Evening star., 1909-01-10
IVAN" KREMLOFF sat alone
at a table in the old side" of the famous

at table in the old side" of the famous
East Side cafe. The room SO designated,
with its red topped iron pedestaled tables,
checkerboards and boxes of dominoes it's
sanded floor, cane bottomed chairs, and gray
haired walters serving coffee Russian tea
IN stout white cups and saucers, its mellow
light of old fashioned gas flames and never
clearing haze of tobacco smoke,-was originally
all there to the celebrated cafe. That
was long before the instament of the table
d'h6te the uniformed Hungarian band, and
the coming of the sghtseers.
A rathskeller with dull, hand carved wood
work had replaced the grimy cellar under the
plain gray, smoky room; and, past folding
doors, room had come to be neighbor
of the old "a room with long of white
linen topped tables set with silver and fine
glassware, shining. and radiant under the
showered light of cu stering incandescents:
tables peopled by jeweled women and men in
evening attire; and outside always long line
of cabs and motor cars There had been
time when the visit of Mayor of the city
exciting honor and a great occasion.
Nowadays, celebrities in the chairs were as
common knives and forks the tables,
and no less parsonage than the President of
the United States had, one night, been guest.
However, the old gray room the shabby room OF
the mellow gas fames possessed it's absolute devo-
tees There nightly assembled, the old men who
kered, meek voiced Hebrews with faded black derby
hats pulled down tight and the side curls of the
orthodox sproutng in front of their ears and Gig
arettes always held between yellow curling fingers
handed big footed, deep voiced grizzled men
given to strong liquors or blue flame topped goblets
of chdi where the gentler Hebrews drank tea. Many
night feet on the sanded floor old cronies sat
whose children were of the women and men in even
ing dress that slipped costly wines next door, toying
delicate goblets between gem sprinked fingers.
This arrangement the old men of the homely room
in nowise envied their children. Rather they took
keen satisfaction in it. Sometimes they stole looks
between the folding DOORS Just the least bit drawn
back,-watching their offspring regaing in the
brilliant room of luxury infinitely proud at the
sight. For there not therein to be found largely
a realization of the early dreams of these, the old
ones? Most surely! For this, largely, had they
trundled the pushcarts toed in the sweatshops
hagged bitterly over the smallest trades, lived
through their own prime in squad frugality for
this: that their children should move rungs and
rungs above them the social ladder of the new
country; that their children should be learned
polished fine at ease if by birthrght, in places
of elegance.
IVAN KREMLOFF had cronies; he always sat
alone. He had no wife; he had no children
Nightly he came and sat, slipping tea sometimes
chan sometimes, crumbng cake or two slowly
eating sandwch,-sat for hours, silent, apart
lhls was the more strange in that he looked SO
unlike one who would seek solitude On first glance
you would have been certain that here man
of genality, sociable fellow, jolly, companionabe
one ut to be ouncng lusty offspring his knee one
to hold through all the years the alteration of
tender little woman.
For he huge robust rubicund His big head
bore crest of silver white Curs, and the ends of a