El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-04-24
By f. Morton Howard
T ACK MARTIN. having concluded an

TACK MARTIN, having concluded an
excellent lunch, lit a cigaret and
~ glanced round the restaurant.
Though a score Of tables invited at
| tendance, he was the only customer.
An air of inertness hung over the
| whole place. The walters had fore
/ gathered gloomily at the end OF the
restaurant, and growled to each other
| in whispered alien tongues. The wo-
man in the pay desk appeared to be
| keeping herself awake with great diff
| ficulty. The proprietor Of the estab-
| lishment stood at the door. scowlins
| out into the street
Obviously all was not well at Tolla's
| restaurant, Waedour street, Soho.
Waiter coffee" ordered Martin.
The walters all moved forward sim
| ultaneously. There even appeared to
be some amount of competition as to
| who of them should attend to the order.
Something very wrong" unused Mar
| tin, when supplying a cup of coffee
becomes such an important incident"
Presently the proprietor came stalk
ing abck modify between the tables.
Fine day." said Martin affably.
The proprietor stopped, glanced at
Martin, and then turned to look back
! into the street
YES rotten" he agreed absently.
You're not very busy today?" said
Martin.
NO, sir And I'll tell you what" he
added, with seeming irrelevance. IF
had that Tolla man here I'd twist
his neck. Twist it," he added trucu-
lently, till he could go to fancy dress
ball as a corkscrew."
yes. But you're Tolla, aren't you?"
asked Martin. with a glance at the
name printed on the menu.
II am. and I'm not" replied the
proprietor. Il bought the business. you
see. from Tolla. Now everyone thinks
Smith.
81 seem to have heard the name be-
FORE. said Martin politely, somewhere.
I'm almost sure 1 have"
TT was a fine business when I bought
it. Any number of regular customers
and wonderful trade in ices on sum
mer evenings. But now
He sighed regretfully and shook his
head
But I don't see that it's Tolla's
fault" began Martin.
wait a minute. / gave a good sum
for the business when l bought it OF
Tolla. He said he was going TO retire.
Then what do you think the macaroni-
eating old monkey did? Why, started
another restaurant across the road"
"A dirty trick" commented Martin,
but surely you stipulated that he
shouldn't do such a thing when you
purchased the business?'
II never stipulated nothing. The
artful old fraud was so full of going
back to his beloved native land
I never suspected anything He used
to talk sc excited about how he longed
to get back there, that never dreamed !
Of binding him down. And then, soon
as ever he opened the Liberty restau
RAM across the way, he began defraud- !
ing me Of my regular customers. Used !
to meet 'em in the street and impiore |
EN- to come TO his new restaurant. If !
he wasn't too fat to bend easy I be- |
l:eve ned have gone down on his knees
to EN- And he didn't rest i'll he'd !
regular badgered and bullied and |
wheedled and coaxed 'em all back"
And you've taken no steps in the |
natter"
I've got no remedy, and 1 know it. /
The only steps 1 took was across the |
roaG to his place, where 1 threatened |
to punch his nose lie only got behind |
the counter and yelled to his walters |
TO throw me out Which, l grant you,
they did, forceful and sudden"
so he's practically cheated you out
of the business he sold your"
That's SO. And what I'm going to
do 1 don't know. I can't hang on
much longer. OF course, the tide may
turn, though I believe it's run out for
good, and all Meantime, I've got to
keep this staff on, and I've got to keep
this staff on, and I've got to keep the
place looking up to the top of the
mark. People won't come twice TO n
restaurant that looks as II it's rolling
down hill"
Its very hard luck" said Martin
sympathetically. Keep up your
pluck"
sT -. .- o-o,,c-t - 10th !
Mr.. Smith Its keeping up my credit
that's the difficulty" Martin rose and
paid for his lunch. Then he sauntereo
to the door, accompanied by the prop
retor
Look at this exclaimed Smith
heatedly, drawing Martins attention to
the rival establishment across the road.
That's old Garlice-and-oil"
Upon the threshold of the Liberty
restaurant stood the enormously stout
figure of Toilo. Two crafty little eyes
We're deep-set in d puffy, multi-chinned
face; two fat hands rubbed each other
obsequiously as their owner bowed and
smirked to the customers that came
and went.
Mr. Tolla looked up and became
aware Of Mr.. Smiths hostile gaze. He
beckoned to one of his walters and
sent him across the road with a mes
sage.
Mr.. Tolla," said the grinning mes
senger, 'e say dat ven your place is
bust-up-a, e give you a job wash
plates if you Ikea"
Mr.. Smith made. threatening ges-
ture, and the waiter scurried back to
his employer Both men enjoyed a
contemptuous laugh at the enraged
Smith, and then retired indoors.
Insult to injury commented Mar
tin.
If only I could get even with him."
sighed Smith wistfully.
Perhaps you will one day. salu
Martin, and strolled up the road
He entered one or two shops in the
street, ostensibly to make some small
purchases, but in reality to make dis
Greet inquiries. And soon ne was com
pletely satisfied of the duplicity of Mr..
Tolla.
Tomorrow" said the Man with Twen-
ty Tongues, smiling thoughtfulIy. 'T
will lunch at the Liberty restaurant. |
What's 1t say on those placards in
Smiths window? All. yes. Change of !
Very well, we must try