Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-05-01

chip in and push it along. Now, look
a-hcre, what do you think / want of
your meals?"
"Not much; you want the ready ter
soak away inter the bank with enough
lef' out fer ball an bench all night
at the Rest"
To this summing up of his ambitions
the panhandler agreed with nod. He
leaned over and said confidentially:
Every time l run in good thing
here the joint gets the biz, don't it?"
Sure"
"And l get nothing"
"Y' get yer grub"
Grub be darned," said Pegdot, with
great emphasis. II want cash; that's
what want. Understand?"
"Yep. Keep that silt O. yourn glued
ter tn floor, will yer?"
Here's the scheme: run in the guy
and he pays here and gets out. | sit
down, but don't order, and as quick as
he gets out l getup without eating any
thing. But you got the 10 cents for the
grub. You give me the ten cents and
keep the three cents. You's the three
cents to the good, and you get it for
nothing, for don't take q bite. Under
stand?"
No audible reply came from the
other, but he thrust his face forward,
drew up the corner of his mouth in an
extraordinary grimacc, winked VIC
lently, and then waggled his hand un-
der his chin. That was all.
"Oh! WE'LL" said the inventor of the
scehme, somewhat discounted, II
amt mean; say eight cents to me and
the nickel to YOU"
Dyer take this joint fer Christmas
tree? inquired Jim, cooily. "Youse
gimme seven cents an take six; sce?"
"Do 1 get bowl of stew thrown in ?''
THAT goes" said Jim, and the deal
| was concluded.
The very next day in came Peg with a
philanthropist in tow. He was a young
philanthropist, able bodied and we'll
dressed, and Peg tipped wink to his
friend Jim.
PAY here, gent" said Jim.
| "All right; one meal. How much ~
said the young man.
"T'irteen CENTS replied the cashier,
and the philanthropist, putting down
the money, followed Pegs lead into the
| place, which was more than Peg had
reckoned on.
"You wouldn't sit down here, SIR
he eXpostulated. "a gent like you
| don't want to be seen in place like
| this.''
II guess none of my acquaintances
are likely to see me here" returned the
young man, easily. GO ahead and
eat"
But it amt fit place for you," in
sisted Peg. "It may not look SO bad
but it amt SO clean as it might be, and
the board of hcalth's been after it
Only poor unfortunates like me eats
| here"
Don't apologize for the place." was
the reply. 1T isn't so bad as it might
| be-"
Seeing nothing else for it, Peg or
dered his dinner and set to work upon
1T; but it was slow work. Six beers
and couple of WHISTLES that morning
had gone far toward running his appe-
tite, and it seemed as if every swallow
must be his last. In despair he made a
final attempt.
"say, Mike, what did they do with
that hobo that was took with typhus i'll
here yesterday" he inquired of a
waiter, winlling to make Mike under.
stand he was to back up the statement.
But Mike wasn't quick enough.
"Typhus, nc eye!" he said. tlisflai..-
fully. "Ain't yuse had de snakes
enough times t know EN- when v
see EN-? Say, yer wcodcn-toed Oh soak,
Ill make fried egg outer yer face if
yer screw it up at me dat way agin.'
II don't care to take any unnecessary
chances" said Pegs philantkropist
"ln case it might have been typhus,
akcprecautions," and pouring some
vinegar into a saucer he scattered ii
about, whereupun Mike immediately
put down two-ccnt check fn,'"- !,
| - Ia struggle for Peg tc
Gown that meal, but the young man was
watching him closely, and he had tt
do it. All things come to an end, but
the meals end was very near being
Pegs end; at least he felt that way
1t filled him up till he was too inert tt
beg, so lie went to the Rest and hibef
mated over night on the strength o
two drinks purchased with Il dime III
had saved from the night before.
While there he perfected his plan
and unfcldcd it to his friend jim a;
soon rs he could get to him. The rcsul
was that new bill of fare was special,
prepared for any philanthropist PEG
might run in who wanted to see hin
/ feed. On this special bill regular din
ner WIS 25 cents instead of 10, and al
dishes were double their ordinary price
Thereafter when the clump of Peg
wooden member was heard approach
ing i'm handily turned the price mot
toes to the wall and thrust forwart
the fake bill. They divided even OF
the extra price.
Since his invention Peg has bee
prospecting greatly. His only grie
is that he couldn't copyright tn
scheme, for his chief rival, "Fishbal
Jenkins" who poses rs a one-arme
veteran, with the lost arm strappe,
under his waistcoat, has initiated tn
idea, and is running u cooperative bust
ness with one OF the other Row restaur
ants. Panhnndlers' row is bad plac
for practical philanthropy nowadays
IN. Y. Sun.
RICHARD III. Up TO DATE.
g