West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1890-02-06
A Treacherons Memory.

MT. Drown, OF Detroit, has q very
~treacherous memory. II Brown were
addicted TO borrowing money Il would
be a very bad thing for his friends, for
he would never remember his indebt-
edness, even though he were honest
enough 10 pay. Perhaps that is the
reason Brown never borrows anything
If he can help it. He knows his weak
ness and doesn't take any chances.
The other day Brown was at a we'll
known restaurant in the city of Detroit.
and he got away with a thirty-cent dim
ner. He pulled out n SO bill and
offered il 10 the cashier at the desk.
The cashier looked over the change and
finally said that she could not change
the bill, and remarked that il did not
matter; he could pay the thirty cents
the next time he was in, for Brown was
a regular ~frequenter of that restaurant.
Next day he came and next, and next.
and next, but never thought of pay
ing the bill. The cashier, who was
a modest young lady, hated TO ask him
for the thirty cents, thinking he would
suggest the thing himself, but he did
not do 1T. Finally she spoke to the
proprietor OF the restaurant.
Mr.. Brown" she said, "owes thirty
cents for a lunch he had here the other
day, and he has not offered TO pay il.
Had / better remind him Of it 2"
WELL" said the proprietor, "you
must do it rather carefully, you know;
he might take ~offense. A man never
likes to be reminded of n debt that he
owes. Perhaps L had better speak TO
him about it,"
Then the young la~dy:called the wal
ter who generally attended on Mr..
Brown, and said:
Did that gentleman, who has Just
gone out, pay you for n dinner that he
had here the other day."
No" answered the waiter, "he did
not"
well, he owes us thirty cents, aud
] don't know whether TO speak to him
or not"
why, / should speak to him at
once" said the waiter, "if / were you.
I'll speak TO him, if you like"
well, we had better wait and see
What the proprietor says first"
Next day when Brown came in and
went to pay his bill tho cashier said in
a h~esitating voice
"You remember, Mr.. Brown, that
there was thirty cents due for lunch
the other day"
BLESS my soul" said Brown, sur.
prised, so there was. L didn't pay
that, did II"
"No," she answered, "you did not.
well, well, take it out of this" and
Brown paid his bill.
The next day the proprietor met
Brown coming away from the cashier
desk. lie looked TO see If he were
going to pay the thirty cents, and
noticing that he did not, he tapped
him on the shoulder as he was going
oft.
81 I'M sorry TO interrupt You, Mr..
Brown, but you owe us thirty cents for
n lunch that you had here the other
day"
ooh, that's all right" said Brown. al
had forgotten entirely about it. Well,
here You are, n quarter and a nickel,
thatll make il square, won't it?"
"Thatll be all right, Mr.. Brown"
said the proprietor, as he pocketed
the cash.
The day following Mr.. Brown took
his lunch at his usual table, and tho
waiter, seeing it was a good oppor-
tunity, and having noticed that he did
not pay his thirty cents at the cashiers
desk the day before, said:
Mr.. Brown, you remember the
thirty-cent check you owed two or three
days ago."
NO." said Brown, al don't. What
about it?"
Well" said the waiter, "you didn't
have the money to pay it that day"
Hadn't II" said Brown. well, |
will pay it to you now, and that will
make us all right, won't it?"
Certainly" said the waiter, and
Brown for the third time forked over
the thirty cents.
AS Brown was paying his check that
day the waiter planked down the
thirty cents which he had just collected
and said
That's for Mr.. Browns lunch the
other day"
what other day ?" said the proprie-
tor, who stood there.
why, Mr.. Brown owed us thirty
cents, you know"
why, he paid hat to me-" said the
cashier.
Eyes, but he paid it to me, too" said
the proprietor.
And so, as Brown frequented an hon.
est restaurant, he got sixty cents back
whereas his poor memory might have
cost him that sum of money .-Dctroi
Free Press.