Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-04-26

was an American and needed few
lessons in politeness. What do 20,
think of that? wish had had hill
in Texas town l know for half q
hour or so. They lynch a man the.
for saying "Thank YOU" / had
friend who walked down the mai
street of that town in silk hat. H,
lived five minutes. I've got q piec" Of
the rope III show you sometime, i
you are good.
"'But, as | was going to say, Of
course this fellow who sat next to me
spied the lunch. l had hardly gotter
outside the door when he came flying
after me with it. You've forgotten
something i, smiling all over
his face, tickled to leath with himself
for being soinfernally polite. thank
ed him, He went back. tucked the
thing under my arm and walked of
down the street. In quiet corner
where | thought nobody was looking
| dropped it. thought had lost il
for good this time, but | trudged on
pretty fast, to be sure.
at seems | had congratulated my.
self too soon. | heard screeches be.
hind me, and turning, saw three crazy
Frenchmen making flying leaps after
me. One of them lugged the hunk Of
bread and the stale old cheese.
81 couldn't understand word
they said, but from their broad grins
and their rolling eyes and the flow Of
words issuing from their gaping coun'
tenances in jerks managed to make
out that they were experiencing the
happiest moment in their lives in be.
ing able to return to monsieur the
precious package which he had bcon
so unfortunate as to lose.
"'What could | do but go through
a magnificent pantomime, expressing
my most profound and everlasting
gratitude and walk off again with the
plagued thing under my arm?
81 passed sort Of park. Now here,
thought |, is the place to lose it. ]
glanced cautiously around. On one
side was cafe with two rows of little
round tables, but they were hanging
round tables. There were plenty Of
men at these tables, but they were
hanging over glasses Of absinthe. ]
had little fear of their noticing. On
another side was blank wall, bar.
racks or something.
81 was safe. Looking about once
more to be certain, | dropped the
lunch. You would have thought II
was u baby wrapped up in that brown
paper from the careful way in which
dropped it.
"You wouldn't believe it, but there
was somebody watching. ! hadn't
counted on Diapers shop little
way up another street and the won.
an standing in the door with a little
white cap perched on the toNof her
head.
81 wasn't running, but | was sort
OF running, too, when that woman
came racing after me, red in the lace
and all out of breath, the strings OF
her white cap standing straight out
behind with the wind they caught, she
ran 80 fast.
"'She stopped all out OF breath and
grinned and smiled and smirked un.
til | was afraid her face would get set
that way for the winter, while she
poured out string of words all run
together about how charmed she was
to be able to return to him the parcel
Of monsieur.
"'You would have thought from
all that palavering that it was a
diamond necklace she was return q
to monsieur, and there she stood =
ing that measly old bread and cheese
at me again.
"Maybe you think it didn't max,
monsieur weary, He was so weary
that he had half a notion to eat the
stuff then and there to get rid of II
If the bread hadn't been a yard long
the thing would not have happened.
Sand did you finally lose it2' ]
asked.
"'Of course not. Igot afraid. Every
thing was against me. Everybody was
against me. | rammed it into my
pocket and brought it along home
At the door to the court had half a
notion to drop IT gain; but the IN.
cicrge fixed me with his eagle eye and
concluded wouldn't. 1t is in my
room now. Any time you get hungry
through the day you'll find it there
crammed down somewhere behind my
irunk.-lIrooklyn Eagle.