The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-21

at the dinner table. Two middle-aged
brokers had been joking each other
about being squeezed that day on
the market, and he of the iron-gray
hair and youthful eyes INDUCED in a
most plebian wink at his vis-a-vis as
he said:
Never mind, old man; it was moth
ing compared with our first specula-
tion that night in Boston,"
The table awoke on the instant.
The moment was ripe for reminis-
cences.
You see it was this way: Bert and
started out in the world together,
giving up small clerkships in L to
make or fortunes in the nearest big
city, which happened to be Boston.
But we found that the world wasn't
so confoundedly easy to conquer, and
with no acquaintance in the city and
no valuable references we were soon
on our uppers. We knew nothing of
life in town, and were about as green
as could be. But we were too proud
to go home.
FINALLY there came day when we
were desperate. We had slept in a
warehouse shed the night before and
woke to face a dreary rain. Money
we had none, and we were afraid that
If we applied to the police we'd be
booked as vags.' So we decided to
spend the day in the Commons and
watch for money or articles of value
that people might drop. 1t was a for
lorn hope, but we followed it through
puddleS and showers, getting fainter
each moment for lack of food. 1t
wasn't a day for dropping valuabes
and night found us in sad straits still.
We were in no mood to talk, but at
last, for the sake of saying something,
l said to Bert:
well, guess it's about time FOR
us to take to a dark side street and
hold up the first man that comes
along.
Bert took me in earnest. and I'll
never forget the expression on his
face when he stopped in our dreary
perambulation and faced me. 1t was
absolutely tragic. oh, I say, George.
not just yet. Let's wait a little
longer
81 doubled up with laughter, and as
I bent over something shiny on the
pavement caught my eye.- 1t was a
dime.
1--WE both clutched at it. Two sand
wiches. Or two cups of coffee. Or
two small pans of beans. Which
should it be? Then the spirit of
plugging, which has Gnce brought my
partner coin of the realm, seized him.
Said he:
Let's shake for it. If you get DIT,
buy the grub. If I get it, shoot craps
with it with the first fellow 1 meet
He won and we repaired to the
nearest cheap lunch joint where he ac-
tually did find man who would gam
BILE on the enormous sum of ten cents.
He doubled our capital and we had
lunch.
Then what? Well, that seemed to
De the turning point of our careers.
The proprietor of the joint had spotted
US and before we had finished our
twenty-cent meal we were telling him
our story. He put us in the way of
work. By and by we came to our
senses and let the folks at home know
about it, and Bert's father, tickled with
our grit, gave us a start.
Next" said the hostess with a
laugh.
The manager of a f1ourishing mer-
camille concern leaned forward
MY good wife, heaven rest her soul,
once helped me out of the tightest hole
we were ever in" he began. 1T was
in a Midwest city, then in it's youth,
that 1 stranded as a life insurance
agent. How we managed to exist for
a few weeks in a so-called furnished
room I will not attempt to describe,
but we finally got down to our last
s.. My wife, while doing our paltry
washing, remarked:
Just see what a Iather this soap
makes. 1t is the best brand / ever
used
Il watched the white foam on her
hands and suddenly the inspiration
came.
Peggy I exclaimed, that soap
must save us. I'm going to do it up
IN little packages and sell it on the
streets after dark as a lightning
cleanser Now, how can we turn the
trick?"
The family washing was suspended
then and there, and she sat down with
me to figure it out. Before long my
last IS and I were on the street.
bought three dozen bars of the soap
which is white and of a brand that
you all know, roll of tinfoil, some
tissue paper and several fine, small
sponges.
Once back in our room my wife and
went to work hard and fast for aft
ernoon was at hand. Taking the
sponges we wet them throughly and
rubbed them hard over the soap until
they were saturated with suds Then,
without rinsing them, we placed them
above the stove to dry. Next we care
July scraped off the bars the imprint
ol the soap-maker, washed the sur
faces, to make them perfectly smooth
and glossy, cut each cake into five
small fiat ones and wrapped these
carefully in tissue and tinfoil. That
night 1 took up my stand on the cor
ner' the soap in tinfoiI piled on one
hand and the dry sponges with g. basin
OF water on the other.
Wen, / proceeded to demonstrate
the 'sudsing' quality of that soap until
tne eyes Of the entire crowd seemed
10 bulge out. OF course. when the
sponge were wet the old lather got
IN its work, and then when I barely
touched it on the sample cake there
was something doing all over my
nands and clear down to the ground.
Did ] sell the soap? Well, rather,
ana at 80 cents a cake. And then in
sne solemn hour of midnight We
boarded train with the proceeds of
t the scheme and quietly stole back to
tne old farm.
There is a reminiscent glow in the
eyes of Mr.. Stevens, said the host
waving his hand in the direction OF
Meii-known singer who instantly be-
gan:
I'm from New England, as you
Know and my family was opposed to
ey adopting the musical profession.
promptly ran away and Joined
VIC chorus Of a second-rate opera
company. OF course. the company
eeted san Francisco, the jumping
vi place, 10 get stra Bded in, and with
Hy uttef inexperiencs 1 was soon up
YIfalnsi u IN dead earnest. One dgy
spt date az a variety house,
.1y9kn ! felt that wouldn't make