The age-herald., 1897-09-29
THE "BARKEEPu
 WORKED FOR A JAG

sTake something on me-" said the fr.iendly "barkeep" last night as the re- porter slid Into Bills saloon with a "got no money but must have a drink" ex- precision on his face. The reporter was so astonished at such am unexpectedly 'ieasy" drink that he came near to call ing for beer instead Of whisky, which would have been in violation of the ethics of the profession in the case of a free treat.
 As the "barkeep' put the bottle and glass upon the bar he inquired with a look of pathetic indignation. Do look like an easy maIk?"
 With lively sense of future drinks, the reporter assured him that the man who sizsd him up for a sucker would lose his bait and fishing tackle.
 That's what my friends always said,o reflected the "barkeep." "Why, I've even turned you down when you came in with two-hour thirst and tried to jolly me with one of your funny stories I'm no graft, and that's what makes me mad clean through when a horny-hand- ed jay works the rinkydink on me-"
 There he paused and gazed into the outer darkness so intently that he did not notice the reporter fill his glass again. The newspaper man was about to make a third attack on the bottle when the "barkeep" emerged from his fit Of abstraction and silently replaced the bottle behind the bar. Then he spoke again and told his tale of woe.
 You see, it was this way: Men Jo- selrh we're taking a drink and gasine about the new Alabama, beer that's com ing on the market, when in walks a, fellow frcn Bssselmer. who got full here last Sseulday. I gave him the glad hand and tipped Joseph the wink that the duck was a epenier. The guy orders up drinks, ertl I'll trade my diamond stud flor a lump of ooal if he didn't have me mix hrm the biggest cocktail I ever made.
 " Fill Lemonade glass he says. T o-iit SNS ciiAC pO WE'LL anu QIIuk luTcS or four for I've got to catch my car.' I put half a pint of my best hquor and 10 cents worth of absinthe and bitters into ttat cocktail and stood 1t up in front of film. Me and Joseph took red liquor, too, knowing we wasn't paying for it. The guy drains that glass dry; that's what he did, and then began to make faces like a drowning man and to gasp like a fish out of water.
 Then he puts his handkerchief to fts ugly mouth and runs out. though't he was sick from the big dose, and Joseph and me laughs in a quiet way while we waited for him to come Lack, but when ten minutes passed got serious for I thought the mug had hurt himself bad" k Perhaps he's sick I've heard of men dying from big drinks. Ial go and lcok for him." interrupted the reporter. z Save your shoe-lsather," said the bar keeper, grmly. That duck'M never de, except on the gallows. It must have been an hour later. Joseph had gone, when in comes a friend of mine and says, Did you make a big cocktail tonight? I did,' says T. and then my frierd. tells me he heard the guy telling some other fellows on the car how he had worked me for a free jag. The next duck that comes here and orders big cocktann get hit with my ice pick, seer' he wound up.
 Hhe rspeuiter sympathized with him in hfs laff1iction, but the 'fbalkeep" was too wralpt in his woe to suggest ano her drink, So the reporter left him and the empty Lemonade glass to console one ano6her.