An Inconvenient Plane

The lato Leopold de Meyer, of Dresden, a brilliant and popular pianist in his day, was once summoned to play before the sultan at Constantinople. Going thither he borrowed a grand piano from one of the Austrian secretaries of legation and had it set up in a large reception room at the palace. There he awaited the coming' of the sultan; but when that intelligent monarch entered the rootn he stai-ted back in alarm, and demanded of his attendants what that monster was standing there on three legs. Explanations followed, but were in vain. The legs had to be taken off, and the body of the instrument laid flat on the iloor, and Leopold de Meyer, erossleg-ged on a mat, went thrcugh his program as best he could in that awkwaid attitude and without pedáis. Hut the commanderof the faithful was delig-hted, and when the last piece was played gave the artist over a thousand pounds as " oacksheesh. "-