The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-21
WAS BADLY SCARED.
Hotel Proprietor Twice Confronted with
the Answer mo Funds" for Check, but
Gets His Money After Chase.

There has been an exciting time of late
at certain hotel in Boston, one which
from its long standing reputation as the
favorite meeting place of the G. A. r.,
needs no other Introduction.
The proprietor is a gentleman whose
tastes are toward the water. In company
with the commodore of one of the large
yacht clubs, while cruising in the waters
off the Maine coast he was introduced
to two gentlemen Of fine appearance.
These gentlemen we've from a city not
hundred miles from Washington. There
sprung up an intimacy between the
quartette that was highly enjoyed by the
gentleman from Boston.
Not many days afte r the Bostonian's
return his friends from the Southern city
were in the harbor. Their large yacht at
tracted much attention. A carriage drove
up to the hotel and the pair of sunburnt
yachtsmen alighted. Very little luggage
was brought. They were up for a good
time, they said, and they started in as if
they meant it. The proprietor was de-
lighted to see them, and he did his best
to show them that his house was as fine
as any in the city.
There were suppers, which both the
larder and the cellar were taxed to the
utmost to supply. The chef and head bar
tender were at swords points, forseach
was trying to please the distinguished
guests the most. Ten days did the
revels continue, and all this time the
Southern gentlemen were piling up fast
and furious the figures of the ledger,
which soon looked as though they would
spill over into the fourth figure column.
Like all things there came an end, and
one fair morning the two gentlemen
asked for their bill. 1t was ready ana
waiting There was no expression OF
surprise at the amount OF was there the
least fault found.
The taller of the two merely asked for
a pen and blank check.
~ That was all.
He got them.
The amount was filled in and the bill
was receipted and closely folded in the
gentleman's pocket
The proprietor escorted the pair of gay
gentlemen to the carriage and wished
them pleasant trip to their destination
The check was sent in due course of
time to the bank and it was carried to the
bank upon which it was drawn in the
South. Days passed when the clerk,
whose duty it was to open the mail, dis
covered the check and upon its back was
stamped mo funds"
The proprietor was informed He was
astonished, he said, that this should
occur. 1t must surely be mistake. He
would wire them at Portland, where
they were to stop over.
1t did not take long
An answer came back in a hurry. 1t
read: Some mistake. Present again. :"
And, l knew it,n said the relieved
hotel proprietor and turning to his
cashier, he said "Send it down again,
that will be all right
The letter was sent and the clerks
waited the reply. The envelope was
hastily broken when it did come, this
time by the proprietor himself.
His face was study. Stamped again
beside the former mark was the familiar,
No funds"
The language used in the hotel for
brief time would hardly look well in
cold type.
Mr.. -" speaking to the manager,
you get your things together, and take
the next train for Portland, and don t
you come back until you find the men
and get the money"
MI was all <naSJe, ana away ne
went on the track Of the two genial gen
tlemen who had mo funds" but could
take sport.
The yacht was one which could be
easily traced, and while the manager
had to make quite a circuit of the differ
eht points along the Maine coast, he
finally located the gentlemen.
Satisfaction and costs were the result
of the trip to Booth bay Harbor.n
The next time newly .fOund friends
come to that hotel it is likely the ques-
ton of funds" or mo fundsn will be
early investigated. Boston Journal.