Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-24
col. oCHE1rREE UNDER FIRE.
a Belligerent Waiter who Wanted Him
to Surrender.
From, the .Vsao York Sun.

the deepest hole was demonstrated by
what went on at the French ball re-
Gently more clearly even than by
Solomon's familiar ASSERTION about money
being the root OF all evil.
Col Tom Ochiltree, the pride of the
Lone Star State, was at the ball He
beamed upon the throng from big pro-
scenium box, where youth and beauty
| formed a frame around mis- manly form,
and later on he walked cautiously with
wise and legislative tread across the slip
perry hoor, shaking hands with those
whom he knew. Still later the legislative
part OF the tread was abandoned, and the
Colonel wandered as nim5ly and bithely
as anybody wherever tickle inclination
led him. At about O'Clock in the morn
ing he was walking along the main cor
ridor, perfectly happy, it seemed. his
steps leading from the staircase, which
yawned an invitation to climb up TO the
wine room. He was about to turn to the
left and 60 upon the floor, when a human
being in a swallow-tail coat and appar-
emily under high pressure shot down the
wine room stairway, made wild dash
through the throng, and, with terrible
harshness, seized the doughty Colonel by
the arm.
The look Of naughty Indignation that
illumined the ColOnePs face changed to
wild horror and boundless rage when the
waiter, in q very French voice pitched in
the highest kind Of aey, demanded 81.
The crowd at once recognized that as the
amount OF gold that must be Jold out by
him who would buy a bottle. and gather
ed round. There were few deep breaths,
swelling Of The chest, and then if Texas
had been there she would nave been proud
OF her son. The Colonel lifted his head
proudly lDJO the air, like the desert lion
That spies another desert lion that he
thinks he can lick. The COlonePs eyes
looked far O:er the top OF the walters
head, only coming down once in a while
TO sweep that wiRhts person with blaz-
ing glance OF sOrrOWful contempt. His
tawny name shook in tempest OF bound
less wrath, and he poured out torrent of
denunclatory eloquence that would have
passed an appropriation bill or crushed a
Congressional adversary in less than
seven seconds. 1t seemed that the poor
waiter must 20 down and be flattened out
before the gale. But he didn't. He may
have dropped. like Lafontaine's diploma
nc sapling, beneath the more furious
gusts, but each time he rose again, and
still clinging to the Colonel, clamored
loudly for the 81.
To understand the source OF this Won
dertul perseverance IT is necessary to
know that a waiter is responsible for
every bottle ne takes to sell. The loss Of
that 81 would nave utterly eclipsed the
walters profits on the night, and the
possibility Of such a thing made the
future stretch black and desolate before
him.
By and by the ColonePs situation grew
awfully unpleasant. His wrathful in
quiries as TO whether the waiter knew
who he was met with a display of perfect
indifference upon that point, ana all the
while the waiter hung on with deadly
grip that mingled the woe Of bruised flesh
and muscles with the tale OF lacerated
feelings that was written upon the Col
onePs face. When the Colonel Numbered
forth the inform alton that he was able to
pay for more wine than he could drink he
was met by the logged assertion that he
was with the crowd that drank the bottle,
and had ordered 1t. 1t was folly, gross
folly, and cheek at that, to try to persuade
poor waiter that he could ever mistake
such face as that for any other in the
wide world.
The Colonel gazed in the eyes Of the fell
low men VINO surrounded him in search
OF sympathy. IL was not there. The wild
young men danced fancy steps that indi-
Gated much internal glee, and the big
policeman was rapidly becoming impress
ed with the sentiment which he muttered
over and over again that party with
such clothes ought to be ashamed TO do
hsrd-wOrking man out of four bones. At
this critical moment a ray of hope shot,
athwart the ColonePs gloomy horizon in
the person Of a young man with big dia-
mOnd nesting in the folds OF a red-necktie
a black moustache, a large nose with a
graceful sweep, and an athletic build. He
sailed through the crowd, pouring out
wild astOnishment and aligbted on the
waiter like hawk on a chicken, and
struck him upon the arm, ordering him
in imperiOus tones to release his hold.
With the logged energy OF an old chicken
! sitting upon young ones, the waiter hung
on. But the young avengers arm. down
| tightly around his neck. prevented him
| from breathing, and an energetic pound
ing of his arm made him so uncomfortable
! that he at last let go. Then the young man
Numbered forth:
''That's Tom Ochiltee; he's worth $780,,
600, and he's my friend"
The policeman's club, which had been
! struggling to reach the COlOnefs head, or
! that of his Young defender, Obeyed the my
sterous influence Of "pull," and, as the
needle turns toward the north, 1t turned
toward the countenance OF the unhappy
waiter, while the policeman, no longer the
labOring mans friend ordered MIN to shut
up and 90 home.
The Colonel broke away to a spot where
| he could breathe the airOf freedom. and as
he went he heard hisyoung friend singing
his praises as a man and a legislator, and
answering the awful threats Of the waiter
only by repeated invitations to 90 out and
| be rolled over a barrel.