The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-16
HIS MEMORY AGAINST HIM.
Might Have Got a Good Job in n Pool
Room, but Couldn't Remember
Trom the New York Tlmes.

races.
From the New York Times.
It was a rainy day and there was a
small group of people gathered about the
placard in one corner Of The Postofice
in which the United States government
sets forth the manifold advantages Of
being a soldier in its service. The cen
ter Of the group was a tall, thin young
man, poorly but neatly dressed. who was
addressing the rest Of the group in a
husky voice with a decidedly English
| accent
Yes" he said, waving a long arm to-
ward the picture on the placard in which
| was depicted a cavalryman with a big
mustache and yellow plumes in his he'll
met talking to a splendid Individual on
foot with a complicated arrangement of
gold braid across his broad chest; yes,
that's what I'm going to be. ! ought O
have enlisted long ago. ! suppose that's
all I'm good for Here l have been strug-
Cling along trying TO get work for the
past eight months, nearly starving"
Here the husky voice of the young man
choked with emotion, and he stopped
speaking for a moment. while the group
waited in sympathetic silence.
Il tell you, gentlemen" he continued
its hard thing for an English gentle
man to make his way in this country. /
know that they'll be glad 10 have me in
the army, though. I've served through
two campaigns as an officer in the Eighth
Kings l know Roberts like brother. /
would write TO him now only I'm too
proud to let him know how low l have
fallen. It's pretty hard for a Sandhurs.
man to bring himself to enlist as a COM
mon private. and that's what I've got to
4 n in,
it, it would break their hearts"
BY this time The young man was com
pietely overcome by the mournful picture
created by his own elcquence, and his
auditors were gazing at him with evident
compassion.
I'm nearly starving" he said land I'll
have to co something TO keep alive"
Don't worry" said fat man, with a
red nose, who had been scrutinizing the
young man with a very peculiar expires
sion of countenance. You'll get good
grub in the army. They'll feed you all
right there. You'd look good dressed up
like those fellers too
Yes said the young man, sadly. II
know they feed me. But the recruiting
station up on the Bowery is shut up now.
ana ] can't enlist till tomorrow
haven't d cent, and I'll have to spend
the night in the streets without a bite
TO eat or any place to sleep. Look how
it's raining, too. If any of you gentle
men could SPARE
At this moment the young man was in
'errupted by q sudden movement in the
group gathered about him as his hearers
scattered in ali directions The only per.
son VINO remained near him was the man
with the red nose, and he seized him by
he arm and drew him to one side.
Look here, young Teller" he said. Eve
7een i'm the city for seven years, ana I've
been knocking up against you regular ev
cry month or so. ! want TO ask YOU two
questions. The first is, what's the maI-
ter with your memory? You've been
meeting me every little while for the
past seven years. and you don't never
seem to know me. A man in your line
of business ought to be more careful
The first time I met you, when YOU told
me YOU was a Church of England clergy
man looking for the St. George Society,
thought YOU was on the level l give YOU
80 cents, and l won $50 on a horse the
next day; so you give me good luck
You struck me with another yarn the
next week, and l RENE mbered you. Some
se.lers would have plugged you in the
jaw then, but / give you another hall
dollar, because / remembered the good
uck you give me the other time. WAY
WI y Ou ledItl 10 remember IdCeSs w nat S
the matter with your memory"
The young man looked at his question.
er with tears in his eyes.
IF YOU knew how you were hurting my
feelings" he said, you wouldn't talk
Rat way l never saw you before in my
lie. and 1 have never stopped so low
rs to ask you for money until now. You
g uldn't have seen me seven years ago
for was la Australia then
IAN right" said the man with the red
rose, III leave that without an answer
and ask my second question. Where do
YOU learn all the stories you tell? If
was you l would take to writing dime
novels. There's more money in it. The
frst time / saw you you was "a minister.
then YOU was a farmer from Devonshiro
goin' to ranch in New Mexico and had
ost your railroad ticket. Then you wa.
I young man who had been disowne1 bv
Your father, the Earl, and had worked
YOUR passage across and wanted to gel
lcme again. can't remember all youI
warns. but they was all peaches. How
10 YOU come TO think of them?"
You must take me for some one else"
said the young man. Il never saw you in
my life before"
"All right said the red-nosed man
moving av ay his cigar in disgust. II
asked Won civil olpstiopc ony1 ,,.,,, .oes