The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-03-22

III ili III u liii XII ~
across the lobby. The clerk looked -
him occasionally In mingled anger and
amusement Presently the man walked
ont into the center Of the lobby, glanced
slowly aronnd and walked deliberately
ont Of the hotel through The writing
room and the ladies' entrance.
II wish somebody would invent =
sure crank-lrilling machine. said The
clerk, after the man had disappeared
That fellow was the sixth tonight >
.sghat Do you mean2r asked the re-
porter.
Il mean. = be replied. shat that fell
low knew when he came, here that no
such man Is he inquired for had ever
stopped here In fact, the name be
mentioned was all there was Of his pre-
tended friend When he came here
and asked for the myth Of his own
creation. he knew that ne was simply
bothering me What was his object?
Oh. simply % create an impression on
ttse paople standing around DID you
notice how his voice rose when he
talked 81 the myth as the big million
aircg Don't you know there are men
who are constantly craving the noto-
rietY that IS associated with rfches2
Havcn't you heard men ID restaurants,
elevated trains. horse cars, barrooms
md elsewhere talk about big
dcs4ls,' bonds. vast sums Of money.
their social position, intimacy with
groat men. md all that sort Of
thing2 OF course you have, and have
known an the time that they were
merely taking Well. that sort OF snan
comes ia here nearly every day and an
noys the life out 81 IA This fellow
you saw has been here So many times
ara dsai o. to him- He wants to show
on his clothes and imitation diamonds.
and make people think be is big gun.
Most "a them are not so well dressed as
lie Is. Some are countrymen who have
heard good deal about our lobby and
the men wAo frequcutit. and ask qies-
li2ns nbout persons who don't exist as
40 exease for coming here. They seem
W think that being seen In converxa-
tion with the clerk gives them 1 sort
of right 70 stay here and satisfy their
curiosity They have an idea the de-
teetises viii come around and order
them out unless they do something Of
the Kind frightened one 81 these
fellows nearly out Of bis wits one night.
He WAS perfect jay. and suffered.
He asked IL Howard Johnson was in.
Is Yes, saias there he IS, < and II
pointed ont cur detective, who was
standing close by MIR johnson,
said heres a man wants to talk to
goa Hsinired to the detective md be
tanhled What did you wish OF me,
sir2' he said, crovding him mp into this
corner The fellow turned blue with
fright. i g-g-gness rn.ln-adc a m-m-
mistake, he suffered sYou asked for
Howard Johnson. said, severely.
And that's my name. said the detec-
tive, taking the hint Y-y-ycs. said
the fellow. 'bb-but g-g-guess y-you
air d-d-differeat Hill Howard. He
kept edging III as far Al be could, and
finally bolted.
Some 81 the cranlSs got up great
cock-and-hull stories one fellow
called the other night TO know If a
Mr. Harris had left pair OF opera
glasses for him There had been no
such guest here During the last cam
paign, when the papers were fun Of
stories about the big men here, we had
as many as thirty or forty cranks pes
tering us every day. A favorite trick
with some Of them was to wait until
the papers announced the departure OF
q big gan, and then come here and
poster rs with questions about when
be would return They always pre-
tended surprise when told he had gone
without leaving messages for them,
and would try to talk confdentially
WITH Us. ID tones loud enough to be
heard fifty feet away, about their init
mate relations with the big men. We
were oyerrun with them. and found It
dificnlt 70 attend to our business, for
they stuck like Ieeches 1t was a great
relief 70 see them drop OF after the
campaign, but we are still annoyed ~
enough 70 make us sore at tines IN.
7. Sun