St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-01-22

over your head you should read and
heed"
""Ahi | see," was the strangers cool
rejoinder, raising his eyes and reading
the notice. "For exclusive use of the
guests and then he. continued in the
same cool tone. al had not observed
the notice before 1t is not an original
idea by any means. have seen it fire.
quently in hotels, hat it's intensely
stupid, has no meaning in it. One of
the rules of the house, is itf What
nonsense! What constitutes hotel
guest e.
AZ don't want any of your conun-
drums, old fellow" Indignantly inter-
rupted the young man, his flashing
diamond paled by the fiery flashing of
his eyes. ''YOu are not II guest of the
hotel, so get out of here"
"Who are you that you should talk
to me in that way p asked the stran-
ger in the same tone of imperturbable
calmness and scanning his interlOcntor
with a keeply scrutiniZing gaze as he
began to wipe his hands on the i'm
maculate towel suspended from n
roller.
81 belong to the hotel. am the
clerk quickly answered the young
man, with that professional air of CO.
lossal Importance and supreme con-
tempt for ordinary mortals which it is
expected will be followed by an imme-
diate paralyzing effect.
''Thsn don't mind" said the stran-
ger, al am not as frig Itened as |
might have been. l thought surely
the hotel belonged to You instead of
your belonging to the hotel"
81 don't want any more words; you
get out Of here quick"
"Young man." and the words were
uttered in slow and deliberate tone,
81 want to give You some advice, it's
very odd and trite, but it is very good
for fast young man like you. Think
before you speak ) Never judge from
appearances Impress these aphOr-
isms on your feeble brain. The fact
is"
"But | tell you again, get out of
here" fairly screamed the young man
in his increasing rage, "or will call Il
policeman"
~ won't get out of here, and no po-
liceman will put me out, either. You
insultingly called my attention to that
the guests Now understand clearly,
the moment II stranger steps foot over
the threshold of q hotel he is the guest
of that hotel and entitled to its priv
leges and comforts. For all the privi-
leges and comforts he chooses to avail
himself of he can be charged. There is
no law restricting him in the freedom
of his choice, and neither is there
l..
than he wishes. / desire to avail my
self of no further privileges at this no.
tel, and | propose to leave at once.
Now | want TO see the proprietor and
pay my bill"
''There's nothing to pay, and if there
was you probably haven't a dime
about your clothes. There's the door"
any young friend, see that avenue
Of egress, and propose to utilize it in
my own good time but see you will
not take advice. I've only one more
word with you," taking the yOnng
man by the collar, who paled aud
quivered under his wrathful grasp and
menacing eye. II have only just ar
rived in this city, but if | meet any
more like you | shall do two things
enlarge the boundaries of my private
burying ground and found an asylum
SO long needed in this country for that
large class of imbecile fools hotel
clerks"
81 have used your wash basin, soap
aud towel" the stranger said to the
proprietor, whom he found in the Of
flee, ''and | want to pay my bill"
There's nothing to pay" politely
answered the proprietor.
''But insist upon it," taking out a
large roll Of bills and extracting so
note and laying it on the counter eff
it's more than the bill would be, use
the balance in trying To germinate
brains and develop good manners in
your hotel clerk"
E'But, sir"
The stranger disappeared. Later
on in the evening the gentleman
prominent lawyer of this city and eX-
Judge of one of the highest courts
recited the above story to party of
gentlemen dining with him at DelmOn
ico's. He had just come from the
mines of California. having gone there
in spirit OF adventure and to improve
his health, and he retain ii his mining
garb until after his arrival to aston
ish his friends and amuse himself over
their puzzling failures to recognize
him. 1t is hardly necessary to add
that the idea of an asylum for hotel
clerks was received as one of the
brightest Indications of the progress
lively philanthrOpic spirit of the age. -
T