The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-09-04
A PRIZE HOTEL CLERK.
He Had Supcrciiious Stare, and He
Couldn't lie ssade to Talk

He Had a supcrciiious stare. and He
Couldn't lie ssade to Talk
ssI've met some remarkable hotel
clerks in my time" said a New York
man to Pittsburgh Dispatch reporter,
''but the funniest snap of the sort
ever heard of came within my eXpe-
rience at a big hotel in the south last
winter. 1t was one of those big cara
vansaries that are springinS 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 a man with immense
whisl<crs and voice to match handed
me a pen and said: You'll want a 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 | had to take what ! could get
and bc thankful. The man with the
big whiskers, whom | afterward found
to be the proprietor. handed us over to
the bell-boy. While my wife and the
trunks wcnz 10 the room ] tarricd 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 a young man OF
middle height and anywhere from five
to thirty years of age, whose prominent
features to woman's eyes were blue
eyes and curly hair and n fair Inustache
with twisted ends, and 10 a mans
cold, impudent stare. and a snecring
upper lip. dislilied him at first sight.
But he was the only man behind the
desk within reach. so | asked him to
4..1..
grams or letters for me. He flung ont
n pile of mail matter upon the desk.
but he didn't say n word. j felt
NV dislike for that clerk grow
ing. / 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 | had concluded
an unsuccessful search for correspon-
dence it seemed to me that a suspicion
of sneering smile hovered about that
clerks upper lip. didn't want TO know
very badly. but just to make the super
cilious bcgl.ar talk l asked him what
time dinner was served He looked
calmly through me as il I'd been a sheet
of your Pittsburgh plate glass. and made
no reply. / repeated the question.
think | was really glad that I got no
answer. II gave me a chance to resent
the sneering mouth and CLASSY eyes of
the man. With studied calmrcSs | said:
Is it customary in this hotel to refuse
TO give the guests information for which
they politely asll?' He never moved his
lips, and worse still. his eyes were fixed
upon me in cold, hard stare. ! had
dollar in my hand. silver dollar. and
knocking with il upon the marble coun-
er. / repeated the question with 4 few
dded words of :: profanc character. 1t
admit the slightest effect upon the
rozcn blonde. but the noise brought
,ut the man with the big whisllcrs.
old him very plainly what thought of
uch treatment as had received. and
was about ready TO sail in and wipe up
as much of the floor with the p.rir of
them as could, for was red-hot mad,
when the proprietor said mildly: My
dear sir. Mr.. Blank is dumb. absolutely
speechless; and his hearing is affected
also
- What in the thunder do you keep
lim for. thcn?' / asked.
- oh. he Is very useful in his way
replied the hotel-kccpcr. and that Is all
the eXpla nation he would make. But
there Is no doubt that the deaf and
dumb clerk was superb instrument of
torture to the gucsts--and when he
was on duty front was deserted