The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-30

was polishing long Sims hard by. 1t
was 8 o'clock p. m. by the closk as
The Stranger ambled vigorously into
the bar and sidled up against the unoc-
cupied end. The night bartender fin
ished with his little line of thirsties
and came and asked The Stranger what
he'd have. Now, The Stranger was we'll
dressed and looked like man thor
oughly we'll able to order and pay for
his drinks; moreover, he was sober So
when he replied "A little whiskey'' (you
will take notice that the old-timers
have a weakness for saying "A little:"
explain it by the law of opposites, if
you like), the night bartender did not
hesitate, but produced the bottle and
the glasses and watched The Stranger
pour out his drink.
The Stranger poured, balanced the
glass between two fingers and a thumb,
and observed:
Now, I'm not going to pay you for
this drink-right now. You see, I've
just made a wager with a gentleman
in the other room that I could get a
drink at this bar without money-stand
the bar off, y'know. He bet me I
couldn't. So, you see, I'll just take this
drink (he's watching me from the out
side-thinks I'm putting up a stand-off
talk), an when he sees / don't pay for
it-why, I'll have won my bet. A little
ii
around-and pay you for it. See?"
Then The Stranger balanced the glass
of red whiskey a little nearer his
mouth. and waited. His eyes, that
were fixed on the night bartender's
face, showed just little embarrass-
ment, as though he feared the bar
tender wouldn't understand, but in
stead imagine he was running a cruel
cold bluff
Now, you must not think that Just
because this was very swell bar the
bartender wasn't on to all the bluffs
running wild; for he was. Or, at least,
he had a right to believe he was.
Which is every bit as good. except that
sometimes it isn't. But the bartender
was a wise one; that is to say, he had
been wised up: which is equivalent to
being next to yourself He was calm
man, too. not given to- exhibiting his
emotion in public places.
So instead of getting very mad, as
many another bartender has done, and
of bawling The Stranger out, he real
lied that he was done. jobbed, thrown
down. He appreciated The Stranger
because The Stranger was SO smooth
and had such beautiful gall.
So the night bartender smiled and
said that would be all right and he
hoped The Stranger would win his bet.
and he should go right ahead and
drink hearty. And The Stranger drank,
and he thanked the bartender and said
his name was Smith and he would drop
in when the wager man wasn't around
to see him pay for the drink. Then
The Stranger went out, and the night
bartender said he'd be-something.
Which probably was no lie.
About half an hour later The Stran-
ger sauntered in again. This time he
had four friends with him, a couple
ix,F ;rl
Every one of those four men was a
gentleman. so the bartender supposed
The Stranger had won his bet and had
come in to buy drink on the strength
of it and to pay for the drink he had
got. This shows that bartenders are
human.
The Stranger and his four friends
lined up and The Stranger called for
drink. The bartender served it and
they drank, Then the four gentlemen
turned to walk away, but The Stran-
ger leaned over the bar and said quite
courteously:
Same name as I gave you before,
you know-Smith. I'll be in an pay
you when I've got some money. I'm
fiat"
And The Stranger walked down the
bar.
So did the night bartender And ne
kept on walking till he got clean out
side, when he accosted The Stranger,
gently:
This drinks on you, is it?"
Yes. Smiths my name. It's on me-"
But your hat isn't replied the bar
tender as he quickly removed a black
Fedora from The Strangers head and
threw it behind the bar. Then the
bartender walked away and resumed
his duties, keeping the tail of his eye
on The Stranger. That person seemed
taken aback. He hestitated and hung
round the end of the bar; and present
ly he made as if he would enter and
recover his hat. The night bartender
knew he would do that. He was ready.
The Stranger did not get his hat. He
got the toe of a boot, and it was on