THE AGONY

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 178, 16 April 1923, Page 9

THE AGONY

LAMENT OVER THE LOST “LAURIE” A SATURDAY MORNING INCIDENT ’ (By H.P.) He felt exactly as one imagines Pan would have felt had he lost his pipes among the briar bushes of the Gardens of. Mythology. One can, with a certain amount of sympathetic vision, imagine how the skies would be less blue, the waters less limpid, the grass of the meadows less green to the eyes of the old god had he lost tho means whereby he summoned his court. So did tins forlorn Piper mourn. His was not the little scale of pipes which required a wagging head to play, but rather a still head and firm lips. As a matter of fact, it was an oboe, thin and graceful, a beautiful Laurie oboe, worth anything between £4O and £5O. with a tone aggregating the (beautiful voices of Jennie Lind, Patti, Melba, and Galli-Curci. And it was lost! In the silent watches of the night a thief has stolen into the Piper’s room in a local hostlery and seeing a very beautiful leather case, fast locked, on the dress- - ingtable. must have taken it from the storehouse of precious jewels belonging to 'Mrs. Piper, and with that cupidity said to be common to burglars, has. in plain parlance, lifted it. Only that and a travelling bag were missing. The bag was a matter of small concern, but tho “magic . flute,” the charm-binder, the exquisite Laurie! Such a precious possession was not easily replaced, and, if it were, it would not, could not, ever bo the same. The distracted piper sighed and moaned in anguish not too deep for words, but poignant in its audibility. In tho meantime the thief had opened up his "jewel case” to discover—a Wooden whistle! Was there ever such ill-luck? A wooden whistle, probably worth a few shillings, when his mind had pictured a string of pearls and half-a-dozen diamond rings. Tho luck 1 of it! aFncy taking such a risk for a mere whistle!

Action! Wiping the tears from his eyes the Piper besought mine host to communicate with the police, and with some promptitude a local Sherlock Holmes arrived on the scene, heard tho mournful story and went away to search. Within two hours he returned with the charmed pipe, and ecstasy reignpd in the soul of the piner. The searcher had discovered the instrument in a neighbouring pawn shop. Fifteen shillings had been lent upon it—on a £45 “Laurie” oboe! But. oh, tho ecstatic delight which attended the restoration—Solomon in all his glory never felt so uplifted as this fond piper. .