Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-21
Author of "The Bar Sinister" and other
novels.
ICoDyri0hted, 1861


That was notreally his name, of course !;
but when man becomes, in point of fact,
nothing but peripatetic sandwich, he is
ant to grow Indifferent to small points of
etiquette and TO the social exactions that
demand prefix to a gentIeman's name
when he is addressed.
For old Sandy was gentleman, In spite
OF the fact that there was nothing visible
of him above board, so to speak, but q
pair of dropping shoulders, inadequately
covered with rusty tweed coat; a
weather-beaten neck, in which some of
the cords seemed to have acquired undue
prominence by reason of the heavy boards
awning by straps across his dropping
shoulders: a careworn face, forever re-
deemed from insignificance by pair of
mild gray eyes that had caught COM
merclal trick of looking very persuasively
into the face of every passer-by. as he sup
plemented the big lettered announcements
of his boards by fluttering rose-colored
Ieafet extended in tremulous brown
hand; thin, wind. blown gray hair and a
dsrepuiable hat that absolutely refused
to locate itself chronologlcally in the cal
endar of fashion. That was the upper
man Sandy. Sandy, below the boards, was
principally noticeable, On the occasion in
question, for pair of brand new shoes
that apparently squeaked in incontroll-
able amusement at finding themselves on
such leet. with such absurd accompani-
ments as those immensely ragged trouser-
ends, and those brilliantly painted rims
to Sandy's sandwich boards, which set
forth in the most positive language the
location of the finest and cheapest shoe
backing tn be found in all New York city,
or perhaps In the world.
Few. i0deed. let them be ever so pune
tiliously inclined. would have known
what else tn call old Sandy but Just that;
for it seemed to 20 be, ond the memory of
man when he had not formed ore of a
solemn procession of thin sandwiches.
RANGED according to height, tall, taller,
talIest, that piodded patiently up one side
OF Brt adway and down the other, pro-
claiming the same excellence of the same
shoe backing, with the same patient In
difference 20 the changes OF the weather
as to the changes in the political horizon;
with the same stolid acceptance of the
l0stling that was inevitable when their
unyielding boards came in sharp contact
With the swift rushing tide of humanity
bhoI NJ" pNopG Win tu6m anu now
against them,
But hearts must throb even under the
heavy pressure of sandwich boards, and
1t was b, cause the front man in the pro-
cession, "tallest," knew that old Sandy's
mad occasion to beat somewhat SORROW
illly just then that he turned ard asked
him question on that bright but buster
Ing morning, not urgently, only abruptly
Tor want Of tIme:
"How's the Midge?"
"Wurse."
Ibis solitary mOnosyllable dropped from
oiu oanoy's compressed lips apparently
o. its own accord, and was lost amid the
JINGLE OF car bells, the thunderous rumble
Vi peer wagons, the loose rattle of smart
ueHVery carts and the confused mass of
SOUND that arose from The entanged crush
Of vehicles That perpetuslly contend for
Ilght OF way on lower Broadway. But
tne man who asked the question caught
tHe drift OF the answer from old Sandy's
gentle eyes and fell into line once more
w W.T. mumbled word Of pity for "tbe
NIUE" whoever, whatever, where yer
tne Nudge might be,