeperous patrons of that hot-cha COL
ofed night spot.
Willie Grunt swung back from the
window and fired words at his wife.
His voice was high and Whitney, his
| manner Quarre1Some.
"Now," he snapped, I'VE amt got a
single roomer left"
Nor neither we won't have. An it
was all yo' fault in the fust place"
"Says who?"
"Says me. Didn't I tell you not to
rent a room to no West Indian feller?"
"Can I hep it that Eustace Todd was