Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-09-18
WANTED--A GOOD EATER

w ANlED--A UUUD EAlGh
The advertisement reads Wanted
Four young ladies. Must be fine look
ing aud Of engaging manners" went.
The establishment was sn eating saloon
Over its door glaring fat letters Of gold
informed me and all passens by that 1t
was a Restaurant for Ladies and Cen
tlemen." Everything in it was brand
new and quite tasteless-gaudy. A
shiny, veneered partition to one side
had another gold lettered sign glued to
It, "Cash Department" Under this sign
was a little window set upon a marble
slab, and in the little window the face
and shoulders Of a man. The face was
very red, very wrinlIled and very fierce.
The head to which the face belonged
was very small, with scanty stiff black
hair ON end all over it. The shoulders
upon which the head was set had a
pigeon breasted trunk between them,
and were very narrow and very sloping.
AS l came in the man put his little
head out Of his little window and looked
eagerly and fercely at me. | walked up
TO his window and told him why l came.
He could see but the upper part Of me.
"Stand back" he said. did so, and
he looked me over.
II want girls" he saidi ''but-can you
eaty"
His question surprised me. Most girls
can. l could. Just then | was very
hungry. I was embarrassed, not by my
ability to cat, but by his question. !
hesitated.
"Can you eat-muchg" Very fierce,
indeed, did he look as he repeated and
amended his question.
Am I to eat here, siry' | asked trem-
blingly.
EAT? OF counsel" said he.
Now, | did not understand whether he
wanted me 10 scrub the floors, wash the
dishes. take the money or what, but /
did understand, thought, that he was
specializing with a view to economy
upon my ability and inclination to de-
YOU much9F to live upon nothing. So,
always truthful as | am, l answered, 81
an a very small eater, sir"
won't dor said he.
'Sirl" said l.
"Won't dol Don't suitF'
was sorely disappointed. Tears came
to my eyes. My eyelids and my lips,
too, trembled.
Don't cry-in here!" he said fiercely.
Don't cryl Sorry-very sorry-can't
help it-don't suit-won't dor
"Is my appearance not what you de-
sire, siry" | ventured to ask.
Look ~well-you're a beauty-very
~sorry-can't engage your
Although / was somewhat doubtful Of
my rank as a beauty, ! knew myself to
be q passibly good looking girl, and /
readily forgaye him his exaggeration;
especially as 1 did not understand my
beauty to be a bar to my engagement.
MY manners, sir" / said, 'are good
engaging. If you could see me wait at
table, say for one day, if that is what
you want help for
await at table-nothingl Got walters
-lotsl Don't suit-won't dol"
you doubt my ability to please? You
judge of my usefulness or my manners
without having had opportunity
mo, no. mol Manners charming! But
you don't suit-won't dol"
Queer, ! thought. You're q beauty!
Manners charmingl Don't suit and
won't do. Why? Wherefore? Curiosity,
as well as want, stimulated me to ask
the fierce little man; "Why don't suit
you, sirT"
Then, fercer than even before, he
said: Don't bother-any morel Small
e~ater-don't suit-won't dol" And he
slammed a book upon his marble slab
and moved away from his little window
to get rid Of me.
1 reflected that II might have been
well for Inc to have asserted that | did
not eat at all, but ! was bright enough,
even in that moment Of disappointment
and vexation, TO appreciate that he
would not have credited the statement.
Then | was outraged by his assumption
that l must be u glutton simply because
Of my claim to temperance and modera.
ton in eating. Angered by this and by
his unreasonable rebuifs, knowing he
would hear me behind his gaudy parti-
ton, l said while moving toward the
uuoIf w nat mtAlAN1ot ~ 4 AWh bpIpA'
tunity / would cat you out Of house AID
homelT
"Hey7 What's att" no yelled, as he
bounced back into his little window and
stuck his fierce little head through it at
me. whats at? Eat house and homei
Hey2 HeyT' He looked so alarmingly
fierce that. in fear that he might eat me,
my progress to the door-and out-was
very much accelerated.
But before | knew it he-was ut my
side, on the adjoining sidewalk. lie
seized my hand, and half pulled, hall
coaxed me back againi ''Cqne, girl
Please, girl-come income back
please, girl"
In no time, before | could think or pro
velt It. he had me back into his place
aud closed the door and had plantel
himself against it.
"House and home-you said, you-ea.
some one-out of Did your Didn'
your Heyl Heyr' His ~ferceness seemed
transformed to a triumphant intensity
a. he spoke and guarded the door agains
my escape.
When ! could gather q ~suficiency o
my scattered wits together 10 do II, re