Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-13
THE LUNCH ROOM -SEER

(which take occasion here to observe"
said the man in the lunch foonl,' '.that PEG:
pie who get mad and ugly when fail to
recognize them on the street, and then
come barking at me later on for an apology
and an explanation, don't get the same any
more. not If know myself. can't see my
way clear to wearing placard, bearing the
legend, am nearsighted, and don't want
any Of my friends to bow to me- nor do 1
want to decorate my chest with hanging
sign with the large-lettered inscription, L
am SO naughty that 1t pains me to be COM
PEELED to acknowledge salutes of any de-
scription.' If 1 did anything like this. I'd
be liable to attract attention, and atten-
ton is something I don't require on the
public thoroughfares. But, all the same.
m growing weary of telling people that I
feel humble and penitent and cheap and
3o-cents-llke for having failed to make
thelr features and forms out, and DOTTED my
bonnet to them, the last tiala they me. me
on the street l never do feel humble or
penltent or anything like 1t under such cir
cumstauces.
It's simply of my infirmities thar I
don't see my friends when they see me on
the street. L am kept guessing as to ways
and meals of making a living anyhow
ana when l am walking al)ag the street
We got too many thinks coming to permit
OF my rubbernecking at everybody who
passes by Just to see if it's up to me to
grlnning and disappearing. | go along
about my business, and get home some way
or another, and am glad to see my friends
when they drop in for a pipe or for a talk
about medicine and servants and things
with my wife. But there's not a day
passes but some chap comes UP to me and
looks injured and aggrieved, ana says to
me, say, what kind of a geezer are you to
be cutting folks dead on the street" and
then goes on to tell me that he was passing
such-and-such a corner last night with his
swell girl, or with his wife, or something
and that he raised his chapeau two and a
half feet in the air, and that l looked him
smack in the face and passed on without
recognizing him, and that he then had to
square himself with the girl, wife, or
something, for having done something
mean and trifing to me that caused me to
give him the cut. Who wants to cut any
body? I don't. Ali l want is to be let
alone, and to be given chance to look
straight ahead six miles down the street
II l want to, and not be reproached for it
a couple of days later
Now, one afternoon last week, I did by
accident happen to see a lady on the street
whom l knew, and ups and gives her the
Chesterfeldiest hat-lift in my repertoire.
She just looks me straight in the eye with
out a particle of recognition on her coun-
tenance, and passes on. 1t would suppose,
have been the real thing for me to get
naughty over this, and to pass on with
squared shoulders, and uplifted chin, and
all that. Instead, however, 1 wheels
around, and walks up to the lady.
WELL l said to her, if you'll be kind
enough not to tell my wife about it, and to
tell me about it. I'll be obliged to you
Tell your wife what, sir?' she asked
me, with her head high up.
Why, what I've done to you and your'n
to have you give me the dig on the street
like this?
"'Oh, you've done nothing to me- she
said. 1t would be quite out of your power
to injure me, you know
Well. what's the matter, Them? l in
qured.
Well she went on to tell me how upon
the last three occasions that she had met
me face to face, fair and square, and
bowed to me with all the grace in the
world, had given her the vacant glare. /
had to tell her that my eyes had been I'M
der treatment for almost total blindness
during the period she complained of. and
even then she didn't appear to believe me,
but went away q bit sore.
If people are so dead anxious to have
me bow and grin to them on the street,
why don't they pack lassoes about with
them, and then, when l pass along without
seeing them, all they've got to do is to
throw me and make me do it? l don't pro-
TESS to be able to see anything or anybody
anywhere 1 don't see.''
Then this lunchroom conversationalist
went out.
Know who that is?'' inquired one of his
listeners of another.
NO
why, he's got sign out that reads
Professional Seer, Possessed of Second
Sight and Clairvoyant Powers. Sees into
the Future. Sees into the Past. -