The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-08
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
,n,c.UATRED STRANGERS AID
MIXTURES IN THE ARCADE.

s.,.. Facts showing That IS He Hadn't
v,eeu n BoOkmaker lie Might Have
nro ANYTHING From Flower Booth 10
. psrber Shop-A shock 20 lais Pastor.
Mark Twain began to get ready for the
,..cht races Yesterday by aving his Panama
.traw OF 9s brushed up in boot polishing
ho, cleaning booth In the arcade of the
Epr.Ire Building et II Broadway. 1t took
,ory time to clean the hat and while
waltz r FOR the Job TO I've finished the author
.t. tho victim Of dozen or more cases OF
mistaken identity. lie was everything
rrom A banker to IA florist in about twenty
minutes.
The cloud OF dust that flew from the
Panama AZ it made about LOCO revolutions
, minnie on the cleaners electric wheel
,hoked Mr. Clemens and the wind from the
wheel made his cigar burn sideways like
q three.for-fve, which it wasn't. He said
So
To get out OF the draught Mark Twain
moved along the corridor to wait In front
Of the next stall, which happened to be occu-
pied by florist. Standing there bare
and with his hands on his hips, he looked as
ihe might be- the proprietor of the booth.
One woman at any rate thought that he
vas and tried to do business with him.
az YOU are very sure that those daffodils
we're cut fresh this morning." said the
woman Il would like dozen"
Madame, am not sure" replied Mark.
'Your question has taken all the tuck out
Of NE am not allowed to sell tho blos-
SONS myself l am merely the door at :
PENDANT
whereupon Mark opened the door to the
florists place and bowed tho woman in.
Then he moved along to the next place,
where they sell elevated road tickets. He
had green check In his hand to identify
hIs hat by. 1t looked something like the
transfer tickets issued by the elevated for
rides on the cars of the old Third avenue
system. A woman hurrying through the
arcade with child stopped In front Of
Mark Twain and asked breathlessly:
DO you transfer to the Huckleberry2"
The author, who was again studying tho
ceiling, didn't catch more than a word or
30 OF the woman's question. but he replied
politely:
Il thank you. Madame have sort Of a
sneaking liking for Huok Finn myself
The woman screamed, grabbed her child
and fed
Waving his hands in front OF his face to
ward OF the dust Mr.. Clemens stood In front
Of the cleaners place and asked how much
longer 1t would take to fix that hat up.
Than 10 ulla uaa nvar nd aSaoJ II
front Of the cigar stand. He held his new
ground till shirt-wsist sort Of young
man wearing open work socks came along
and exclaimed:
Say. II you've got any cigars different
from what you're smoking yourself III
buy some
The author said that he couldn't sell
to minors and tho shirt waist man disap-
peared In the crowd.
Mark Twain crossed the arcade and
stood In front OF the barber shop, but only
for q minute. A bald-headed man stopped
in front OF him and remarked:
IN take a dozen bottles il 1t will give
me q head Of hair like yours. Hold on,
though, is yours real2'
Mark Twain didn't open his mouth or
move 8 much as an eyewinker.
We'll I'm damned said the bald
headed man. "Its the most perfect piece
OF wax figure work ever saw. 1t heats
the crowned heads OF Europe in Twenty
third street
Before hating again Mark Twain looked
carefully at the signs IN the arcade. He
quickened his pace to get by the manicure
parlors. ran by the book stall. lodged
away from the soda fountain and finally
stopped in front OF the arcade entrance
10 a bank.
Il won't be disturbed here he NUT
tered. But he was. 1t was just about
closing time for financial business and
bank doors we're being locked. A belated
and excited man with his hands full of
checks and drafts rushed up and demanded
that he be let in.
-Listen!" the author whispered hoarsely
in the other mans ear. I'm waiting 70
get in myself I've Just sent the boy up
for the jimmy and the dynamite and he'll
be here most any minute
The other man lodged out OF the Broad
way entrance to get to the front door Of
the bank and warn the president.
Mark Twain got his hat then, stopped
long enough at the Western Union booth
TO telegraph his pastor, the Rev. Zoe
Twichel that that resolution against
cussing was all Off, and then boarded an
uptown train.