Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-03-18
-Hs,e yOu-have you lost your

money! she asks.
"Slr Percival studies a minute.
81 am poorer says he, than the
poorest sandwich man SR the street-if
don't earn my living
"'You call this workr says she. 4
thought a man worked with his hands
or his head instead Of becoming a
mountebank'
=" The calling Of halberdler.' says
he. is an ancient and honorable one.
Sometimes says he, the man-at-arms
1t the door has saved the castle while
the plumed knights were cake walk
ing in the banquet halls above
81 see you're not ashamed. says
she, of your peculiar tastes. won
der, though, that the manhood | used
to think l saw in you didn't prompt
you to draw water or hew wood In
stead Of publicly Haunting your IgnO-
mlny In this disgraceful masquerade
"Slr Percival kind Of rattles his ar
NOR and says: Helen, will you suspend
sentence In this matter for just little
while? You don't understand. says he.
I've got to hold this job down a bit
longer
90 You like being harlequln-or hal
berdler, as you call itY says she.
~ wouldn't get thrown out OF the
job just now says he, with a grin, to
be appointed minister to the court Of
st. James,
"And then the forty HIP. girls eyes
sparkled as hard as diamonds.
VERY WELL says she. You shall
have full run Of your serving mans
tastes this night And she swims over
to the boss desk and gives him smile
that knocks the specks off his nose.
| think your RindslOsh,' says she,
Is as beautiful as dream. 1t is
little slice of the old world set down
In New York. We shall have q nice
supper up there, but IL you will grant
US one favor the Illusion will be per.
fect-give us your halberdier to wait on
our table.
THAT hit the boss anthology hobby
just right. Sure says he, dot viii. be
fine Und der orchestra shall blay Ole
Wacht am Rhein" all der time And
he goes over and tells the halberdler to
go upstairs and hustle the grub at the
swels table.
" I'm on the job says Sir Perclval,
taking Off his helmet and hanging It
on his halberd and leaning em in the
corner. The girl goes up and takes
her seat, and see her jaw squared
tight under her smile. We're going to
be waited on by real halberdler,'
says she, one who is proud of his pro.
fession. Isn't 1t sweet?
" Tipping says the swell young
man. Much prefer waiter, says the
fat old gent. 4 hope he doesn't come
from a cheap museum says the old
lady; he might have microbes in his
costume.
Before he goes to the table Sir Per.
clval takes me by the arm. Eighteen,
says he, I've got to pull Off this job
without a blunder You coach me
straight or I'll take that halberd and
make hash out Of you And then he
goes up to the table with his coat of
mail on and napkin over his arm and
waits for the order
why it's Deerlngv says the young
swell Hello, old man. What the
" Beg pardon, sir, interrupts the hal
berdier, I'm waiting on the table
"The old man looks at him grim, like
a Boston bull. so, Deerlng,' he says,
you're at work yet
Yes, SIR says Sir PercIvaI quiet
and gentlemanly as could have been
myself, for almost three months now
"'You haven't been discharged dur
Ing the timeT asks the old man.
"'Not once, sir, says he, though I've
had to change my work several times
waiter orders the girl, short and
sharp, another napkin He brings her
one, respectful,
81 never saw more devil, If may say
It, stirred up In lady. There was two
bright red spots on her cheeks, and her
eyes looked exactly like wildcats I'd
seen In the ZOO. Her foot kept slapplng
the floor all the time
" Walter she orders, bring me al
tered water without ice. Bring me
footstool. Take away this empty salt
cellar She kept him on the jump
She was sure giving the halberdier his
There wasn't but q few customers
up In the slosh at that time. so hung
ont near the door so could help Sir
Perclval serve.
HE got along fine with the olives
and celery and the blue points. They
was easy. And then the consommc
came mp the dumb waiter all In one
big silver tureen. Instead OF serving
II from the side table he picks It up
between his hands and starts to the
dining table with II, When nearly
there he drops the turccn smash on
the door, and the soup soaks all the
lower part OF that girls swell silk
dress.
'Stupld-incompetentr says she, Civ
Ing him a look, Standing In cor.
ner with a halhcrd seems to be your
mission IN llfe,'
Pardon me, lady, says he. 1T was
lust a little bit hotter than blazes l.
couldn't help IT,
"1'he old man pulls out memoran.
dun book and hunts In 1t, The Goth
Of April Depring. saws he Il lxnOyy