The San Francisco call., 1910-10-23

2
wainscoting innumerable Autographs
had been stuck on and peeled off. year
after year, until the area was a.
spiotched and fly specked rout of colors
and fgures-the limbs and faces of
actresses generation gone; fierce,
epauleted Garibaldian generals; gum
boat encounters of the civil war; prints
of Italian harlequins; advertisements of
Neapolitan steamship companies; en-
ployment agencies; politicians pam
phlets of the Dennis Kearney era: cigar
and liquor calendars; pictures of prize
lighters and severe statesmen from
ancient weeklies-a disastrous and
slovenly melange. The neat little
country girl drew her skirts closer from
the sawdust, where stubby cared cat
was chewing a salami rind, dismayed,
indeedi
At Sedaini's you could dine for two
bits or four bits. Nearly every one
dined for two bits, not so much on the
score of penury, for sometimes even
Sammy Jarbo, the laundry route poet,
had half "A dollar but because there was
not a radical difference in the menu
not such one as to warrant Lucui-
lian nicely Of extravaganza. You got
the same vegetable soup-menestrunj
the same salami and grated cheese and
entrees-except, If a two bitter, you
could have raviolis-and the lettuce
Ronaine with garlic; and then the two
bitter was cut off from the roasted
chicken and the anchovies. and Henri
would not bring you the zabaofne and
would scowl II you--a two bitter-or-
dered the kirch or cognac. But with
either you got a whole bottle of red
wine, and the sapient two bitter, by
sliding his empty bottle under the table
and kicking IL cautiously under his
neighbor's, could protest he had not
II, a. s.+4
bringing another. So time honored was
the practice that Sedafnfs patrons had
long since kicked all the varnish off the
wainscoting; and, when detected. equal
ly honored was the joke OF Henri. the
greasy Drained Gaul
"Bien? Mex time, M'sieu. we connec'
you wiz re pipe liner
AS 1t is always for the hungry man
to laugh at the bakers Jest, so would
the two bitter roar. and Henri, IL pla-
Gated, would produce the second bottle
all for 25 cents.
When Arnold and his mountain sweet
heart-Syiyia was too far awhirl in
the adventure to protest-tripped past
Sedaini's bar, the place was vacant ex-
cept for a group about the long table
in the rear, and a waiter at one of the
small stands where he poured him red
wine from a cracked agate measure and
broke huge loaf The people about
the large table were in a wrangle.
From the curtained box window facing
the street, where was the sole display
of Sedaini's cafe, Henri had brought a
gay salad-beets and crosses and onion
tops and garlic greening over. a vast
cone of fish and lobster. To each guest
in turn he offered 1T. They looked sus-
picious; one smelled 1t, one shook his
head and fat red headed boy poked a
finger into the mayonnaise.
1,of To- n IJn 1rfs cotd q h q
been in the window a week. The cat
has slept by II since last Sunday on
the same comic supplement"
The waiter protested Again to each
guest he offered the salad. In despair
at their refusals he retreated to the
front and depositing the dish conferred
with the pockfaced proprietor. Again
from behind the dirty lace curtain
Henri expostulated. and then with Sc
daini advancing majestica1ly in silence
on the table brought the vast, rubf-
cund salad.
The proprietor pleaded.
''Eet eez good salad make heem
yesta-this afternoon--da good lettuce
And the table, roaring at him. cast
anathemas on the salad. The proprie-
tor protested, objurgated. He called on
the saints and Henri, the waiter, to up
hold him. He put the dish on = chair.
the more fervently to apotheosize his
handiwork. and one Of the guests 1.-THE
young man with red hair and large
ears) deliberately raised his foot and
set 1T upon the venerable salad Gone
was it's usefulness The proprietor
wept-
Charge it to Arnold" said the sal
low faced man, who was eating soup
on a piano stool and at once there was
a chorus OF assent: Yes. charge 1t to
]. Ham Arnold! Oh. yes, let Hammy