El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-18
A MIX UP IN HATS.
A RESTAURANT EPISODE WHICH IS
NOT AT ALL UNCOMMON
But which, of Course. Served to Ir-
ritate Beyond Measure the Man
Who Was Sure He Was Getting the
Worst of the Deal.


ritate Beyond Measure the Man
| Who Was Sure He Was Getting the
Worst of the Deal.
| When the modest looking man with
| the black string necktie entered the
| restaurant, it was with an air of
one accustomed to the place. He
| stripped off his rain coat and hung it
on a vacant peg. placing his golf cap
| on another peg by the side of a gray
| fedora hat with a black band that top
ped a short covert cloth overcoat. Then
he looked around him. The table al
which he had evidently intended to sit
was occupied by stout, baldheaded
| man with n black muStache, dropping
| with an inward turn to the corners of
his mouth, whose napkin was tucked
under a broad, double chin. He was
talking with a pale person with blue
striped shirt decorated with large
| diamond.
AS the newcomer heSitated the head
waiter beckoned with a graceful and
dignified uplifting of his hand and
placed a chair for him at the other side
| of the ROOM He seated himself and
ordered his dinner.
When he had finished his meal, he
walked over to the peg where he had
hung his coat and, taking down that
garment, struggled into it. Then he
took down the fedora hat, put it on his
| head and was about to walk out when
a sharp "Heyv' from the stout man
halted him.
mo, you DON'T" said the stout man,
rolling his head in threatening way.
The man with the string tie looked
!
| that the stout man must have been
some jocular acquaintance whose face
for the moment escaped his recollec-
ton, for a smile Of the semi-idiotic
character proper to such occasions
spread over his face, and he advanced
doubtfully toward the table.
"There's nothing to grin about" said
the stout. man. Put that hat back
where you found it,
The man with the string tie became
instantly serious and, removing the
hat, looked at it earnestly.
don't your
The man with the string tie seemed
to be suddenly overwhelmed with this
conviction, for he made quick step
to the rack and secured his own head
covering, restoring the fedora. AS he
did so a crimson flush overspread his
face. extending to the tips of his ears
and the back of his neck. He turned to
the stout man.
81 beg your pardon, I'm sure, he
said. 81 made a mistake"
st seen you made a mistake" said
the stout man, with whitening irony.
| 81 want to explain. You see, p
lot
right so long as you didn't take my hat.
I've known people to get into trouble
that made them kind of mistakes"
"See here''-
"See here. You put your cap on your
head and pass along. 1 don't want no
argument about this"
"Why, hang it," exclaimed the man
with the string tie desperately. 81
didn't want to take your hat, man!
See here" he continued, addressing
the interested audience of diners. Il
put on a cap today because it was rain
ing He stopped to shake off the ex-
postuIatory hand that a waiter had
laid on his arm 81 usually wear a hat
that looks exactly like this man's-the
waiter here can tell you that-and l
took the wrong one without stopping
to think about having left mine at
home. When l get back, do you know
what 1 am going to do? I'm going to
stick it into the stove. l wouldn't be
caught wearing a hat that hog like
this wears I'm ashamed that 1 ever
did wear il"
He raped his knuckles on the stout
mans table as he said this and looked
the stout man steadily in the face.
The waiter laid his hand on his arm
again, and he Strengthened up, still
glaring defiance at his insulter. Then
he pulled the golf cap down over his
forehead and walked stiff1y out of the
restaurant
"Did l understand you to claim that
hat" inquired a young man at the
next table, addressing the stout man.
! eyes, sir,'' replied the stout man, a
] little less aggressively. ''Thats my
hat
] 81 was under the impression it was
mine,'' said the young man as he stir
red his coffee carelessly. ''You don't
want two hats, though, and perhaps
you'd just as soon let me have the one
J on that chair beside you"
The stout man looked down at the
chair, and his face grew as red as thai
of the man with the string tie few
minutes before. There was a hat on the
chair, and it was a pearl gray fedora
with black band.-Chicago Record.