The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1897-07-24
The TENTH CASE.
BY ELIZA ATKINS STONE.

hCAN you bring me-" began Hal
Wyman, seating himself at the
restaurant table, .can you bring me a
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 have
finished
"Yessir." The waiter tiptoed about,
venting his superfiuity of zeal by flick
ing the cloth with napkin and rear
ranging the pdrti-colored centerpiece
of bottles and cruets.
Can you bring me a thick, tender.
juicy beefsteak-rare"
"Yessir. Vegetables, sir? Teaercof-
fee?"
NO. 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.
I'll go hungry till get back to civil
ization,' he had told himself from hour
10 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
lie kind. At this by-time it coptained
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
a scowl; il was a steak of reasonable
area, but scarce u half-inch thick, and
leathery of aspect. Moreover, it bore
every appearance of hasty re-heating
after having had its first introduction
to the fire at period indefinitely re-
mote.
rs that what you call thick, tender,
juicy, rare beefsteak?" inquired Hal.
with ominous gentleness.
The waiter grinned sheepishly. IL
guess ii is"
Take it away" This time Halls tone
wasnot gentle. what do you" After
all, though, where was the good of
tcthering? Life was too short. SERVES
1ve right, anyhow" reflected our young
man. II should have known better than
TO call for beefsteak in this place.
oh, WE'LL" he said, amiably enough,
bring me-bring Inc 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
oeen mistake. Hal pointed this out
70 the cashier at the desk.
Mistake? No, sir!" declared this
parsonage, emphatically.
certainly there is. Ham, 20 cents;
Piisener, 25; As cents, you see-not u.s."
You had a steak
oh yes, but / sent 1t back. 1t wasn't
what l ordered"
Cant help that"
This is piece of imposition" re-
marked Hal, after pause. However,
dare say you have your Instructions.
well, then. I'll take the beefsteak."
"What?"
If pay for that steak, 1 take 1t
with me-" Hal delivered this extraor-
uinary ultimatum as II it had been the
most natural in life.
The cashier stared. Then, perhaps
bit hypnotized by our hero's pensive
regard, perhaps concluding that he had
10 deal with mild mailman whom 1t
were as well to humor, he held up fin