The Washington times., 1911-01-21

lieved by gold and white scroll work
and by mirrors set into the plastering
at regular intervals and alternating
with Tyrolean scenes, cascades and
of the hall was a stage, and at its
| back sat a band, and at its front sat
four rotund men in row.
| David slipped into a corner at the
rear where his shabbiness saw more of
its own kind: and a moment later Die
WaCht am Rhein" thundered from the
stage and rolled among the Alps and
the cascades and over the moonlit seas.
Then The Star-Spangled Banner" sent
| forth its reVerberations, and whe its
| last echo had been lost far down an
Alpine valley the most rotund of the
| four rOtund men-they were the Mayor
of Avenue A, the Mayor of Avenue B,
| the Mayor of Avenue c, and the Mayor
stepped to table. raped for order,
assumed an impressive attitude. drew
! a deep breath. and began:
1t is not within the power of human
Mayor OF Avenue B. feel the great
| honor of acting as master of cere-
monies on this brilliant and distin-
guished occasion, graced by so much
fairness of the softer sex; when your
honorable Mayor is installed to serve
his eleventh successive and successful
term
But, despite the impotence of speech,
the Mayor of Avenue B filled ten min
utes with his best words in an attempt
to suggest family the contents of his
breast and then swept onward into a
eulogy of the Mayor of Avenue A. end
ing with:
receive the oath of office"
Cheers and hand-clapping echoed
through the Alps as the tallest of the
four mayors stepped forward. and sud
denly the band thundered into Hail
,ArNv, q Tlr
bowed and smiled. and smiled and
bowed, and swept his arm now to this
side and now to that in magnificent
gestures. His face was inflated with
chiid's balloon: few hairs were drawn
in pencil lines across his shiny head:
athwart his white waistcoat swung a
heavy gold chain-in lieu OF a hoop.
one could fancy; to hold fast the
face was broad: thin face would have
cramped the wide. shining smile he held
upon his uproaring constituency.
When the tumult subsidized. the master
of ceremonies caught the mayors arm.
cried. Look at him! The champion
heavyweight, catch-as-catch-can phil
anthropist of New York. am author
lied to challenge any other. philan-
match, the gate receipts to the winner,
and a thousand-dollar side betr'
The crowd again broke loose. A deep,
gruff, joyous voice rose from the
wife to sew button on your mouth"
The ball was one gleeful roar at this
sally.
RAISE your right hand" said the
mayor of Avenue B when there was
quiet. Now repeat after me: I, Carl
Hoffman, do hereby promise to the
"why. sure" approved the deep
voice.
ITO be friend to any man, woman,
Or child that needs friend. So help
me God!'
Sure thing" responded a hearty
rumble; and the crowd. once more ap-
plauded.
The Mayor Of Avenue A beamed upon
the audience. That's me-" he said,
with a grand upward sweep Of his right
arm. II don't need to tell you what
I'm going to do. been doin' 1t for ten
years. 1 guess my record'll do all the
taIlxin' that's needed. But this much
I'll say for myself: If anybody durin'
this new year needs a friend and he
don't chase himself around to the Pan
American Cafe and ask for Carl Hoff-
MAXWELL, he deserves more troubles
than he's got!'
He went on and told how glad he
was to see his friends, and how proud
he was to be their mayor, but through
1t all David heard only the oath of of"
flee and the mayors first sentences;
and when. later, the ushers began to
clear away the chairs for dancing, and
David slipped down to the street and
walked homeward, he still thought only
of the mayors offer to the man that
needed a friend.
At II o'clock the next morning-he had
figured that the morning rush would be
over by that time-Davfd pushed before
the red front OF the Pan-Amertcan Cafe