The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-10-02

their money is spent When it is tim
to leave they have nothing with whic
to pay their board. They usually o
of vowing they will send the cash b
the next mail, but it very rarel
, comes.
Last Christmas a young man from
Cincinnati stopped at our hotel. He j
the son of well-known Judge in tina
city, and he was determined to hav,
plenty of fun while in Louisville. III,
was around the hotel for several days
until he was finally missed. About tn,
same time gentleman. who roomet
next to the young man. complained
that his valise. filled with articles. was
missing, and diiigent search failed to
reveal anything of it. Suspicion al
once fell upon the guest from Cincin.
natl. Detective Bligh was called in and
gwen the facts. After hunt of sew.
eral hours the missing man was found
fast asleep in a bar-room up town. He
could not tell anything about the va
Use, as he was too drunk to talk. We
brought him back and kept him until
ne was sober. He then told that all
his money was gone, and he had
pawned his valise for liquor. When
this gave out, his longing for more
was so intense that he took his fellow
dodgers possessions and pawned them
also for money with which to purchase
whisky. The stolen valise was recov-
cred and returned to the owner, and
the young man was allowed to 90 free.
but we did not receive cent for his
weeks board"
The reporter remarked that he
thought a man might easily go up with
q crowd into the dining-room, secure q
meal and no one would be the wiser.
THAT is sometimes done" was the
reply, '.but not often. We usually
know every man who is guest in the
house. We may not be able to call his
name, but his face is familiar As the
guests 60 up stairs we usually notice
them as they pass. Then / make an
occasional trip through. the dining
room. and if see any stranger there l
watch him and soon ascertain whether
or not he is dead-beat. [ will tell
you an instance. Some time ago there
was young man who was a travelling
salesman for Main street house. The
fellow was drinking. and gradually
began to get down in the world. He
loafed around our hotel a good deal,
and was pretty familiar with the place.
One day while d inner was going on l
concluded to take a stroll through the
dining-room and see how things were
getting along. hadn't passed half
way across the room before | noticed
this fellow sitting at table, and the
waiter was just taking dinner off the
tray for him. He was surrounded by
the dishes. walkedup to him. tapped |
him on the shoulder, and said:
'.How do you do, B.? DID you just |
come imp
'-Oh. yes" he replied very calmly, i
Il have only been in the dining room
q few minutes.
did you register?" said l. Il do |
not believe that / saw your name ON
the book"
mo. / didn't, he answered, con-
fusedly, ''but will as soon as I finish
my dinner
You should have registered before
you came up returned. 1T is rule
in all hotels. and suppose you come
down now and do it?''
but you don't want me to leave
while am half through with my din
ner?' he exclaimed.
Yes. right now" said, decidedly.
You must get up and go down to the
office"
.'Well. he arose from his chair, left
the untasted dinner on the table and
went with me down stairs, but he didn't
register, for he had not a cent of
money. He walked out of the front
1oor. and has not been inside this hotel
since"
The speaker relapsed into kind of
brown study as he finished the story,
and dreamy look of satisfaction crept
over his face. At length he resumed as
follows:
The wife of that same man tired to
beat us once. Last winter a lady came
to the hotel and registered as Mrs.
B.. The clerk on watch was not
aware of her husbands financial stand
ing. and at once assigned her to a
room. where she had her supper sent
TO her. When / came ON watch and
saw the name on the reg ster, asked
about it, and at once knew that
We would not get anything for
her board. l went up to the
room and found her eating the supper
With an air of great content I spoke
to her, told her that l was aware Of
her husbands inability to pay. and did
not think she was doing right to come
to the hotel in that manner. She loud
y protested that she had no intent on
Of deceiving us; that her husband was
TO meet her there in two days. and
would make things all ght. 1argued
With her. and she finally packed up
her things and went to the house of
friend in the city.
Il don't suppose that the members
of the gentler sex practice hotel dead
do theya"
..Somet mes. but their w.les are all
d one sort. She emphaticallv asserts
hat she had no intent;o on of deception
when time OF payment comes. but she
expected to receive check from
friends. Through delay in the mail
he check did not come. and she is
most unfortunately left without funds.
she goes on to say that she had inst ',
money enough to get here. but the
heck would have supplied her with (
sufficient to pay the b and reach the (
.itV AZ her dosfin : fsova Won cou,A ~