Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-08

look less like good Croton than bad
soup. Whenever their duties brought
them close together Odeskalki whis-
pered sour comments to Openta.
Let them look to US for good man.
ners, That fellow with red hair has
no more breeding than n hog. Give
me wealth and champagne, and !
would not talk like a sewer"
He became more and more dis
| pleased with his own lot and was In
clined to visit his wrath on inoffensive
Openta.
"Such a husband" he said. 'You
should have stayed with your wife
tonight, even If you lost your po-
sition by doing So Instead, you are
skipping about like monkey and
currying favor with the rich. Have
some spirit; initiate me when you fill
a glass. Do not look as II the act
were q pleasure, but a cOnueScen-
sion" So
OdeskallSi, for all his scowling, kept
ready eye on opportunity and had
| already drunk enough champagne out
of partially emptied bottles to make
his blood boil Ever since the after
noon, when he had seen Olenka for
| the first time, he had been bitter with
| fate. Her girlishness, innocence and
| beauty had .eXerted n powerful
attraction on the man, and, as the
| champagne mounted to his head, he
began to imagine scenes In which he
| figured as her lover instead of his
friend. "Only let this silly Openta
have a carel" he thought,
| A screen of leather in one corner
| shielded from view a table covered
with removes and great tub con-
tanning ice and champagne. Several
times during the dinner Odeskallki
| and Openta found themselves alone
behind this screen. On one occasion
Odeskalki filled two glasses with
champagne, and said
"Quick, man--to Olenkal"
Openta hesitated.
Curse you'll" said OdeslSalki. in a
fierce whisper II will not be friends
with a man who will not drink to his
own wife,
Openta had q weak head, and that
one glass stimulated him wonderfully
1t was not difficult for OdeskalSi tc
persuade him to take another.
The third glass Openta drank at his
own instigation.
A few minutes later Openta dropped
, an armful of plates, and the Other
walters cursed nlIH,
Champagne had made it's appear
| ance with the oysters. Signs o!
drunkenness were now beginning Il
be evident among the diners. Th'
walters we're receiving considerabl,
presents of money and secret direc'
tons to keep particular glasses filled
Men left their places and carried
their chairs to more alluring ne gh
! borhoods. Little groups surrounded
} the humorists and roared with laugh
: ter whenever these spoke. Men whom
the champagne affected to serious
ness drew aside in pairs, and will
heads nodding close together emptiet
their hearts of matters which for tn
moment seemed OF paramount inn
portance. Sometimes they snifiiet
and shed tears.
John Tombs snatched a coffee pc
from a waiter and poured its con
tents on the floor Openta, from
whose hands the coffee pot had beef
snatched, giggled. He was als'
drunk
! The dinner began to break up. TIL
young gentlemen left the room b.
twos and threes. Downstairs in TIN
main hall of the restaurant there wa
a great putting on of hats and coats
many of the latter were lined will
expensive fur. Electric hansoms re
ceived drunken cargoes on NOR
pleasure bent. And, like the geese il
the song,
"One flew east and one flew west,
And one flew over the cuclSoo's nest.
But the future groom came bacl
to the diniug-room. He was bill
, man and. with his immense fur-line'
. coat and high silk hat, looked posi-
lively mountainous. His face wa
i red and shiny with hard drinking
but he was not drunk.
/ Where's the other waiter?" h
said. in loud. assured voice. "rv
, got something for all of you"
: A swinging door was pushed opel
| and voices began to call for Openti
III to come back.
> Openta, very unsteady on his fee
. and sure of only one thing that H.
wanted to go home-had just reaehe,
the top of a flight of stairs. Hearinl
/ his name called, he turned, slippe,
: and fell to the bottom of the stairs.
Those in the dining-room heard tn
sounds of the fall, mingled with
r sudden burst of foolish laughter, an
then deep groan. Afterward ther
l was silence.
The groom hurried, with the Others
!. to the bottom of the stairs.
: Openta had already picked himsel
up His face was white and draw
/, with pain, but lac did not seem (
/, have received any serious injury. I'll
: kept feeling the small of his bac
with one hand and taking quick, snif
, fling breaths.
- Hes all right" said the groom