The Calumet news., 1914-09-16
He Needed
Credit
BY EDWARD L. BARKER

hchey Jih WIS SlIulptu anu NS
pending on me to help him out. | had
arranged for certain sums 10 be sent
me periodically, and they had come all
right except this last one.
Were you ever in n strange land
without money or credit? Well, it's
mighty mean feeling. We hired a room.
which we paid for In advance for IA
week, and this left us l. shillings for
meals for that period. i expected sure
ly that my draft would come within
seven days at most. and then l should
have all needed for both OF us. But
the mail steamers continued 10 come
in one after another and no remit
tance. put Off the person who rented
us the room. but i couldn't induce any
one to trust me for a meal. Jim and
both got so lean and hungry that our
own mothers wouldn't have known us.
One evening when we We're pretty
near starved l said to Jim, Jim, I'm
going TO have bang up good dinner"
I'D like 10 know where you're go
ing to get it," said Jim.
And I'm going to take you in too"
That's very good of you. Only l
don't want any Barmecide feasts just
now. I'm hankering after the real
| thing"
"Shut up and listen"
1 developed my plan 10 him. / re-
served for myself the leading role, and
| Jim didn't like playing low down
part, but he was hungry enough to
steal baby's bottle. So he consented.
About z o'clock l went into nice
little restaurant on a side street where
hobbies" weren't very frequent and.
hanging up my overcoat, sat down to
a table and ordered pretty nearly ev-
| erything on the bill. / ordered tur-
| tie soup, fried sole, a cut OF South
| down mutton-English mutton's Jim
| dandy, you know-and ! just told the
| waiter to bring me all the entrees
| there were six of 'em-and quart bot
| tie of ale. You see, l was so hollow
that 1 needed all these dishes to I'LL
eup.
That was dinner I've never forgot
| ten. Every time l get awfully hungry
l eat 1t over again-in imagination.
When I'd got through with the sub
| stantials l topped off with an English
| plum pudding, washed down with
| some real port-the real stuff that the
nobility drinks-and ordered cup of
| coffee.
| Having satisfied a hunger that had
| been accommodating for "A week, ! stroll
ed up to the cashiers desk. where the
| proprietor himself sat behind cigar
counter. had picked ont shilling
cigar and was cutting Off the end pre-
paratory to lighting it when l heard Il
voice close beside me say:
Mr.. Marston, this is the luckiest
meeting for me in the world"
i turned and there was Jim beam
ing on me as happy and as innocent
looking as siX-year-old boy.
| You have the advantage of me,
SIR"
| "You haven't the advantage of me.
l know you for Edwin Marston, head
| Of the firm of Marston, Plunkett &
| Co., bankers, Wall street, New York.
I once kept an account at your house.
L y
only truth in the whole tale-"and
repeat Im lucky to meet you, for I've
spent all my money and nm waiting
for remittance. You must help me
out"
"I don't remember you, sir" re-
piled, but I'll not see fellow coun-
tryman in a strange land I'm need of
friends. How much do you want"
"Oh. ESQ will do. But, l say, i
for dinner right Off"
go right over there to that table and
order what you like"
Jim sat down Mt n table, and l don't
think he left anything on the menu
unordered. IL he did It wasn't any
thing more succulent than herring
/ stood by the landlord putting my CT
gar.
|, when he has had his dinner" l said
lust make one bill of 1t ALL" Then
went on to tell him that our firm did
such large business that l couldn't
remember everybody who dealt with
us or who knew me. l sometimes got
| o~liufou, tuuillteu. ny pcppIt W III
said they knew me and whom ! didn't
know, but I'd rather get stuck for f10t
now and then than refuse one of 'em.
!; The landlord had dabbled little In
5 Americans" and asked me about sew
eral railway companies In which ht
? had shares. 1 didn't happen to know
about any of them, but told him Sc
| much about each one that jim hat
plenty OF time to eat his dinner.
was leaning over the counter will
my back to my friend. the landlord fac
! Ing him. Suddenly the landlord criet
? out to me:
1 "That fellows going outV'
1l / was bound to finish what / wa'
e saying. There was Jim near the door.
4 Hes stealing your overcoat| criet
the landlord as Jim unlocked the coat
With an imprecation ! ran to save
my coat and down the street after tn,
thief
d We met later In our room much re
n freshed. But we didn't have any more
f deprivation. for the next morning re
4 | ceivad my remittance I went arounf