The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-03

I ing, and certainly would be instructlnB to you if you are mother; but am in 1 disposed at this time to obtrude 1t upon
 your patience, and l presume you are still less disposed to hear it. My prin- l ciple object, however in claiming your 1 attention for moment at this time is to | assure you that, out of respect to your l feelings, I will surrender the enjoyment
 of my meals for the few days I have to | remain in Savannah, and conform to the 1 customs of your table. The sudden change of my habits will expose me to | some inconvenience. and may, perhaps, affect my health; but 1 will willingly in 1 cur these hazards rather than renew your
 modification, or impose upon your fam | fly the trouble of giving me my meals | al my room.'
 | The good lady, whose bitter feelings had given place to the kinder emotion | Of pity and benevolence before Ned had | half concluded his apology (for it was de- 1 livered in a tone of the most melting elo-
 quence) caught at his last hint, and in | sisted upon sending his meals to his
 room. Ned reluctantly consented, after l eXtorting a pledge from her that she would assume the responsibilities of the | trouble that he was about to give the | family.
 | "As to your boarders, madam" said Ned, in conclusion, q have no apology
 to make to them. l grant them the priv | ilege of eating what they please and as | they please; and, so far as they are con- l cerned, I shall exercise the same priv
 ileges. reckless of their feelings or opin- | ions, and I shall take it as a singular | favor If you will say nothing to them
 or to any one else which may lead them
 to the discovery that I am acquainted with my own pecularitles.'
 l The good lady promised obedience to
 his wishes and Ned, requesting to be con ducted to his room, retired.
 | A group of gentlemen at the fireplace | had sent many significant "hems" and
 smiles to Mrs. Blank during her tete-a- | tete with Ned; and as she approached I them, on her way out of the room, they began to taunt her playfully upon the | impression which she seemed to have
 made upon the remarkable stranger. Really" said one, 'I thought the im- pression was on the other side" | And, in truth, so it was," said Mrs. | B. At this moment her husband stepped
 in.
 "I'll tell you what it is, MT. Blank. .' | said one of the company, you'd better keep a sharp lookout on that stranger;
 our landlady is wonderfully taken with him.
 | "I'll be bound" said MT. B., flor my
 wife; the less like anybody else in the | world he is the better will she like him. ''
 Well. I assure you" said Mrs. B., "I
 never had my feelings so deeply interest | ed in stranger in my life. I'd give the | world to know his history"
 Why, then" rejoined the landlord, 1T
 suppose he has been quizzing us all the | time"
 "No' said she, "he is incapable of
 quizzing. All that you have seen of him
 is unaffected, and perfectually natural to
 him.,
 "Then, really" continued the husband, | ic ipto
 congratulate you upon getting so early | into his confidence; but, as I am not | quite as much captivated with his unaf- | fected graces as you seem to be, I shall
 take the liberty, in charity to the rest of | my boa arders, of requesting him tomorrow | to seek other lodgings"
 | "Oh," exclaimed Mrs. B., in the good ness of her heart and with countenance
 evincive of the deepest feeling 'I would not have you do such a thing for the
 world He's only going to stay a few
 days"
 How do you know?"
 "He told me so, and do let's bear with him that short time. He shan trouble
 you or the boarders any more.'
 Why, Sarah" said the landlord 'I dc believe you are out of your senses!''
 Gone case.'' said one boarder. Ter ribe affair.", said another. "Bewitching little fellow" said a third Come, Mrs Blank, tell us all he said to you! We
 young men wish to know how to please | the ladies, so that we may get wives cas- fly I'm determined, the next party I go to- to make a soup of everything on the | walters and eat all at once. 1 shall then | become irresistible to the ladies"
 Get along with your nonsense.' said
 Mrs. B., smiling, as she left the room.
 At 8 o'clock I retired to my room, which | happened (probably from the circum- l cfo af 10 " a few minutes of each other) to be ad- | joining Ned's. | had no sooner entered | my room than Ned followed me, where | we interchanged the particulars which
 make up the foregoing story. He now
 expended freely the laughter which he l had been collecting during the evening. l He stated that his last interview with | Mrs. Blank was the result of necessity:
 that he found he had committed himself l in making up and disposing of his odd | supper, for that he would have to eat l in the same way during his whole stay | in Savannah unless he could manage to | get his meals in private: and, though he | was willing to do penance for one meal l in order to purchase the amusement he had enjoyed, he had no idea of tormentng | himself three or four days for the same purpose. To tell you the honest truth, l said he, nothing but an appetite whetted l by fasting and travelling could have borne me through the table scene. AS it was, my stomach several times threatened | to expose my tricks to the whole com pany by downright open rebellion. I feel | that I must make 1t some atonement for | the liberty l have taken with 1t, and | therefore propose that we go out and
 take an oyster supper before we retire to rest. I assented. We set out, going sep arately until we reached the street. l We were received by the oyster vender | in small shop which fronted upon the | street, and were conducted through it to | a back door. and thence, by a flight of steps, to a convenient room on the sec | ond floor of an adjoining building. We had been seated about three minutes | when we heard footsteps on the stairs, | and directly caught this sentence from | the ascending stranger Aha Monsieur Middletong! you say you hab de bes oys- | tar in la citteei Vel, me shall soon see' | The sentence was hardly uttered before | the door opened and In stepped gay, | smirky little Frenchman. He made us a | low how. and as soon as he rose from his obeisance, Ned rushed to him in transports of joy seized him by the hand, | and. shaking it with friendships warmest | grasp exclaimed How do you do, my old friend? l had no idea of meeting you | here: how do you do, MT. Squeezezel- | fanter? How have you been this long | timer"
 | "Sair." said the Frenchman, me tank
 YOU yer much to Tub me so hard; but
 you mistake de gentleman; my name is
 not de Squeezilfaunter.'
 Come. come, John,'' continued Ned | "ouit your old tricks before strangers. Mr Hall. let me introduce you to my | fr;a Tnh fQ tor