The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-07-23

uteS L waited lHipdlIeHoJ
| thing began to revolve again. 1hen
balancing three plates Of elusive and
scalding soup in one hand ono one III
the other. Threaded my way
through the tables.
The Bubble Juice.
A man at my table asked Tor cnam-
Daene. remembered that We had
been told wines could be obtained at
the bar if guests presented caTuS lor
! each magnum they ordered. My pat
ron fshed such a card out Of his
| pocket. ON the stairs | saw a sleek
waiter tipping to his mouth a freshly
! opened bottle Of champagne. When
he had finished his swig he gave the
bottle a shake to make the wine bub-
BILE out at the top, Winked lmpudently
at me, and sped on to his table, WIN
fully a quarter of the bottle
l saw that repeated countless tunes. l
saw walters hiding behind doors ana
in the room where leavings were
dumped, relishing bits Of food they
had snatched on their way to and
from the tables. / saw them pick
choice tid-bits out of the h~eterOgene-
Gus mass on the table and MUNICH
them delightedly. Pieces OF celery.
olives, chunks Of steak, whole SQUADS
were tilched, and crammed hastily into
their mouths, while they lurked IN
dark n No one appeared to
mind this. he head waiter and cap
tains were too busy to bother about
such trifles.
Once when I was downstairs to get
a bottle of water, / saw chefs half
crazed with the mad rush, g~esticulat-
ing in frenZied passes, their caps
awry, the fires belching. the splits
turning more merrily tina ever, and
hundreds of men scurrying abut on
the slippery tiled floor in such a
scene Of amazing and bewilderinS
confusion as | snail never want TO
witness again.
Order Out Of Chaos.
During that time only the iron
hands of the head walters, as they
stood on the stairs shouting curses III
bad English and vile foreign phrases,
kept any semblance of order. The
whole vast fabric Of the dinner seem
ed topping to my inexperienced eyes,
But something came out Of the chaos
finally, and the diners, singing and
cheering, had not known any Of it.
After the mutilated birds had beer
carried off, the crowds at the escala-
tors again formed into wavering lines
Ice cream boxed in little
cOntriVanceS n set on a paper dolly
came %tumbling up. l saw two or three
old hands regale themselves on q
stairway out OF the ruck Of things
with two boxes Of strawberry cream
apiece before ever they thought OF
serving their people.
Not a mOrSeI had passed my lips
since the meal in the grill room
hours before the nightmare. l serv-
ed my ice cream without a mishap
and then started a search for the tiny
spoons which were to go with tn
demi-tasse. l found a dozen scatter
ed in the bottom Of the box Of silver
and slipped them into the pocket O.
my dress coat.
A kindly inspector who had at va.
rious times kept the diners heads dr.,
when / lowered around with courses
and helped me- materially with demi
tasse, now came up and Whispered
the code duello Of the walters tip.
was to walk to the most congenial o
my ten and say that "the waiter hat
{ to leave"
!: Waiter Must Leave.
It was a bit OF finesSe to determin,
which might be called genial. Tn
three odd men who were a lap benin,
[ in their curse could hardly be ex
l pected to be ~congental. Another ha,
. one arm and l never pick on a cripple
I The others looked austere. The MAJ
1 with the magenta head had asked TO
I much mineral water. SO I bowed owe
him.
Gentlemen, h waiter has to leav
' now" l whispered to him.
All right" he said.
q But the waiter didn't leave Really
q l knew | deserved no tip. But tn
I slim waiter sided up to me again an
said I was to make 'em com
through" And so 1 hung aroune
pouring dribbleso Of coffee from the DC
r and asking if they cared for anythin
9 else, though goodness knows what
8 could have brought him if one ha
answered in the affirmative.
8 Then one man put his hand in h
9 vest pocket. Quickly l slid around t
nlm. He pulled out a box Of matche,
/ Another smiled at me, and then D,
: his fingers into his vest pocket
- frightened and hurried to the hack :
his chair. He looked at his watch.
Preserving Tradition.
~ MY slim adviser again prodded M
~