The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-23

and the petals of the roses falling
gently to the tablecloths.
Il think, said to myself, that
shall take dinner this evening inside
here. The Palace is good enough for
me-
$50 1 walked into the cafe of the
Palace. / objected to several places
the headwaiter picked out for me,
thereby showing that naughty individ-
ual that / knew what was what and
gaining his respect from the jump.
told him that wanted the right kind
of waiter, and he picked out the best
man on his staff and sent him to me.
II went through that Palace cafe
menu from soup to nuts, and there
weren't any wines on the card that
suited me. That is. intimated to the
headwaiter, after sampling nearly all
of the wines, that the Palace seemed
to be pretty shy on good vintages.
I'll be within the shelter of the
Five Courts in something under half
an hour i reflected with great COM
plaisance when had ordered the wait
er to bring me three of the best Reina
Victorias in the house for a dollar, and
had just finished the last pint of cham
payne, and stood ready for the coffee
and cognac. But / was liable tove
turned up there sooner or later, any
how, and the Five Courts is a pretty
good old sort of jail to strike with a
replete stomach.
THE waiter brought me my cog
nae and coffee and cigars, and I lit
one of the reinas and started in to
smoke peacefully.
" Il s'pose it'll get into the papers,
unused, about the chap with the iron
nerve who walked into the Palace cafes
and consumed about $23 worth of solids
and liquids and then cheerfully admit
ted his inability to liquidate for the
same, and. on the whole, such was
the pleasant influence of that swell
feed, the contemplation seemed to me
to be rather diverting.
Il was pursuing this thought with
all of the ease in life, my waiter
meanwhile standing at a respectful
distance. waiting for me to ask for
my check and toss him couple-dollar
bill as tip, when / noticed a fellow
with Vandyke beard seated at ia
Bile about thirty feet to my right, gaz-
ing pretty hard al me. He looked and
looked and looked at me-
That fellows probably the house
detective / thought, and he has
tumbled to the fact that | am about
to swing the house for some $23 worth
of viands and drnkables. However
let him detect. II doesn't make any
difference to me whether I'm yanked
TO the Five Courts by hotel detec-
Just as 1 got this far the man got
up from his table and walked over to
mine. His face gradually lighted up us
he drew closer to me. and IL was one
broad grin when he held out his hand
and called me cordially by my front
name.
4 knew him then right away. He
was n chap I'd known in New York a
number of years before. The last I'd
ever seen of him was when I'd gone
on his note for 5000 at a time when he
got mixed up in tangle with his firm
on account of gambling.
He'd jumped without ever making
the note good. so that when 1t came
due I'd had to pay 1t myself I'd al
ways felt pretty sore on him for that
job, and I'd had 1t in mind for a num-
Der of years TO do several and divers
things to him II ever 1 met up with
him again.
Under the circumstances, however,
received him with calm cordiaity, and
he Immediately began 70 explain to me
about that note for 5000. while he look
ed sheepish. Said that only year be-
fore he'd mailed a check for 5000 to
me. and that II had come back to him,
as hadn't been IN New York 10 re-
ceive It.
He was having all kinds OF pros
perity on the slope. he said. and asked
how they were coming for me Never
better, I told him. and then he reached
Into his breast pocket pulled out his
wallet. ana handed me two nice. clean
500 notes, fresh and crisp from the
Fub-tfeaEnry.
That. however, Vas bull-luck. Tor ~
al tough propositions IA the way of
a town 10 SO broke "a, san Francisco
Is IN a class ~ ltsQlf"