The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1916-06-08
he WANTED bath
And, curiousIy Enough, That Fact
Won Him a Lot of Fame.
QUEER TALE OF A LONDON INN
The commotion a Traveller Fresh From
Australia Kicked Up Ia the Blue Boar
Tavern by a Simple Request That
Made Him an Object Of Wonder.

l cherish the thought, says the author
Of the autobiography entitled 1.-THE
Record Of Nicholas Freydon," that
have become something Of a tradition
at the Blue Boar inn, in London. where
l have reason to think l am remem.
bered today by a now aged Boots and
others-many.. many others-as 'the
genelmun as ordered a bawth."
happened on the Blue Boar. a new
arrival from Australia. and stayed
there for two nights. On rising after
my first sleepless night I went prowl-
ing all about the house in search of the
bathroom. Finally I was routed back
to my room by a newly awakened maid
lin curl pins, who told me rather
Grossly that l could not have a
''bawth" unless / ordered it before
and" Il was in a hurry to get out
DOORS. so I did without my bath and
promised myself I would see to it later
in the day.
That, afternoon. feotsere, tired. and
feelihi9lnexplicahly grimy. Interview.
ed the lady again and begged permits
sion to have a bath. She was then in
much brighter humor. and In curls In
place Of pins. She promised to arrange
the matter shortly and to send some
enc to warn me when the moment had
arrived. Where could I be found?
"Oh. I'll 60 and undress at once" I
said. j.
"No, don't do that. sir: l can't get a
bawths all in a minute" she told me.
Perhaps you'd like to wife in the
smokin' room"
I agreed at nee and retired to the
fyblOwn smoking room, where there
was an ample choice of distraction for
a writing man between a motheaten
volume entitled Kings Concordance"
and a Southeastern railway time table
cover, very solidly fastened, but with
nothing inside. Presently Boots came
in, elderly and sad, but furtively bird
like both in the way he held his head
on n side and in the jerky Quickness
of his movements.
"You the genelmun as ordud er
bawth?" he asked anx1ously. I admit.
ted it, and he gave a long sigh of re.
lief.
100! All right" he said, almost
gladly. "ITl fletcher know when it's
ready"
And he hoped out. l yawned, open.
ed the concordance and shut it again
hastily, by reason of the extraordinary
pungent m%ustiness its pages emitted
Then l went prospecting into the pas
sage between the stairs and the private
bar. Here I passed a sort of ticket Of
flee window, at which a middle aged
lady sat, eating Wrinkles from a plate
with the aid OF q hairpin. Her face
lighted up with sudden interest as she
saw me.
"0o!. she cried with spirit. Err you
the genelmm as ordud er bawth?"
Again l pleaded guilty. and with q
broad, reassuring smile. as of one who
should say. "Bless YOU. we've had Wis.
itors just as mad as you before this
she nodded her ringleted head and
said: Right you are. sir. I'll send
Boots to letcller know when it's ready
Apart from consideration Of her oc
cupation. which demanded privacy.
could not stand gazing Mt this lady
and SO l passed on to my only refuge
from the concordance room-the pri
vate bar. There was q really splendid
young lady in attendance here. who
smiled upon me SO swectly that I felt
constrained to order a lemon squash
While l pondcred. with one hand or
the counter, the still smiling barmaid
opened conversation brightly.
"Er you the genelmun what's ordud
er bawth" she asked engagingly.
/ began to feel that there must be
some kind of London joke about this
formula. Perhaps it is u phrase In the
current comic opera. l thought. AS
hung unfortunately waiting l heard
a voice in the passage outside and rec.
ognized it as belonging to that elderly
bird, Boots.
"No; ! amt a-wastin' Nv, me time" II
said. "I'm a-lookin' fer some one.
serpose you amt seed the genelmun as
ordud er bawth anywhere abart, ave
yer"
Fearful lest further delay should
Head to the bricking up of the bath.
room or to a crier's being sent round
the town for the "genelmun'' and so
forth, I fastened out almost into the
arms of the retainer and forcibly
checked him AS he began on an inter.
rogative note IL chcep out. You the
genelmun as Ordud err