San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-31
ABSENT MINDED GUESTS.
VAGARlES THAT TROUBLE AND
AMUSE THE HOTEL CLERK.

People Who Forget Their Names-An Old
Lady Who Wanted the Fire screen-A
Western Business Man Missed His Wife.
MisGt Trap to Catch Thief.
I'VE see a great deal of the queer side of
human nature" said New York hotel clerk
.he other day, land think absent minded
people give us as much trouble as any other
class of customers, but there is generally so
much to amuse one in their mistakes that
they are willingly forgiven. | can generally
spot absent minded people by the quickness
with which they assume a preoccupied air
whenever the conversation or their surround
ings do not interest them. 1t is not often,
however, that a perfectly sane and sober
man forgets his own name, yet such case
once came under my observation.
SOME AMUSING EXAMPLES
"A stranger to New York came in here one
day, seeming to be little dazed with the
hustle Of the crowded streets He was one of
that kind of men you often bump against in
Broadway, as he walks backward with his
mouth little open and his eyes fixed on the
ninth story of some building. AS he came up
to the desk pushed the register toward him.
He took the pen, dipped it in the ink, and then
hestated, scowled and then blushed. Think
ing that perhaps he could not write, pulled
the register toward me to write it myself and
said: What nameF I'll be hanged if
haven't forgotten it, he said, as mad as a hat
ter. | looked at the man in establishment and
said Give me your card This brought it to
his memory in a flash. Probably that part
of his thinker that recollected sounds was
taking a rest, but that part which remem-
bered how his name looked when it was writ
ten out was on duty.
1--WE had a wealthy old lady staying with
us last winter She was sitting in the parlor
all alone, musing in front of an open CRATE
fire, one day, when she began to call loudly
for the parlor maid. Receiving no answer,
she rang the electric bell, which she could
reach without rising, so long that thought
something must be wrong, and sent two bell
boys up stairs 'on the dead run When they
reached her the fire was burning fiercely, and
her face was red with the heat and with in
dignation Bring me the fire screen, she al
most screamed; such lazy servants / never
saw have been calling for an hour. Bring
me it at once before am roasted to death
Certainly, ma'am,' said one of the boys, with
grin, but mightn't you have pushed back
your chair littler Upon my word, she re-
piled, Il never thought of that And then
she burst out laughing. If my friends hear
of this, she added, they'll think I'm in my
dotage,' and she gave the boys half dollar
each and made them swear to keep it all a
secret
81 have known a man." continued the hotel
clerk, ITO 60 to his room to dress for dinner
at the house of friend. By the time he had
got off his business suit the dinner had van
ished from his mind, which was still running
on business and plans for the morrow. The
gas being lit, and the process of undressing
| evidently suggested bed time to him, for he
continued to disrobe, turned out the light
and got into bed. AS he did not appear at
the dinner, where he was fully expected, the
| host telephoned down to the office to know if
Mr. B. had suddenly been taken i'll or if we
knew where ne was. A boy went to his room
and found him sleeping soundly.
COMBINING BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE.
81 had a fussy man of middle age come here
last fall with a young wife. They were on
| their wedding tour. She was timid, little,
| pale, lonely looking, sickly thing and kept her
| room nearly all the time. He was out all day
| visiting the wholesale places, buying goods
| for his store in western city, thus combin-
| ing business with pleasure in thrifty Chi
| cago way. He spent his money freely though
and had no end of traps and trunks and par
GELS sent to the hotel When he got ready to
start for home he counted over the whole
| pile with great care and checked them off on
his fingers. Look here, porter he snapped
out, there's something missing 4 think
| not said the porter; what is itp Il don't
| know replied the bridegroom, obviously,
but l feel sure there's something else.
know I'm forgetting something. Four Sara
togas, two leather trunks, one linen covered;
three big travelling bags, one grip, two bun
dies in shawl straps, one hat box, bunch of
sticks and umbrellas-that seems to be all,
but | feel sure l am leaving something be-
| hind. and yet can't think what it is Well,
| broke in, you'll miss your train if you de-
lay any longer. If you discover your loss
wire us at once and we'll keep it for you till
your return or send it to you. Your wife
has sent down word that she is in the parlor
and My wife he calculated, slapping
himself OF course, that's it. had forgot
ten all about her. How absurd. Well, the
laughs on me this time. Good-by'