Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-10-01

one after another appeared my friend
! became violently excited, and finally he
| slapped me on the back and shouted:
We have won! Come back here at 8
O'clock wandered idly about until
| that time, and when I returned my
friend was waiting for me. We were
in luck he said joyously. and handed
me forty-eight dollars.
| Il had won it at policy.
THAT small sum of money appeared
like a gigantic fortune to me. Lwon-
dered what | could do with so much.
One thing, at least, will have ] scid
to myself I will have good dinner.
You see, that unfortunate stomach Of
mine was quick to assert itself. had
heard people speak OF the Aston House,
and thither journeyed. It~was in the
month of February and very cold.
wore no overcoat, and to tell the truth,
| the texture of my linen was visible
! through the seat of my pantaloons. AS
| entered the big eating saloon in the
hotel | could plainly see that the wait
ers looked upon me CONTEMPORARY. |
knew nothing then Of gastronomic deli
caoies, and so | ordered roast beef and
/ number of vegetables. The dinner
was showed at me with scant courtesy.
| / devoured it ravenously, for l was
| hungry. / had just finished it when,
on the ledge back of the eating coun-
ter. l espied plate Of large and lus-
cious Strawberries. My stomach i'm
mediately took possession of me and
| forced me to call out to the waiter
| Give me dish of those strawberries
The man turned round and looked at
me in blank amazement. Hurry up, l
said, in loud and lordly tone of voice.
L have no time to waste here.
"The waiter said not a word, but in a
dazed sort of way began placing the
/ berries one by one in small caucer.
| oh, don't stop to count them, I ex-
claimed, in voice that could be heard
all around men. Fill up the DISH |
noticed that people were looking toward
me and that their glance5 indicated not
disdain, but interest and wonder. 1t
only required ten of the big berries to
| fill the dish placed before me. l COW
cred them with powdered sugar and
| then poured some rich cream over
them. They were, indeed, delicious. In
| a princely sort of way l called for my
check when l had finished l was
handed two pieces of pasteboard. The
| first one called for dollar and forty
cents. That was for the beef and veg
etables. The second called for ten dol
| lars. That was for the strawberries.
Great Jehosaphat! Strawberries one
| dollar each! | must confess it was a
staggerer. I felt that the eyes of every
one in the room were upon me, and /
guess they were. Jacob, I said to my
| self, you may be fool, but don't show
it. Don't let them know that, after all,
you are nothing but poor white trash
l stepped to the cashiers desk, picking
my teeth nonchalantly with tooth
pick and pulled out my fortyeight dol
| lars. The sum was in small bills and
made a large roll. l paid the two
! checks in a careless sort of way and
then I deliberately walked back to
where = had eaten and threw the waiter
silver dollar.
THAT capped the climax.
| GAS l walked out every waiter in that
place was satisfied that was million
aire in disguise.
"Derision had given way to defer
ence.
"As | walked forth from the hotel
two men accosted me. In some way-I
cannot tell you how-they made my
| acquaintance, and in short time they
! had induced me to accompany them
into a room where a game of chance
| was in progress. They wished me to
/ play. / protested that I was only a
! poor young man, with but few dollars
in my possession. The men winked
slyly at one another and laughingly
| poked me in the ribs. You are a cute
/ one, said one. but l am not afraid to
back you for one thousand dollars.
| There was some movement in the game,
] bof boJ
won one thousand dollars, and that sum
was actually handed to me. Then it
was announced to me that the stakes
had been increased to five thousand
dollars and I was requested to produce
that sum or a check for it. Check!
had never had a bank account in all