The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-04-16


might bestow upon his new venture
his full and individual attention.
The company for which he had
worked for ten years handled all the
best sellers"-and others-and
through this source Finneran had aug
mented the erudition gained in an
Eastside public school and to his
knowledge of the world and things as
they appeared to him from the top
floor of a downtown tenement.
Finneran was frugal and shrewd,
but like most of us, he had his weak
ness-a lust for adventure. Finneran
was an adventurer pure and simple.
Apart from the best seller"
others-he had read of the sprightiy
ramble of one Haroun-al-Rischid, and,
being blessed with a fecund magma
ton, he delighted to regard himself
as a sort of modern Bagdad caliph.
When this fanciful mood came upon
him he would roam the city's length
and breadth hopeful that some strange
happenings would befall him.
Business done for the day, Finneran
would carefully close up his stand and
draw from his pocket teetotum.
This was a homemade contrivance
fashioned from small square block
of wood pierced with a short wire nall,
and the point of which acted as a pes
on which the little cube might spin
when the upper part of the nail was
gwen a sharp twist between the thumb
ard middle finger.
The four outward sides of the block
bore respectively the letters 3, w, N
and S. With great solemnity Flnne-
ran would stand under the glare OF the
electric light which flickered high
above him and spin this top on one
Of the projecting shelves of his BOOTH
If it fell with w uppermost westward
he would go in quest of adventure
until, if he found none, he would spin
again for another direction.
On a certain evening he closed MS
stand later than usual, intending 10
wend his way homeward, when the
spirit of the venturesome cal1ph en-
tered his being and half guilty. ne
Welded to its persuading power me
teetotum directed a southerly course,
and after a block or two on foot the
heat of the evening caused him to
board car.
Southwark he rode almost to the
roint where the cars seat-backs We're
turned over for the return journey
and once again he consulted an east
erlv direction, and accordingly he got
or a. cross-town car upon which he
STAYED until a broad, East Side avenue
attracted him and he dropped Off,
turning his steps southwark, still
obedient to the guidance of the tee
totum.
The buildings on this wide thor
oughfare sit far back from the street
and the restaurants, large and small,
which abound and flourish, avail them
selves of the additional space, thus
afforded and array their tables and
chairs under the awnings of vine
covered trellises, the gaze of passers-
by being partially screened by small
trees and shrubs set in green boxes
along the front and sides.
Into one Of these places Finneran
wandered and took seat at a small.
round, iron-based table near the side
entrance which gave upon the street
Owing to the hour there were but few
patrons and an obsequious waiter lost
nc time in ministering to Finneran's
wants
iced coffee and cakes" he ordered,
land bring me paper"
The waiter bowed and hurried to
side table wherein lay many foreign
news journals and illustrated periodi-
Gals, some Of them held in wooden
bindings with handles attached.
Now it happened that the clientele
of this particular resort, small though
it was, was made up Of men from
many lands, which accounted for the
cosmopolitan array Of public prints;
but never before had the waiter en-.
countered such poyglot person. He
brought the paper Finneran requested,
and then retired to far corner, where
he gszed in admiration at the young
ster who read in all languages.
Quietly alive to the interest he had
awakened, Finneran, with the utmost
gravity, persued his whim and scanned
the pages of the foreign papers with
deepening absorption, stealing now
and again a glance at the wondering
waiter. When, finally he ordered more
iced coffee and cakes, and carelessly
asked if there was chinese paper in
the place, the walters negative died
in hi S throat, and he could only shake
his head.
On his way to the kitchen, however,
on meeting the proprietor, his power
of speech returned, and that dignitary
was informed of the presence Of the
linguistic marvel, and Finneran's
last request made known. The pro-
prietor went behind his desk and rum
mayed a moment, at last drawing forth
u crumpled newspaper which he bore
in triumph to Finneran's table.
Thanks very much" said Ffnne-
ran, taking the paper then, as he