The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-04-26
A Saloon Romance.

ed the history of cigar, which deeply
affected all who heard it. MIR. Mortar
ty, friend of his, whose loss they had
just been called upon to mourn, had
kept saloon in the southwestern por-
ton of the city. Business was good,
and as his customers were Hospitality
inclined he was frequently invited to
poison himself gratuitously. Mr.. Nor
iarty also was of genial disposition
and on such occasions always declined
to fling stones against the house by tax
ing drinks of a size that, had they been
absorbed by customer, would have
excited his suspicion and indignation.
At last Mr.. Moriarty began to reflect
that this would not do-that though he
was often invited to irrigate himself he
rea lied more pleasure than pecuniary
profit from complying with these invi-
tations, and, besides, he was undermin-
ing his constitution surely and by no
means slowly. 1t would be unprofes-
sional to refuse to take something with
his customers; it would be breach of
trust to charge them 10 cents for his
drink of currant-jelly and water, and
as for soda-water and pop it would be
debasing the manhood of a Moriarty to
indulge in the like. At last a happy
thought occurred to him he would keep
a cigar to take at the expense of his
friends. He selected a cigar and sol
EMMY devoted it to that purpose. The
result was magical. Custom increased,
and so did the hospitality of customers
On Saturdays he would sell that cigar
to himself thirty, forty, or one hundred
times. When a customer who knew
the business insisted polit ly but firmly
on mis- biting off the end thereof or light
ing it, Mr.. Moriarty would dis
cover some imperfection in it
and substituting another one for
it, put the sacred cigar aside for future
and repeated use. That cigar brought
him, in his own expressive language,
Hastings of luck The first day he
treated himself to it, the patrolman on
the beat, who had been down on him,
was shot; the first day that he Melted
more than 81 on its sale q converted
sx-barkeeper of his refunded him 1926
he had knocked down while in Mr..
Moriarty's employ. Under the benign
influences of the cigar Mr.. Moriarty
never had bad nickel passed off on
him, and never experienced any diff
Guilty in showing spurious coin or short
change on customer, and when he
swept out in the morning there was
never less than 50-cent piece in the
sawdust. His barkeeper died, and he
secured in his stead a young man as
honest as the day was long, and who
could froth the beer higher than any
other man who ever handled atap. The
receipts from the sale of that cigar Mr..
Moriarty placed in a separ ate fund, and
that money was lucky. If he bet it on
cock-fght or horse-race, or on cleo
ton, or any thing, he won. If he in
vested it in real estate property in that
neighborhood it went kitirg up. Mr..
Moriarty put an extension on his count
er and began to think about opening a
wholesale department, and running for
Alderman. "Fortune smiled, nav
grinned upon him, gentlemen" said the
speaker, "and no higher evidence of
the magical properties of that cigar
need be given than is afforded in the
simple statement that, while he had it,
he never paid cent of license.
Cheers. But one evil morning the
barkeeper was sick, and Mr.. Moriarty
was suddenly called out to attend to
some business. He left his wife in
charge of the saloon. Hardly had he
left it when a stranger entered and
asked for drink. He consumed the
spurious beverage, and asked for CT
gar. The unsuspecting woman handed
him the box and he.selected, and bit
the end off of, and walked away with,
the Lucky Cigar of Mr.. Moriarty!
Nay, he paid for his entertainment with
a bad quarter and received good nick
ell in change.
"When Mr.. Moriarty returned, and
another customer invited him to take
something, he replied: well, don't
drink, but don't mind taking cigar
with you,' saying which, he reached
for the familiar box. At one glance
his practieed eye noticed the absence
of the Lucky Cigar. 1t gave him a
shock, but, gentlemen, our lamented
friend was rich, and prosperous, and
pulled up, as may say-he had gained
thirty-two pounds of tlesh-and he paid
little attention to it. Had he known
that the luck of the house of Moriarty
had departed forever it would have
been different. 1t had. Aye, sir, it
would have been better if that stranger
had called for bottle of wine and stood
Mrs. Moriarty off-better had he took
a miserable pony of new ale and got
1895 good change out of a counterfeit
X. That Lucky Cigar had brought in
Mr.. Moriarty 1851 60, and he picked
out another, thinking to himself, Its
in the system, not in the cigar" De-
luded man! Vain supposition! As he
did 60 tho ra1nnn dnnr nrnnnd n.a -