The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-12-20

along the edge of the paper and
glanced at me In glee. Don't
bother about me-" he generously
observed. Just set still and let
the atmosphere soak in"
Solemnly l turned to him.
Blackie Griffith, these people do
not even realize that there is any
thing unusual about this"
Sure not; that's the beauty of
1t. They don't need to snake no
artificial atmosphere for this
place; 1t just grows wild, like dan
delions. Everybody comes here
for their coffee because their
aunts an uncles and Grossmutters
and Grosspapas used t. come. and
come yet IL they're livin'i An,
after all, what is it but a little
German bakery?"
But o, wise Herr Baumbach!
down in the Kitchen! o, subtle
Frau Baumbach back of the
desk" said l. "Others may tit
their shops with mirrors, and cut
glass chandeliers and Oriental
rugs and mahogany. but you sit
serenely by, and you smile and
you change nothing"
"Fine!" applauded BIackie.
You're on. And here comes
Rosie"
Rosie, the radiant, placed on
the table cups and saucers of an
unbelievable thickness. Napkins
there were none. was to learn
that fingers were rid of any cling
ing remnants of cream or crumb
by the simple expedient of licking
them.
Blackie emptied his pitcher of
cream into his cup of black, black
coffee, sugared 1t, stirred, tasted,
and then with a wicked CLEAN in
his black eyes he lifted the heavy
cup to his lips and took a long,
gurgling mouthful.
"Blackie," I Kissed, "if you do
that again l shall refuse to speak
to you!"
do what?" demanded he, all
injured innocence.
SHUTTLE up your coffee like
that"
why girl. that's tn proper
way t drink coffee here. Listen
T. everybody else. Calm yourself
an try a Bismarck"
/ picked up one of the flaky
CONNECTIONS and eyed 1t in despair.
There were no plates except that
on which the cakes reposed.
How does one eat them?" l in
quired.
''Yuh don't really eat 'em, be-
cause as scon's you bite in at one
end wy the custard stuff slides
out at the other, an no human
mouth en- be two places at oncet.
Shut your eyes. girl, an just wade
in"
/ waded. In silence I devoured
every bit down to the last crumb
and licked the sickness off my
fingers.
I'm coming here every day."
announced.
Better not. Ruin your COM
plexion and turn all your lines
into bumps
Il don't care" / replied, reck-
lessly. Now tell me about some
of these people. Who is the fun
ny little man in the checked suit
with the black braid trimming,
and the green cravat, and the
white spats, and the tan hat and
the eye-glasses?"
Amt them tn dizzy habili-
ments?" A note of envy erept
into Blackie's voice. "His name
is Hugo Luders. Used t be q
reporter on the Germania, but
he's reformed and gone into ad-
vertisin', where there's real
money. He's been coming here
ever afternoon for twelve years.
has a cup Of coffee, game Of chess,
and a pow-wow with q bunch of
cronies. Next"
who's the woman with the
leathery complexion and the un-
tidy hair? / like her face. And
why does she sit at a table with
all those strengthening men?
And who are all the men? And
who Is the fur-lined grand opera
tenor Just coming in Obi"
Blackie glanced over his shout
der just a. the tall man In the
doorway turned his face toward
US. That? Why. girl, that's Won
Gerhard. Look at everybody kow-
towing to him. He don't favor
Baumbach's often. Too busy
patching up the nervous wrecks
that ara washed up on his shores"
The tall figure IN the doorway
was glancing from tabls to table.
nodding here and there TO an &C
Quaintance. Then his eyes met
mine. and I felt the blood rushing
to my face - he came swiftly over
to our tabls and took my hand In
his.
80 you have discovered Baum
ho okso - A< ~~4A INA 49,