Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1913-12-26
/ he StZngy
Guest
A Christmas Story
By WILLARD BRAKEMAN

with MS
The words were spoken by the lard
lord Of l'ra,nces' tavern. New York
city more than Il hundred years ago.
Hut this is not the beginning of ny
story The early part Of the niue.
teenth century was not the early part
IT the twentieth nor anything like it.
Therefore what | am going to tell
Kew York in 1900 did not extend far
above city hall Frances tavern. 10
rated Il short distance east Of the old
%"w Amsterdam fort mt the foot of
broadway. was the first tos,elry in
the city, A newspaper In those days
vas som >thng Of ii rarity. and since
here were no reading rooms the Jour
nal subscribed for by Il landlord for
the USE Of his guests WAS eagerly
,le person than it WAS slatchtd up by
mother. and frequently there were
'evcrnl pcrsnn; waiting for it.
The gentleman whu had been invited
ID take his Christmas dinner without
'.har%e at lrauncrS' tavern had appear
ed there one evening stranger. Soae
into the taprooni. seated himself ut Il
table and called for Il glass OF brandy.
Tie sat slipping the beverage. wailin"
IL. l,., i'm.
reading the newspaper should lay it
down and when he had done SO the
stranger picked it UP. The paper. once
folded. WAS about T.. by ~ inches.
Will, not us much matter printed on it
rs one would find in Il column of Il
modern journal. The gentleman read
the news. principally Il summary o.
what had happened in Europe Il couple
If months before: then turned to the
advertisements The forne: in this
ISSUE WAS IL statement IF the opera
tons Of Napoleon L.. the hitter IN an
nouncement of the sailing Of II ship. M
auction and n reward for Il rnna way
siaye when the reader had exhaust
I'd 'hoth news and advertisements he
paid his reckoning. six and IL quarter
cents. and withdrew
That was the beginning Of the strnn
gers appearances ut FraunceS' tavern
Rarely did an evening pass without his
coming into the inn. chilling for his
glass Of brandy. reading the newspaper
and retiring. His object WAS evidently
to kill two birds with one stone" or
rather. to get his daily dram and the
news for one price His clothes We're
shabby and seemed to indicate that h.
could not afford to subscribe for a
newspaper and WAS obliged to sponge
for his reading on tho tavern The scrv
ants conceived the contempt usual to
menials for stingy guests md would
have lot him know by thpir manner
their opinion Of him had 1t not been for
The landlord who would not counte.
nance any disrcSp"'t to guest. no
'hn house
Indeed. the landlord conceived some
hing akin to respect For his guest
Though the latter never spent more
han the six and ~ quarter cents. he in
rnriahly raif his reckoning before leav.
a@ the tavern. He was nnohtruSive.
never engaged i'm discussions with 9th
n guests of the house. and the land
'ord used to Say that he wished some
# the hoiStero'lS persons who met in
iS IN wu,IlH l,ur rnlpnthinv
rom the impecunious guest.
The strangers first appearance ut the
.avern occurred Mt the beginning Of
he year. and from that time up to
'hriStmaS not servant in the house
had ever received II tip from him: con.
seuneEt!y when the landlord was over
heard by Boots" to invite him to a
free dinner on Christmas day the
';night of the hlacEin. brush ut once
communicated the fact to the maid Of
he dustpan. who told II to the queen
IF the skillet. and it thus ut once he
anne known to every servant in the
house.
Just to think Of it," snapped the
Hullion. "'E'S been comm ere a year.
md not one of us AS got II cent from
i'm"
1T can't be-" said II waiter. "that
Ell accept such an invitation"
ITO be sur" % will: 'e's mean enough
to accept hnnything,"
None Of these comments came to the
AnrS Of the landlord or he would have
,rproved the person making them. He
md been watching his patron ever
ince he first came to his house and
made up his mind that though he
might he poor he was certainly honest
There We're too many persons who
spent money laviShly ut the tavern
who ceased their visits without paying
their bills. In time the landlord
showing about what hour the gentle
man would appear. occasionally took
the paper and read It himself til the
itingy man came in. in order that he
might be able to turn it over with the
ylass Of brandy.
This he did on the Christmas eve be-
lad given the invitation to dinner. or
ynther mine host did not read the pa
',ar. being too busy making his prepar,-
ton. h,,< hid II uuInr thu bar oud nc