The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-02-02


straws or sOmething-to decide who
was to pay for the meal The winner
would get up and bid goodby to his
friend, whom he would leave with the
= check and the prospect of the pen"
Of course the thing was hardly honest,
but | can only plead that | was very
hungry indeed. We went in.
OF all the dinners | have ever eaten
in my life | think l enjoyed that one
most. We turned up our noses ut the
regular table dhote and ordered Law
ishly from the card, beginning with q
clear soup and working down to tie
coffee by gradual and thoroughly de-
Hghtful stages. We did not 80 in heav-
lily for wines, but contented ourselves
each with a modest pint of fine old
burgundy that when opened perfum-
ed all its surroundings with the deli
cious aroma of its long imprisoned
southern sunshine. As | ordered it |
noticed that the walters "Bien. mon
sieur,' was more heartfelt than usual
and that his respect for me had risen
immensely. 1t cost just d little more
than double the price of champagne,
but that did not weigh with either of
us. We were like multimillionaires in
one respective could not afford to de-
| ny ourselves anything we fancied.
We did not carry on much CONVEX
sation, as the dinner was q solemn af-
fair, but my companion led me out a
little on my past record and my pros
poets for the future. I told him the
truth-that / had come to New York
with high hopes of establishing myself
in the practice of Il consulting engi-
neer; that had met with some success
in the practical part of my profession
in the west, but that my fame did not
seem to have reached New York, and
that, dollar by dollar, l had seen all of
my little capital eaten up in the ex-
penses of living. Pride had made me
keep up the fight. OF himself my com
panion told nothing.
The old song says that the best of
friends must part" Everything comes
to an end, and by and by we could eat
no more. In unSpOken desire to post
pone the inevitable we fingered long
over coffee and then over brandy and
couple of excellent cigars 1t was
pitch dark by now, and from where we
were sitting we could see the trees of
the square standing up as long black
shadows and the lights of numberless
hansoms patrolling Fifth avenue
Then we looked at each other, and
my new found acquaintance took two
tNnthnirl:S i'm hic hand ho M
off one of them, shuffied them to-
gether and extended his hand toward
me, the even ends of the toothpicks
just showing. At random chose one;
he opened the hand, and had won.
The waiter had watched the whole
proceeding in some little amusement
and was lowering in the neighborhood
with the check; therefore l could not
show my relief. But l could not help
looking my friend squarely in the eye
and noting that he was a game loser
Not by the culver of lash did he be-
token anything amiss.
Il guess I'll have to pay this" he
said quietly. whats your hurry?
Think I'll sit here and smoke a fresh
cigar"
1t was very well done, but l said
something about having an engage
ment at the Waldorf and waved aside
the walters offer to call me a cab. At
the door l turned around to catch one
more glimpse at my late vis-a-vis. He
was laughing and beckoned me to come
back | went out of curiosity
Here, Pierre" he called to the wait
er, you know me, don't your
"Certainement, monsieur. Vous etes
NJ. Gramercy.''
"And | am good for the price of a
dinner or two?'
"Mais, oui, monsieur; thousand
times"
'"Then, for goodness sake, young
man, sit DOWN. he said, motioning me
new?'
l had seen his pictures often enough
in the newspapers and elsewhere. l
do not know why 1 had not recognized
him at first, since he was Dorothy's I'M
Gle and well Known to the general pub
III DtcduSt VI Ills wealth. ana eccentric
tiles, though l had never seen him be
fore in the flesh.
Young man. he said. Il like your
gameness. You never turned a hair
when we drew straws, or, rather, tooth
picks, to see which of us was going to
the penitentiary. l think you will do
l seem to have heard your name before
somewhere"
Il have the honor to be engaged to
your niece" 1 said quietly.
Exactly. Well, you can't very well
get married until you get job of some
kind, so | suppose you might as well
go to work for me. A young man with
your nerve can always be made useful
Pierre, you will find my auto on the
Broadway side. Have it brought
around to the Twenty-sixth street en-
trance My friend is going home with
me-"
Some Curious Heaven Ideas.
( The natives of BOtocudes, one of the
hottest regions Of the earth, believe