Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-07-29
THE TENTH CASE.
BY ELIZA ATKINS STONE.

hNAN you bring me-" began Hal
Wyman, seating himself at the
restaurant table, "can you bring me
thick"
"Yessir," responded the obsequious
waiter, who had noted the newcomer
for patron out of the ordinary.
"-tender-"
"Yessir.'
"Be kind enough to wait till l have
finished"
"Yessir." The waiter tiptoed about,
venting his superfuity of zeal by flick
ing the cloth with napkin and rear
of bottles and cruets.
Can you bring me thick, tender.
Juicy beefsteak-rare?"
"Yessir. Vegetables, sir? Teaercof-
fee?"
mo. Bread. And bottle of pilsen-
err"
"Yessir." The waiter flew to execute
his commission.
Hal had been collecting rents for his
father, this October day, in part of
Chicago he seldom visited-a plebeian,
though thriving, district on the West
side. He had planned to return to his
accustomed haunts in time for lunch
con, but his task had spun itself out
most unexpectedly.
"Pll go hungry till I get back to civil
ization," he had told himself from hour
to hour; but with the prolonging of
his business into the waning afternoon
primitive pangs had triumphed; so here
he was.
He looked about him. The establish
ment was good-sized one, different
enough, to be sure, from the soberly
elegant cafe of Halls favorite club, or
from the knowing little chophouse
wherein he was wont to foregather
with his fellows at midday; but it was
fairly clean, and well-appointed after
its kind. AT this by-time it contained
no customers except himself and SOL
itary, mustachioed citizen of Falstaf-
fan girth, with napkin tucked in al
collar, feeding, rather noisily, by win.
dow.
After an interval suspiciously brief
the waiter sat down before our young
man an object which Hal regarded with
scowl; it was a steak of reasonable
area. but scarce half-inch thick, and
leathery of aspect. Moreover, it bore
every appearance of hasty relocating
after having had it's first introduction
TO the fire at period indefinitely re-
mote. ....
''Is that what you call thick, tender
juicy, rare beefsteak?" inquired Hal
with ominous gentleness. r..
The waiter grinned sheepishly. 81
guess it is"
Take it away" This time Halls tone
wasnotg gentle. What do you" After
all, though, where was the good OF
Gathering? Life was too short. Serve,
me right, anyhow" reflected our young
man. II should have known better than
to call for beefsteak in this place.
''Oh, WELL" he said, amiably enough
"bring me-bring me some ham. As
quickly as you can, please"
"Yessir." The waiter made off with
the despised Wand.
When the reckoning for the meal was
presented. it appeared that there hat
been mistake. Hal pointed this ou
to the cashier at the desk. ~
Mistake? No, sir!" declared thi.
parsonage, emphatically.
Certainly there is. Ham, 20 cents;
pilsener, 25; As cents, you see-not rs
"You had a steak"
"Oh yes, but sent it back. Itwasn',
what i ordered"
"Can't help that"
This is a piece of imposition" re
marked Hal, after pause. However
dare say you have your instructions
Well, then. I'll take the beefsteak."
"What?"
''E l pay for that steak, take 1
with me-" Hal delivered this extraor
binary ultimatum as if it had been tn,
most natural in life.
The cashier stared. Then, perhaps
a bit hypnotizeG by our hero's pensiv'
regard, perhaps concluding that he hac
TO deal with a mild mailman whom i
were as well to humor, he held up tin