The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-02-16
The Man About Town.

He was gawky country pumpkin, Will
the scent of the barnyard and the aroma OF
the sheep pen still upon his store clothes
and stogy boots. He had evidently come
in to see the sights and treat his best CIR
70 a glympse of the Reddick library, ano
the high school, where he expected t(
snend a term this winter, but couldn'
pass the examination, and was therefore
compelled to stumble about In the meshe'
of grammatical constructions and arith
NAUTICAL problems during another season
of preparation. He guided her through the
high school building until he reached the
examination room, In which be dld no.
linger long, for perhaps 1t held unpleasant
memories After visiting the library and
asking what the burned thing" was worth
they were somewhat fatigued and he sug'
gested dinner. He was a close-fisted young
man, and when she mentioned the Clifton
he seemed to see the imprint OF dollar
bill on the MONDAY sky and mutfered
something about Roberts Brothers. They
went down to the store and after standing
around a moment he waved his hand to-
ward Dan Roberts and ejacuated;
"Say our hired man comes In here ev'
cry week when he goes to see his gal wot
lives up on the north side, and he says
them cream puffs are bully. Gimme six"
They sat down at the table and the gay
Young man selling a puff in one great
hand bit 1t through the center The cream
ran down over his chin and mingled with
his dicky and his fifteen cent necktie, and
a moment later he waltzed out Of the luach
room, dragging bis girl after him, with the
remark that he'd be burned If Led pay
fur stuff that wasn't cooked"
*.*
Just before the Pete Baker Combination
arrived In the city, 1t was joined by lady
whom Baker had engaged to play second
part. She has little son, perhaps flve
years old, and though he Is a manly little
fellow, and like all manly little fellows an
admirer of pretty girls, he is witl,al some
what bashful With the company is u
little GIRL of about the same age, who sings
Ike a nightingale and is about as cute
as only a little girl is capable of being
They became famous friends at once, and
romped about the theatre and hotel all
day. She says a pretty little ditty In the
third act, and her little friend occupied the
right box. While singing the chorus, she
shot rougish glance In his direction, and
conscious that the eyes of the house were
upon him, the little fellow blushed to the
roots of his pretty hair and turned his face
towards the wall The house and the stage
fairly roared with laughter, and the little
maid, finding she had made decided hit,
threw more glances In his direction, but he
resoutely looked the other way, much to
the edilication of the audience. 1t was the
best hit of the evening, though in conse-
quence he was up the milf tree all the
next day.
| see by the dramatic papers, that Patti
Rosa has captured London by storm and
Is in receipt of more attentions from the
tilted dudes of Foggyville than she could
conveniently accept, if she desired to. Patti
Rosa appeared here In September last, and
drew a fair house, but was never consider.
ed m uch Of an attraction by metropolitan
managers. :" | had taken quite an interest
In that little woman" said Manager Hold
kinson the other day, and | am heartily
glad that she has scored so great a
success. She is one of the Quickest little
women, and one of the best on the stage"
The New York and Chicago managers
have thrown open their houses to her, and
Manager Davis, of the Haymarket (Chica-
go) has secured her at large salary, when
she comes home. She will doubtless he
heard again in this city, perhaps In the
fall,
*.*
] have read of a great many close men,
and the metropolitan papers are crowded
with accounts of misers who die and leave
large amounts of money sewed up in pill
lows and old clothing, but for real down
right meanness and cheeky closeness a
citizen of Utica, who occasionally takes
trip to this city, is ahead of the count by
several hundred votes. When he made
his last excursion, he dropped into Main
street restaurant at noon.ime and ordered a
meal. Apple pie was IN order and as he
was assiduously engaged In beating the
house by eating two plates of bread, he
found no room for the pie, and left 1t I'm.