The St. Louis Republic., 1902-12-21

~SE
golf half the year round. and his side whis
kers and ruddy face indicated that he wa:
a good man at the banquet table.
This IS an extraordinary occasion. Mr.
Landlord / heard him explaining. and the
tables must be Just so.
The party IS very select and have beer
planning this ever since the coming of ''Mr
Pickwick" was advertised.
"Have everything hot and ready tc
serve at 6:3o o'clock. you know. Ten plates
II you please
Don't forget the flowers or the favors
And. by the way. do you know where Hop
per is stopping?
When the earnest entertainer had cleared
the psssageway 1 wrote my name on the
register and went to my room.
Il strolled down into the pariors about
o'clock. and the Canadian and his company
passed through and swept upstairs to the
banQuet-room.
TT looked like a procession of royalty. Il
was that mans red-letter day. and he was
making the best of It.
'T went to the theater about 7:3O. and a.
walked through the foyer saw the enter
tainer at the window of the box office.
BEGGED FOR SEATS.
You must get EN- / heard him say.
This excited my curiosity. and stopped to
see what was bothering him.
EVERY seat sold two days ago. said the
man inside.
FOR goodness sake get 'em. or TIL have
to leave the city
tive got the whole party over at the
hotel. and II I can't get the seats Will be
mobbed. -----..
er. and thought the rotund Canadian would
have stroke Of paralysis or fall dead from
apoplexy. 1t was pitifuI.
I'm give $40 each for ten seats he said
tearfully. Yes. sir: I'll do anything to get
those seats.
I was having a picnic there.
The man was IN mortal agony and I
Thought he would appeal to me in a minute.
I've telephoned everywhere and can't get
q thing he went on.
Finally I stepped up and asked, What's
the matter. my good friendT
why, Hopper's here tonight and there
amt seat left he said. I've spent 500
for a theater dinner and now 1 can't make
good for the show
rake sick, let a street car bump yo,
fah In faint-anything; there's lots Of
ways out answered. encouragingly.
4at Oilly ana begged TO know n
mad seen any one with ten tickets.
" L am a ticket broker myself and bave
ten seats. but l wouldn't sell them for what
you oHer This is the time get even, and
these tickets must bring what they're
worth
The red face turned a greenish yellow.
the mans hands fell limp at his side. I
went TO his rescue. and told him he could
have the tickets for what they were worth.
Well. name your price: what are they
WORTH he cried hopefully
told him they We're marked 81 so on the
board, and he could have them for that.
spot cash.
ghost and would vanish He grabbed mo
by the arm. thrust his card into my hand,
ana half cried. What is your name sir2'
Hopper-De Wolf Hopper; otherwise
Mr.. Pickwick. SIR said L
You have saved my social reputation,
Mr.. Hopper thu man said: but / beg of
You favor-do not tell this on me or 1 am
a ruined man.
HOPPER AND HIS DOUBLE.
Il like to travel incognfto That helps a
man to avoid a good deal of trouble. I'm
not particularly enamored of myself. al
though l was taught the proper amount Of
self-esteem by-well, by my mother, 1 sup
pose.
Il do not want incognito travelling for a
eleduS Iitl- Inc 10 get btlOTe tHe lime
light occasionally. but only occasionally
Well l have had with me for several
years men who resemble me somewhat, and
are frequently mistaken for me.
For three years L had one man who WAS
almost my physical double.
II krew he was often called Hopper and
one day he came to me and said: Mr.. Hop
per, dc you know that frequently / am mis-
taken for your
Il answered in the affirmative.
Well, Mr.. Hopper he continued. 7
can't really afford the kind of clothes you
wear. but L am pretty well dressed. amt
I?''
Il told him he didn't show any signs of
st, and he remarked that he would have
suit next day would not be ashamed Of
We were at Pittsburg then. and next
day we were to leave When the company
showed up at the station my double was
arrayed in the loudest suit ever saw
We couldn't hear the engine whistle
when he approached.
He stepped up to me and asked me how
! liked IT, and told him to get out on the
edge of the platform and let the populace
look at him.
Il walked into the depot got a large tag
and wrote on It: This Isn't Hopper Then
/ walked up behind the impersonator and
placed It on the back of his coat.
He strutted up and down the platform
In pompous manner, and all eyes were
upon him.
But 1t was not because the people
thought he was Hopper. They giggled and
grinned at him, but we let him 60 until we
boarded the train. 1 then asked him how
he liked to be me.
Bully he said; I guess had 'ef fooled
all right
Yes. and 1t takes a. fool to fool EN-
told him plucked the tag from his coat
and handed 1t to him.
''The fellow flew into a rage. He couldn't
see the joke at all. And then my trouble
began He swore he would leave the COM
pany. / pleaded with him to stay. He
declared he wouldn't, and that night when
it came time for the curtain to go up he
was still sulkfng.
The onIy thing that would bring him
around was an increase in hi $ salary. He
got It" --. -.-.-----..