Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-12-16
BEGUILING RESTAURANT KEEPERS.

I He was cadaverous man with an aqul-
| line nose and long black hair combed down
over his ears. His Prince Albert coat was
buttoned up to his chin and his 'stovepipe"
hat was frayed ss to the nap, but ho hung
! it on the nail above the table 10 u Grand
street restaurant day or two ago as care
! fully as ifit was a new title" just imported
! from London.
Bring me sirlo!r steak and fried onions.
Have 'em both done very brown" SAID lie
! to the waiter, as he laid on the table large
parcel done up in newspaper aud tied up
with many lengths of string, land bring me
cup of coffee and some brown bread now,
while your cooking 'em."
The waiter shouted an order for upper
and weepers, extra L" at the back part Of
the room, and then brought the coffee and
bread. The cadaverous man attacked both
in an absent minded sort of way, and in
half minute the cup and the plate were
empty. Just then he started and rose from
his seat and exclaimed, "Great goodness! !!
I've left my umbrella in that store around
the corner! Waiter, keep my chair for
minute"
The waiter kept the chair for half an
hour, and then, with muttered anathema,
cleared away the sirloin and onions, which
had been brought from the kitchen three
minutes after the cadaverous mans depar
ture. The proprietor Of the restaurant
opened the newspaper parcel and found it
filled with pieces of old carpet.
Last evening q reporter who had Witness
ed the affair in the Grand street eating
house dropped into Sixth avenue rcstau-
rant for supper. The next minute the ca
daycrous man walked in and ordered "sir-
loin steak and onions, done brown, ard u
cup Of coffee and some bread right away!"
The twin brother Of tho mornings parcel
was under his arm and exactly the same
comedy was played--tno coffee Was drunk,
the bread eaten, the forgotten umbrella sud
denly remembered, the parcel left on the
table and the sudden exit made with the
hasty directions 10 keep his seat for him."
But the reporter followed around the cor
ner, and when Broadway was reached laid
his hand on the arm of the cadaverous man.
"Oh it's easily worked" said the latter
four minutes ahcrward over glass OF beer
in saloon near by "Of course don't 90
il al the time. I'm a super, but I've been
out Of work all summer and had hard luck
catching on again this fall. I've lived CT
brown bread aud coffee for two months
and haven't paid cent for it. There
are uFS tuOuStnl resi- G!ii..at - Ill llc
city. I've visited on an average five
q day, so that leaves over four thousand yet
to fall back on during the winter if nothing
turas up in the 'perfesh.' But the fare Is
awfuily monotonous, though Try TO vary
it sometimes y taking white bread, rolls or
crackers instead Of hrown hrsad, "hirh Is
the most liiling, and Tea o. milk instead of
the coffee. ] haven't tasted irea! IN 81
month"
"But dou's the restaurant keepers some
times object to your going out for your
umbrella before you pay for the coffee and
| bread ?"
"Only one man was contemplate enough
TO do that" said the ex.super, with an ag-
| grieved air, "and he even went so far rs to
call mo fraud when l refused to pay, and
kicked me into the street. However, am
happy to say that human nature, in the
mass, is very con6ding. The rest all waited
| for me Gu an average, suppose, Of fifteen
| minutes after I bad gone before they real
lied that they would never see me any
more" aud with pleasant good night" the
ex.super left the saloon with a sprightly
step evidently untroubled by the 200 and
| more ''sirloin steaks and onions, done
brown" which he had ordered and some
| body else had to eat TO save them from be-
| ing ted-N Y. Herald.