Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-11-25

Shakespeare. who hud shared his
masters roll and tapped the last
spoonful Of coffee. was an incredibly
small black animal Of somewhat moth
eaten texture. who In form rather re-
sembled a grasshOpper. but his gen
tie eyes. curiously like his masters.
beamed with affection.
I'VE approach the castle doors. me
lord" grundiloquently announced Bill.
little guessing that his jesting way OF
address was that to which Loveland
was accustomed from his interiors.
Val started from the reverie In
which he had been walking at his
companions side like mechanical fig
ure. He walked to find himself In
brilliantly Illuminated street like II
tenth rate imitation Of Broadway.
lined with lighted shops. gaudy res
taurants and strange houses Of enter
tainment
This Is the Bowery," Bill mentioned
with pride.
They passed tall building whose
! red front was pictorial with adver
tisements Of wonders such as the
world could not have survived had il
seen them In the flesh.
MY old pitch" said Bill. 81 paint
ed the fat twins with their heads un
der their arms and the half zebra
half camel. The fair one with golden
locks. too. and the human bone are my
shay doovers. What do you think OF
'em, chumY'
"Chum" was filed with respectful
admiration Of the artists imagination.
| II not his technique. and he replied
fervently that the shay doovers in
question were marvellous.
Here's where | used to bark" went
on Bill with a sigh for past glories
They'd ought to give us free passes
for a look round. If you'd like. but the
boss amt built that way. and there's
nothin' to see anyhow. The freaks
amt what they're painted-couldn't be
for dime"
Willing paused In front Of build
ing which doomed up dingy and III
lighted In comparison with its gaudy
neighbors. A lamp over Il low proved
door drew sufficient attention to the an
nouncement. printed In faded lettering.
| that this was '"The Bat Hotel, For
Gentlemen Only"
Bill Willing opened the door as II
| he were at home. Come In. do" he
said Hospitality. and Love!and obeyed'
| to find himself standing directly at the
| foot Of long dimly lit stairway. the
steps of which were protected from
| the wear and tear Of time and boots by
strips Of iron.
At the top was a closed door, and.
| this open, Loveland was plunged into
| the life and movement Of the Bat
hotel. appropriately named for Its
might activities. Behind grating
| which formed a small room stood the
proprietor or manager Of the estaD-
| lishment, ready to accept payment
| allot beds, inscrlbe the names OF new
| clients In book and deal out keys
| of lockers or cubicles. This tiny office
was cut out Of long. narrow room In
which fifty or sixty men were sitting
glancing over the newspapers or writ
| ing a last letter before they went to
bed. They were grouped at one OF
| several long tables that ran down the
length Of the room or assembled round
! n huge iron stove whose fat body was
| almost red hot
As Bill easily LEANED his elbows on
a narrow shelf In front Of the office
grating. explaining his errand to the
manager. IOveland wished himself
back in the park again, half drowned
in perfnmed moony vapor. but 1t was
too late. He was "in for IT. now. ne
said to himself as Bill with certain
pride announced that Ibis friend
wanted a room. "A bed for mine" he
went on pleasantly. I'D be glad OF
81, II it's free. l always sleep might!
well in 81"
Eighty-one was engaged. but Bill got
| another number to which he was ac-
customed, and then bis friends name
was asked.
Anything you like up to Edward
VII. or down to j. Smith" whispered
Mr.. Willing as he moved away that
| Loveland might take his place at the
grating.
Loveland hesitated for an instant
and then gave the name OF T. GORDON
| one to which he had right, among
many others.
As Bill was competent to play hos'
they were given their keys and allow
ed to find their own way to their quar-
tiers. Lovelands number was on the
next floor. but Bills cheaper lodging
was higher up.
The cubicles were not numerous, Tor
| such accommodation de luxe was be
yond the mems. beyond even The am
| bition Of a hundred out Of the l6o
| nondescript men whom the Bat hotel
sheltered each night. The row called
Fifth avenue by those who cOuio
not afford to sleep there) was partition
ed of from long room the size OF TIT
reading room below. but here. instead
of tables and benches running along
the walls. were beds. many beds. plac
| ed at small. irregular distances from
each other. A faint light revealed
them and the straight dark shapes OF
the lockers shared, half and half. b!
The sleepers whom Loveland could
at~,tu 900 b,,D.hod nm under their gray