Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-04
ON A FIFTH AVENUE CORNER.
The Interest that All Kew York Seemed
TO Feel in q Man Who Had AN Appoint
From he Ne1g ITo,h oln.

z y
ment
From fSe Ae,5 York Hln.
A few nights ago weil-known lawyer
of distinguished appearance, who had an
appointment with another man, vent TO
the corner Of Thirty-ninth street and
Fifth avenue to wait for him. They had
agreed to meet on the southwest COZ uer a
8 O'Clock.
''rhe appointment" tho lawyer said,
last night, "was rather a stupid one, hut
made it to oblige my client. %e half in
tended to go to the Union League Club
afterward, but we preferred to meet out
side and talk of what was uppermost in
our minds before we went in. / waited
for that man on the corner for what
seemed to be an hour. What | wish to
speak about particularly is the very ex-
traordinary feeling Of uneasiness which
took possession Of me while waiting on
this corner. When | arrived the stages
We're travelling up and down with toler-
able frequency. occasional cabs passed,
and a number Of pedestrians were out en-
the avenue. No one was on any OF the
four corners when ! took my position
against tne railing. l stood there ike
minutes, looking at my watch frequently
and noticed that every stage driver vino
passed looked at me with good deal OF
interest. Finally, as a hanson came
along, the driver pulled up his horse,
looked at me cOnfldentiallY and said ina
low tone: 'Cap'in, you can sit in my kob
and wait for the lady, just as well as
standin' there. I'll do it for half a dollar
an hour / shook my head and turned on
my heel. He said something about my
putting ON a good many airs for my age.
and drove on. Then | observed that there
were four members standing in the win
dow of the club and grinning at me in the
glare of the electric light, | whlrled
around and started up Fifth avenue i'm
patiently.
GAS passed the end of the long fence
ON the northwest corner | observed that
the two policemen who were standing
carelessiy there were watching me closely.
When l got 10 the corner Of FOrtieth street
/ could not resist the inclination to turn
around and look back at them. They
We're still staring at me, and, as | am
reasonably well known among the city
officials, l could not help believing that
they recognized me and that they would
tell giddy stories about me to their friends
Still, [ was afraid TO leave the vicinity,
tor ! expected 10 meet my client at any
moment. | walked down to Thirty-ninth
street again on the opposite side of the
street, and, looking over to the corner
where | had first begun TO keep my vigil,
! saw dresdfully dissipated specimen Of
an elderly rounder twirling his cane and
standing in my place. He had waXed
moustache, fashionable clothes, bent
knees, and a wicked eye. went over and
stood deiantiy beside him. He stared
at me, and ! glanced at him,
while the policemen across the
way moved little closer and
bon HHaf rsrffl h
undiminished vigilance. / heard some
one raise the sash Of a window, and,
looking up, saw two servant girls staring
down at as lnterestedly. Then district
telegraph policeman came whistling UP
the east side of the avenue, leaned
against the lamp-pOst across the street,
and also liked his eyes on the elderly mash
er and myself.
: cat this point l was positively afraid to
3O0k at the windows of the club. l pulled
out my watch, expecting to find that it
was quarter to 10 O'Clock at least, and
discovered that il was exactly four min
utes after O. AS | held the watch in nv
hand "A small boy who was passing yelled,
Don't get tidgety, Clarence; she'll be here
after while The girls Uttered over
head, the elderly masher grnned delight
eddy, and the hOarse rumble from across
the street convinced me that the police
men laughed. | could actually feel The
grinning heads bullying out OF the win
dows OF the club across the street Then
a iashy young girl came skipping along
She looked up impudently at me, smiled
on the elderly man, went across the
street. and engaged in conversation with
the two policemen. | knew perfectly
well that they were talking about the ven
cradle CHAP with the white hair who was
waiting across the street. At this point a
dapper young man with a mysterious air
and cigarette got out of coupe over on
the only unoccupied corner, where the
club house is, lighted "A cigarette, stared
coOlly at the elderly man and myself,
pulled out mis- watch, and made it per
iectlY apparent 10 every body he was
actually doing what | was suspected to
be at, and that he was not bit ashamed
Of it.
"A tramp evidently supposed the mash
er and l would be good pay, for when he
got 70 our corner he stopped there. and
STOOD about ten feet away gazing at Us
appealingly with his hat in his hand.
pulle out my watch. 1t was now nine
minutes past 8, and there were ten or
twelve people waiting around this partic-
nlar corner. / took turn down the block
again anu resumed my post. Then | ven
tured TO look over 10 the club for the first
time. 1t was too much for me; every man
| knew was shaking his head and wink
ing significantly. / turned on my heel
and walked hurriedly down 10 Sixth ave-
nue., where l fouRd the man waiting for
me and IN towering passion at what he
termed my delay. 1t was simply mis-
understanding as to the place OF meeting.
have come 70 the conclusion since that
experience that any man who can wait on
corner OF pODulOus New York street
Tor an hour or two at night is gifted with
an amount Of st0icism and repOse which
Is entirely foreign to my nature.v