The Globe-republican., 1891-01-07

~
A LUNCH COUNTER.
were occupied, and score Of men wait
ed for places, staring hungrily over the
shoulders of those who were being fed.
There was the same rush and hustle as
in the stock exchange, but there was
less Of good nature. When anybody on
stool ordered pie the man behind him
stamped impatiently as if personal in
jury had been inflicted upon him, and
not upon the man who ate the pie.
An unprecedented observer would have
said that there vas no cause for COM
plant. The mon on the stools ate fast
enough. Indeed it seemed as if moth
ing but choking to death could save
them from dying Of indigestion. Quick
feeding has been brought to such a
sciencein New York that the philanthro-
pist might we'll doubt which to pity more,
the rich who eat SO much in a minute
or the poor who eat so little in year.
The small tables in the Cafe Napoleon
were besieged almost as holly rs was
the lunch-counter. But Russell sue
ceeded in securing a seat opposite
rusty old fellow who had just ordered
piece Of apple pie and glass Of milk.
Behind Russell were the four young men
whom he had followed into the cafe.
He duplicated the order given by ono
of them, and thereby laid himself liable
to the proprietor of the Cafe Napoleon
in the sum of $475. This lunch was
the first extravaganza the young man
had committed in good many years.
The pint of good wine which was in
cluded in it was the first he had ever
tasted. He enjoyed the experiment
thoroughly. He was glad that he had
decided to be . rich man for half an
hour.
By and by the rusty old fellow fin
ished his pie and milk, and departed.
Russell learned who he was bya remark
made by one of the young mon.
Ibid you see old Gilbert Ray take his
usual frugal repast?" were the words he
overheard. HE will leave four mill
ions for his heirs to quarrel over, and
his chief regret will be that he can not
remain to take part in the controversy"
"He didn't leave any Of that pie, said
another. II watched him chase the
last little piece of crust all over his
plate. He couldn't get it with his fork
had to shovel it in with his knife. I
figured that his income while he was
chasing it would buy q cart-load of pie"
He isn't bad old fellow after ALL"
said the first speaker. 1.-THE story is
that he started on hundred dollars and
had to borrow that But he paid it on
time and kept his credit up. There's
the whole secret Of many . mans life on
the street. If half of the younger men
down here had to settle at minutes
notice the other half would 60 broke on
account of their bad debts. It's a Dor
rowing game"
Russell heard this and muttered to
himself: II should like to negotiate
small loan and get into it." The at
mosphere of the place and the food, and
especially the wine. were. beginning to
have an effect upon him. He wanted
to continue the experiment
II am not prepared to believe" he
said to himself, ''that this life would be
permanently agreeable, but half hour
Of it is too little. l would like two
years. l believe that if could borrow
the life of one Of those young fellows
for two years l should know a great
deal more at the end of that time than
/ do now, and should be willing to give
1t all back to him when it was due. I
should like to make contract with the
devil to that effect.
He looked about him as if he ex-
pected the fiend to appear with a docu-
ment ready for signature, but no such
occurred. The slight odor
of birthstone in the air proceeded from
a match with which the young man be-
hind him was lighting a cigar.
Whether the contract was signed else
where may be matter of controversy.
II SO, it bore the date May u, 1888
CHAPTER IL
s1AIL LOANS.