The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-07-31
THE TENTH CASE.
BY ELIZA ATKINS STONE.

LOAN you bring me-" began Hal
l. Wyman, seating himself at the
restaurant table, ''can you bring me a
thick"
"Yessir," responded the obsequious
waiter, who had noted the newcomer
for u patron out Of the ordinary.
"-tender-'
"Yessir.'
BE kind enough TO wait till I have
finished"
"Yessir." The waiter tiptoed about,
venting his superauity of zeal by flick
ing the cloth with a napkin and rear
ranging the pdrti-colored c~enterpiece
of bottles and cruets
Can you bring me a thick, tender,
juicy beefsteak-rare?"
"Yessir. Vegetables, sir? Teaercof-
fee?"
No. Bread. And a bottle of pilsen-
err"
"Yessir." The waiter flew to execute
his commission.
Hal had been collecting rents for his
father, this October day, in a part OF
Chicago he seldom visited-a plebeian,
though thriving, district on b 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.
III go hungry till 1 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 t~riumphed; so here
he was.
He looked about him. The establish
ment was a 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 a SOL
itary, mustachioed citizen of Falstaf-
fan girth, with napkin tucked in at
collar, feeding, rather noisily, by a win
dow.
After an interval suspiciously brief,
the waiter sat down before our young
man an object which Hal regarded with
a scowl; it was a steak of reasonable
area. but scarce a half-inch thick, and
leathery of aspect. Moreover, it bore
every appearance of hasty relocating
after having had its first Introduction
to the fire at a period indefinitely re-
mote.
us that what you call a thick, tender,
Juicy, rare beefsteak?" inquired Hal.
with ominous ~gentleness.
The waiter grinned sheepishly. Il
guess it is"
Take it away This time Halls tone
wasnotgentle. What do you" After
all, though, where was the good of
bothering? Life was too short. Serves
me right, anyhow" reflected our young
man. Il should nave known better than
to call for beefsteak in this place.
"Oh, WE'LL" 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 had
been a mistake. Hal pointed this out
to the cashier at the desk.
Mistake? No, sir!" declared this
parsonage, emphatically.
Certainly there is. Ham, 20 cents;
pilsener, %; IS cents, you see-not rs"
You had a steak"
'Oh yes, but l sent it Dark. 1t want
what l ordered"
Cant help that"
This is a piece of imposition" re-
marked Hal, after a pause. However,
1 dare say you have your instructions.
Well, then, I'll take the beefsteak."
"What?"
eff 1 pay for that steak, 1 take it
with me-" Hal delivered this extraor-
binary ultimatum as if it had been the
most natural in life.
The cashier stared. Then, perhaps
n bit hypnotized by our hero's pensive
regard, perhaps concluding that he had
to deal with a mild mailman whom it
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