The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-04-29
Tie Thin Man from Dayton.

One morning recently, soon after the
Eating stand on the Central Market, Chica-
go, had been thrown open to the nav of
the hungry public and while Mrs. Ma
| grudcr was telling small boy that she
| could hold up her hand and swear that she
never used beans in her coffee, stranger
| came along and asked if he could get bite
| to eat. Mrs. Magrudcr has been on the
| market for many years, and she thinks she
knows thing or two. She has tlattcrctl
herself that she could tell to bite Just
| how much customer could eat, and she
has for years had an undisguised contempt
for thin bodied, spare faced men, who try
to chew their coffee and mince their toast.
This stranger was little better than n
| siXfoot shadow. His foreground consisted
| of a shirt collar and mouth as big as a
mincc pic, and the perspective revealed
nothing except two hollow eyes set below
thin line of sandy eyebrows. lie re-
marked that he had just arrived from Day
ton, and was somewhat hungry, but want
ed first to inquire how much his breakfast
| would cost him, as he was rather short of
funds.
"Ohl | suppose you may be able to wor-
ry down six or seven cents worth of prov-
sions and cup of coffee, she replied
Suppose yon say twenty five cents for
all | want to eat9" he said, as the corners
| Of his eyes began to twitch.
Mrs. Magrudcr looked him over and
mentally calculated that she would make
just thirteen cents by the bargain, and she
replied:
~ must have my money in advance,
you know"
ooh, certainly-here it is Now, then,
l may cat my fill for that quarter2"
She said that was the understanding, and
winkcd at the woman in the next stall.
The thin man from Dayton doubled up on
stool, opened his mouth, and fried sau-
| sage went out of sight 80 quickly that tho
! last end seemed to smoke. A fried cake
followed, than a second sausage, and after
| gulp or two the man handed out his Gun
with the words:
"That tastes like real coffcc-gimme
| some more"
While she was filling the cup he got
away with two hot biscuits and slice of
beef, and the coffee came just in time to
| wash down hunk Of mnce pic. lie 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
oiS "ouaNh SoillC otit CFCll WllilOuI TSSOTJ-
| ing to strategy, and she began asking qucs-
tions. The man answered none of them
except by mournful shake of the head.
! Crashl crashl went his Jaws, and he
reached out from the shoulder like clock
work. Mrs. Magrudcr called his attention
to dog fight across the way, but he ate
faster than ever. The bell struck and she
remarked that big conflagration was rag
ing At the Union depot, but the man did
not raise his eyes.
| When Mr.. Margurdcr discovered that she
was at last six shillings behind she said that
she was '.poor widow with five children
to support"
''lIow I do pity you'll" replied the man
as lie passed his cup with one hand ard
rakcd in biscuit with the other.
Then Ar. NIagrudcr told story about @
man dropping dead on the market the day
before on account of overcating, but the
man got away with two fried cakes and re-
piled:
"Curious how some folks will make hogs
Of themselves.
At length Mrs. Margurdcr wanted to
know how much longer he could stand it,
and the thin man from Dayton gave her a
approachful glance and answered:
| "Havc thus early fallen In with swind.
lors and falsi6ers2"
She let him 60 on for three or four min.
] utes more, and then she limited that do.