The Portland daily press., 1881-04-14
Verbeck's Jokes.

verbeck, the we'll known prestidigitateur,
once took it into his head to frequent coiteur
in q rather questionable quarter of Paris. The
establishment wore not very prosperous as
pect, the staff seeming far more numerous
than the customers. At the conclusion of his
first visit Verbeck, after paying his % CEN
times for being shaved with some ostentation
dropped 2-franc piece into the receptacle for
s-~alrboires. A loud and general "Merci, Mon
sieur, natus~ry greeted this princely pro-
ceeding, the garcof,s vylng ri.h- one another
as to who should show the generous -.l;ant
most attention. On the succeeding day YER
beck made his appearance in the shop about
the same hour, and was received with marked
respect. One assistant got new cake of soap
ready, another produced a napkin of ivory
whiteness, while third carefully stropped the
best razor in the place. The patron kindly
offered his new customer a paper, and even
the lady of the house stepped down from her
compton to ask whether Monsieur would
like a foot-warmer. Verbeck, however, calmly
paid the twenty-five confines and dropped a
couple of francs into the troac as before. On
the third day, even greater Difference on the
part of the master, mistress and men. Two
pots of flowers had been brought down from
the patronnes own room to deck the toilet in
front of which the open-handed customer was
in the habit of seating himself. On tho
fourth day the hairdresser's youthful daugh-
the end of the operation the two francs
falling into the tronc as usual. Saturday, the
day on which the tirelire had to be opened,
the excitement became excessive. The pro-
prietor in an unguarded moment decided on
closing the shop an hour before the usual time,
and all made up their minds that the wealthy
customers silver should forthwith be spent in
a neighboring gargote. SO far good. On
opening the tr0ylc, however, to the disgust OF
the expectant circle, not single piece of sill
everybody began to suspect everybody else, the
mistrust of the gdrc0nS gradually centering on
the unfortunate patron. The mistrust deep
ened into hints, and the hints into open
charges of malversation of the moneys placed
in the supposed culprit's keeping, and the po-
sition of the latter had become far from envi-
able when, luckily, Verbeck thought it time to
reveal his identity. Having explained that he
had always substituted sou for two-franc
piece. by sleight of hand, when seeming to
drop the silver into the box, and having COM
pensated the gdrcons by the present of a louis,
mutual apologies were exchanged between en-
ployer and employed, and the postponed visit
was made to the wine shop.
of practical joke the victim of which was a
garcon at well.known cafe. On entering
Verbeck called for book and an evening pa
per, and was served with the journal and
the beer. Scarcely had the waiter turned his
back than VeIbeck remarked, "Be little
more attentive, my man! 1 asked you for a
book and you bring me naazagran! The garcon
was rather astonished, feeling almost certain
that he had served his customer with
a book but thinking that he had possibly
made a mistake, he said nothing and
quickly returned with another book. He had
not taken three steps, however, before Verbeck
again called him back and somewhat sharply
observed, This is rather too much, garcon!
L have twice requested bocE." "But, sir, ]
have just" "You can see for yourself that
you gave me a bavaroise. 1 want glass Of
alei" The astounded servitor fetched a third
book which was similarly transformed into
glass of currant syrup. This time the garcon
loudly protested and the proprietor had to
intervene, Verbeck stating his case SO calmly
and plausibly that the wretched gdrcon was or
the point of being cashiered on the spot, wheI
his tormentor interviewed and avowed himself
He showed that he had carried three little
TASKS filled respectively with coffee, milk ani
syrup, the contents of which his manual dex
terity had enabled him, under cover of the
newspaper, to transfer in turn to the glass
equally dexterousiy emptied of its contents
brought him each time by the victimized wait
or.