The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-07-25
a PRIZE HOTEL CLERK.
He Had Supercili0us Stare, and He
Couldn't Be Made to Talk.

A PRIZE HOTEL CLERK.
He Had q supercilious Stare, and He
Couldn't Be Made to Talk.
GIVE met some remarkable hotel
clerks in my time" said New York
man to a Pittsburgh Dispatch reporter,
s'but the funniest snap of the sort
ever heard of came within my expe-
rience at big hotel in the south last
winter It was one of those big cara
vansaries that are springing up all over
the south, but especially on the sea-
board of Florida, and would give you
the name of the hotel if I were not sure
to be going there again next winter
Well, when walked up to the desk the
day of my arrival man with immense
whiskers and voice to match handed
me pen and said: You'll want fifty
six-dollar room, and we engaged in the
regulation scrap over terms and so on.
My wife was with me, and for that
reason I had to take what could get
and be thankful. The man with the
big whiskers, whom I afterward found
to be the proprietor, handed US over to
the bell-boy. While my wife and the
trunks went to the room tarried be-
hind to attend to several matters. The
proprietor had retired into door be-
hind the high desk, and across the
register from me was young man OF
middle height and anywhere from five
to thirty years of age, whose prominent
features to a woman's eyes were blue
eyes and curly hair and fair 1nustache
with twisted ends, and to a mans a
cold, impudent stare, and sneering
upper lip. I dishked him at first sight.
But he was the only man behind the
desk within reach, SO 1 asked him to
look and see if there were any tele"
grams or letters for me. He flung out
pile Of mail matter upon the desk,
but he didn't say a word. | felt
my dislike for that clerk grow
ing. I noticed,that he was dudishly
dressed, that two diamonds of Large
size sparkled on one of his hands and
an odor of cologne enanated from his
neighborhood. When I had concluded
an unsuccessful search for correspon-
dence it seemed to me that a suspicion
Of sneering smile lowered about that
clerks upper lip. I didn't want to know
very badly, but just to make the super
ciHous beggar talk asked him what
time dinner was served. He looked
calmly through me as if I'D been sheet
Of your Pittsburgh plate glass and made
no reply. I repeated the question.
think was really glad that I got no
answer. 1t gave me chance to resent
the sneering mouth and CLASSY eyes OF
the man. With studied calmness said:
rs 1t customary in this hotel to refuse
to give the guests information for which
they politely askS' He never moved his
lips, and worse still, his eyes We're fixed
upon me in cold. hard stare. I had a
dollar in my hand, silver dollar, and
knocking with 1t upon the marble coun-
ter, I repeated the question with a, few
added words Of profane character. 1t
hadn't the slightest effect upon the
frozen blonde, but the noise brought
out the man with the big whiskers. [
told him very plainly what I thought Of
such treatment as had received, and /
was about ready to sail in and wipe up
as much of the floor with the pair Of
them as could, fo1. was red-hot mad,
when the proprietor said mildly: My
dear sir, Mr.. Blank is dumb, absolutely
speechless; and his hearing is affected
Also
s'sWhat in the thunder do you keep
him for, then?' 7 asked.
st:Oh! he is very useful in his way,
replied the hotel-keeper, and that is all
the explanation he would make. But
there is no doubt that the deaf and
dumb clerk was a superb instrument Of
torture to the guests--and when he
was on duty front was deserted"