The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-10-07
A PROHIBITED PIPE.
ny BARRY PAIN,

~phiC out, uS Cdllcu W lllc. w t cUu
possibly lunch here"
"Oh, this is good enough,' l objected
AS matter of fact, it was rather bad; but
| dislike moving.
No; you must come on. have sworn an
oath, and l must keep it,
On his way out he cutched the head
waiter, pointed to something on the wall
and SAID words that | could not hear; but
| could see that they were spoken with
anger, sarcasm and contempt.
The head waiter made gestures indicative
of resignation under misfortune and OF a
general disclaimer Of any responsibility for
anything.
The mystery dcepened. and as soon as we
had seated ourselves in another restaurant
demanded an explanation
"Well, said Werner you saw me point
at that notice on the wall?'
Yes, there was a notice: 'Putridina, a
good clean dinner claret. Made in Ger
many. Doctors order it, think remem-
ber correctly
''tndoubtedly; but it was not at that
notice that pointed 1t was the one above
it, which says: NO pipes permitted in this
saloon. l am sworn member OF a society
that does not permit that notice
What's the good of bothering? If you
want to smoke pipe, you can smoke it else
where-and the restaurant chap is within
his rights
That's all wrong said Werner, warm.
ing to his subject. IF restaurant pro-
prietor says that no smoking is permit
ted, then he is within his rights. But it is
not his business TO settle what form of
smoking his patrons are to adopt that is
impertinence, And when bull-necked, po.
tato- backed Belgian has saved enough out
OF his sneakngs to start a seventhrate city
garbage shop. and call it restaurant, I'm
not letting him be impertnent to me.
Here's his blessed saloon, as he calls it. You
may smoke there while other people are
eating but it must not be pipe. Why,
the confounded rlssole.maker will be tell,
Ing me how to get my hair rut next"
IAN unntent iona mpe,tinence, | sug-
ge,ted.
Il never take the absence of intention as
any excuse. Ii our waiter poured plate of
soup down my back unintenllonallv, |
shouldn't smile and entreat him not to
worry about it. On the contrary, should
make it my business to see that be worried
very considerably. No, if any ambitious
meringue merchant wants to lmpart an air
OF refined luxury to the greasy rat warren
he calls his saloon, he ls welcome 70 do it
oy any legitimate means. For instance, he
might wash his hands or he might wash his
walters, he might teach those OF his com
patriots who patronize his shop to eat in
some less rcpusive aud less disgusting man
ner. That would be all to the good. But
| will not have any half caro-. stamp
sr come bulglng up to me in his second hand
yroclS coat to tell me am not to DO pre-
ciseiy as choose-ln the matter of pipe
smoking or anything else. The society to
which ! belong is pledged and sworn to put
that notice down. Ii is not khat we insist
on smoking pipes-it is bevhse we do not
.hink an experience With an ice cream bar
row qualities man.to act as master OF cere-
monies. II may enable him to start u dinner
factory on less perpatetic lines, but that is
where his ambition has to stop,
But is 1t ambition; ls''t it simply de-
sire to st imulate the sale OF his own cigarst'
Undoubtedly that comes in. And there
the opposition becomes still stronger There
my society leaves the abstract for the con.
crete. 1t is no longer question OF a loss
Of dignity and seli-respect in allowing
xed-natonality soup machine to run your
private business. 1t is the more serious
question of dambad tobacco. In the more
decent restaurants you never get that no
tlce, and you do get respectable gar.
Wherever that notice goes up the cigars
are bad beyond blasphemy. Not one known
and recognized brand is to he found there.
The distinction is made by the price four
penny and sixpenny For sxpence you may
have an lnfama Festlncha and certain
knowledge that the sad,eyed exile never
gave more than ten shii!ings for hun
dred of them
And what do you get for foulpcnce"
"TAe same cigar, but out OF different
box Yes, that prohibiting notice is
part of a conspiracy to promote the sale at
tlc highest possible price, Of the worst pos
sihle cigar. Our society is putting its foot
down on that notice, We 60 into the fried
tisA emporla where that notice is posted,
point to it and walk out again. We are
also taking very much stronger mea >lIrcs,
but as they are of kind which might not
be altogether approved by the police, we
do not speak of them to the outside pub.
lie. The gentle foreigner VINO makes money
by serving us has got to understand that
he can make it only in that way; that it
he attempts to give us directions he will
not make money, and unpleasan things
may happen to him. am sure you will
JOIN us. There is no society doing better
work, and there is no subscrlptlon'
NO, | shan't join you! You have my
sympathy, and the fact that there is no
subscription Is specially attractive. But
you are apparently Illegal, cannot be il.
legal, partly on moral grounds, and partly
because am always found out
He argued the point at some length. He
said, or implied, that | was a slave and Il
poltloon-he always expresses himself with
a generous strength. But he did not con
vince me Then he commanded black cot
fee produced his pouch and seasoned brar
and prepared the burnt offering,
'Ner' sorry, sir said the waiter, but
pipes are not allowed ere"
What do you mean thundered Werner.
"Tncrc's no notice up.
1--WE had notice but some gentlemen
did not like it. Ny boss, he say: Take it
down. But he keep the bill jnst the same.
Try YER nice cigar, Flor de cabbaglo:'"
Black and White
Good Evidence
"Ah, mused the phrenologist, pass
ing his hand over the bumps upon the
head of Mr. Henpeck, "the element of
cOmbatIyeness is very largely devel-
opcd."
"Ies, said Mr.. Ilenpeck. sotto voce,
"hut you are supposed to he reading
my character, not my wife's. = Balti-
more American.
AmiabiIity Itself,