The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-04-17
He Needed
Credit
By EDWARD l.. BARKER

= wi q iaN
didn't come. What was the matter |
did not know. but l didn't get the
money. Jim was strapped and de-
pending on me to help him out. | had
arranged for certain sums to be ent
me periodically, and they had come all
right except this last me-.
without money OF credit? Well. it's a
mighty mean feeling. We hired a room.
which we paid for in advance for a
Week. and this left us IL shillings for
meals for that period. l expected sure
" 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 to come
In one after another and no remit
lance. l put of the person who rented
Us the room, but l couldn't induce any
enc to trust me for q meal. Jim and
! both got 50 lean and hungry that our
swn mothers wouldn't have known us.
One evening when we were pretty
near starved l said to Jim, Jim. I'm
going to have a bang up good dinner"
I'D like to know where you're 60.
ing to get it." said Jim.
And I'm going to take you in too"
That's very good Of you. Only /
don't want any Barmecide feasts just
now. I'm hankering after the real
thing
Shut up and listen"
l developed my plan to him. re-
served for myself the leading role, and
Jim didn't like playing a low down
part. but be was hungry enough to
steal a baby's bottle. So he consented.
About Z O'Clock l went into a nice
little restaurant on a side street where
boobies" weren't very frequent and.
hanging up my o%vercoat, sat down to
4 table and ordered pretty nearly ev-
erything on the bill. I 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 a quart bot
tie of ale. You see, | was 30 hollow
that l needed all these dishes to dill
me up.
That "a a dinner I've never forgot
ten. Every time l get awfully hungry
! eat it over again-in Imagination.
When Id got through with the sub
s%tantials l topped OF with an Englisi.
plum pudding. washed down with
some real port-the real stuff that the
nobility drinks-aad ordered a cup Of
coffee.
having satisfied u hunger that ia..
been accommodating for q week. l stroll.
ed up to the cashiers desk. where the
proprietor himself sat behind a cigar
counter. had picked out a shilling
cigar and was cutting OF the end pre-
paratory to lighting It when 1 heard II
voice close beside me say:
"Mr. Marst0n, this is the lucki-ss
meeting for me in the world"
l turned and there was Jim beam
ting on me as happy and as innocent
looking as q six-year-Old boy.
You have the advantage Of NE.
sir"
You haven't the advantage Of NE
! know you for Edwin Marston. head
Of the firm of Marston, Plunkett 4
Co., bankers. Wall street. New York.
! Once kept an account at your house.
Ny names Follansbee"-that was the
only truth in the whole tale-"and |
repeat I'm lucky to meet you. for I've
spent all my money and am waiting
for a remittance. You must help me
out"
II don't remember you, sir" l re-
Piled, but I'll not see a fellow cOuD.
tryman in a strange land in need Of
friends. How much do you want?"
'Oh. ESQ will do. But, l say. !
haven't dined and l need a sovereign
for q dinner right of."
go right yer there to that table and
order what you like"
Jim sat down at q table, and l don't
think he left anything ON the menu
unordered. If he did it wasn't any.
thing more succulent than u herring.
l stood by the landlord putting my ci-
gar.
when he has had his dinner" I said.
''just make one bill Of it ALL" Then ]
went on to tell him that our irm did
such a large business that l couldn't
remember everybody who dealt with
nj or who knew me. ! sometimes got
swindled. l admitted. by people who
said they knew me and whom l didn't
know. but I'd rather get stuck for flOc
now and then than refuse one Of EN-.
The landlord had dabbled q little in
Americans" and asked me about sew.
eral railway companies in which he
had shares. | didn't happen to know
about any of them. but told him 80
much about each one that Jim bad
plenty Of time to eat his dinner. ]
was leaning I'VE the counter with
my back to my friend. the landlord fac.
ing him. Suddenly the landlord cried
cut to me:
THAT fellows going OUT"
! was bound to finish what ] was
saying. There was Jim nea the door.
Hes stealing your o~vercoat!" cried
the landlord As Jim unlocked the coat
With an imprecation l ran to save