The Banner-Democrat., 1900-10-20
THE MAN WITH THE SWEET MUsTAcHH
The Fears Of Z Small Boy Amused the Pas
sengers.

-She was a good looking woman an
she had an air Of prosperity and gen.
eral satisfaction with the world. The
little boy who sat beside her, with his
hand in hers, was evidently her
"onliest''-the bright particular star
in the armament Of her existence.
They were riding home on one Of the
Northwestern Elevated trains, and
across the aisle from them sat man
who had q mustache that dropped d.
rectly forward over his upper lip, thus
affording him an opportunity to draw
the hairs into his mouth by means Of
his tongue and teeth, thing he did
with apparent relish.
The little boy became interested In
the operation and endeavored to
arouse his mother to a realization OF
the wonder of it. Every time the man
would let go to get better hold the
child, in an excited stage whisper,
would say:
Mamma, look ut him."
The woman would blush and pre-.
tend she didn't know what he meant,
and the map, being deep in maga-
inc article, was oblivious of his sur
roundings.
The passengers in that end Of the
car were not slow to join the boy in
his watchful interest, and whenever
he tried to attract his mothers atten-
ton to the engaging operation they
smiled broadly or giggled aloud. An
old gentleman with muttonchop whis-
kers and an English look sat on the
other side Of the boy from the latter's
mother. He was rather slow to join
in the general enjoyment Of the pro-
ceeding, but he found out after a while
what it was that those around him
were laughing at, and then he, too,
began to grin.
| Look, mammal" cried the child,
"he's trying to get 1t again."
"Hush.' the mother said, endeavor-
ing to hide her face and hold a hand
over the boys mouth at the same time.
Now he's got it!' exclaimed the
excited little one. 'Is he going to eat
it off? ?"
mo, no, no! Be quietr' his mother
commanded.
"Well, then, why does he chew it?''
"Sh-h-h. Here, look out of the win
dow. Well see the Ferris wheel pref
ty soon.'
"Would it hurt him if he swallowed
it, mammal"
The man with the mutton-chor
whiskers was getting red in the face
and showing apoplectic symptoms, but
he managed to blubber:
"Yes, my boy; he might choke II III
swallowed it."
Mamma, mamma" exclaimed th'
little fellow, "he might choke If III
swallowed it."
Inst then the man with the mus
tache got a new twist on 1t with hi
tongue and teeth and pulled on th'
hairs as If they would be torn out b.
the roots.
"Ob. look at him. said the child
"he's going to swallow 1t now!
The lady was looking out of the win
dows they were passing and pretend
ing not to hear. Therefore. the bo.
turned to the English looking mai
and asked:
"why don't you tell him not to ca
, itT'
because he has a right to eat 1t
: he wants to-"
"Well. why does he want tor
. .I don't know. Maybe he had hone
. or tafry or something of that kind TO
: his lunch"
"And would that make him want
r eat it?"
Q 'Well, It might IT,
o The man with the mustache sudder
;. " stuck out his tongue and picked o.
i the end Of hair that he had bitten
q two. which made the boy cry:
"Why does he throw them away
he likes them?'
e This question attracted the attentio
o of the object of the boys interest, VIII
n suddenly raised his head to discovt
;. that the other passengers were lool
ing at him and laughing.
r He turned red, felt of his necktl
q looked himself over as far as possibl
r and then, after an embarrassing M
n ment went into another car, walkiE
J. sidewise, SO as to prevent anythir
q serious happening in case his cloth'
p might be torn where he couldn't see.