River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-04-24
The Thin Man From Dayton.

Yesterday morning, soon after the eat
ingstands on the Central Market had
been thrown open to the NAV of the
hungry public, and while Mrs. Magru-
der was telling small boy that she
could hold up her right hand and swear
that she never used beans in her coffee
stranger came along and asked il he
could get bite to eat. Mrs. Magruder
has been on the market for many years,
and she thinks she knows a thing or two
She has battered herself that she could
tell to bite Just how much customer
could eat. ana she has for years had an
uadisguised contempt for thin bodied,
spare faced men, who try to chew their
coffee and mince their toast.
This stranger was little better than
a six-foot shadow. His foreground consist
cd of shirtco' Tor and mouth as big as a
miuce pie, and the perspective revealed
nothing but two hollow eyes set below
thin line of sardy eyebrows. He re-
marked that he had just arrived from
Dayton, and was somewhat hungry, but
wanted first Ia enquire how much his
breakfast would cost him, as he was
rather sh, r of funds.
10, suppose you may be able to wor-
~ down sig or seven cents worth of
provisions and cup of Coffee" she re-
piled.
suppose you say twenty five cents for
all want to eatg" he said as the corners
of his ewes began to twitch.
Mrs Magruder looked him over, and
mentally calculated that she would make
just thirteen cents by the bargain, and
she replied:
II must have my money in advance,
you know"
She said that was the understanding,
and winked at the woman in the next
stall. The thin man from Dayton doub-
led up on stool, opened his mouth, aud
fried sausage went out of sight so
quickly that the last end seemed TO
smoke. A fried cake followed, then a
second sausage, and after gulp or two
the man handed out his cup with the
words, THAT tastes like real coffee; GIN
me some more"
While she was filing the cup he got
away with two hot biscuits and a slice of
beef, and the coffee came just in time TO
wash down hunk of mince- pie. He
could use both arms and his mouth at
once, and he attended strictly to business.
When Mrs Magruder had filled the third
cup her smile had quite vanished. She
saw that she wouldn't come out even
without resorting to strategy, and she be-
gan asking questions. The man an
swered none of them except by a mourn
full shake of the head. Crash crash
went his jaws, and he reached out from
II IL
gruder called his attention to a dog-fgh
ecross the way, bnt he ate faster than
ever The bell struck nine. and she re-
marked that big confagration was rag
ing at the Union Depot, but the man did |
not raise his eyes.
When Mrs. Magruder discovered that
she was at least six shillings behind, SHE
said that she was q "poor widow with |
five children TO support"
= How do pity you'll replied the man, |
as he passed his cup with one hand aud |
raked in biscuit with the ether.
Then Mrs. Magruder told story about |
a man dropping dead on the market the
day before, on account of overeating, but
the man got away with two fried cakes,
and replied:
Spurious how some folks will make
hogs of themselves"
at length Mrs. Magruder wanted to
know much longer he could stand il, and
the thin man from Dayton gave her re-
proachful glance, and answered:
"Have thus early fallen in with
swindlers and falsifers2"
She let him go on for three or four
minutes more, and then she limited that
a detective was prowlipg around there,
evidently sspottiDg some one.r
IF he'll only give me twenty-five min
utes to finish nv breakfast, be can take
me and be hanged!' answered the man,
and bis arms worked faster than ever.
Mrs. Magruder was cornered. She
aid his money down, and asked him, fol
he sake of her poor orphans, to move
IN, and leave her at least one fried cake i
IS business foundation. He paused
With his cup held out fo- the seventh
lime, and perhaps something in her tear
'ul look reminded him of his poor deed
mother, for he said
well, am only human, and I admit
hat nv heart is tender. | don't ike TO
Freak off in the middle of my breakfast,
,ut I'll take the money and mnve on for
he children's sake"
He got up looking just as much like q
ath as when he sat down,
nd whes be was out OF sight
drs. Magruder turned to the desolate
uins and groaned out:
ssI'll take my solemn oath if four dol
ars would make me GOOD for this, and l
must tell my husband that fitted out
chooner on uustn
Prof. TAFT has found that india rub5ert
ftsr having heen stretched for wears and I