Philadelphia Musical Academy - Da Capo Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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MIKE PEDICIN Quintet Villanova Jazz Festival Winners ♦-

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FEATURED WITH THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA Norma Weintraub Florence Quivar

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THE PROFESSIONAL DEMISE OF MR. STILT A SHORT STORY BY MANFORD ABRAHAMSON I ' ve got it! Got what, Sir? The solution to the problem of the missing books, of course. Oh — well, bravo, Sir. The assistant librarian tried in vain for an exclamation point. He was far from inspired today. The head librarian had already tried five different solutions to the problem, and none of them had been worth all the bother. When the books had first begun to disappear, Mr. Stilt had issued a proclamation stating that anyone found attempting to run off with any of the library ' s books would be suspended. Promptly. Mr. Stilt had been convinced that the library thief would either be caught within the following few days or make no further illegal book withdrawals. For two weeks there had been no thefts. Finally, Mr. Stilt, in a moment of triumph, had taken down the proclamation. The follow- ing day, fifteen books were stolen. Three months and four solutions later, the problem of the missing books was still with them. By now, Mr. Stilt had attained a pinnacle of unpopularity reached by very few. His latest suggestion had been to fingerprint the entire student body. Objections from the students and the faculty were so many and so violent, however, that he had been forced to abandon Plan Five. Today the assistant librarian was tired of Mr. Stilt ' s plans and of Mr. Stilt in general. Not so Mr. Stilt. He positively loved himself at this moment. He assumed all the airs of a man suddenly called to greatness. It is without a doubt the most in- genious of all the plans. What ' s more, it ' ll work. Samuel, come here. I must discuss this with you privately. The assistant librarian, tired as he was, rose to hear this new solution, but Mr. Stilt, in his anxiety to proclaim the word, had dropped his temporary airs and had run over to Samuel ' s desk in the corner of the long, narrow room. Sit down, Samuel, sit down. There ' s hardly any time. We might be intruded upon any minute and must therefore make the most of these few precious moments. Alone.