Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1925-04-30
CHAPTER VIII

An hour later Tommy stepped from
the elevator into the great central
hall Of the hotel. He had discarded
his clerical stock. He wore light
blue tie Instead. He was still
young man, only little more than
twenty-slx, not long enough In Holy
Orders to have his profession recog.
nizably written on his face. A by
stander, Interested In his appearance,
might have guessed him to be young
barrister, or perhaps clerk In one
OF the higher branches of the civil
service. But no one appeared to be
the least interested In Tommy's APP
pearance, or to care what he was or
what he did.
The large hall was full Of people.
Hotel porters In red Jackets wheeled
barrows Of luggage In and out. Page
boys, as thlckly decorated with but
tons as any Of their kind anywhere
In the world, went to and fro wall
Ing the numbers of the rooms Of the
guests whom they sought--guests
whom visitors had come 10 see or
for whom telephone calls had been
made. Pussy travellers, newly ar.
rived and nlled with sense of their
own Importance, crowded round the
desk OF the reception clerk and de-
handed rooms. Self-possessed elder
ly men, mostly fat and often Jewish,
lounged In deep chairs with cigars
In their mouths and surveyed the
scene through half-closed eyes. Amer
lean tourists eddied round the news.
paper stalls In the corner OF the hall
and clamored for the New York Her.
aid. II was In their eyes a sign of
the well nigh Uncomfortable stupidity
and incompetence OF all European
peoples that the supply Of New York
Heralds was insufficient to meet their
demands The desk OF harassed
woman who sold concert and theater
tickets was besleged by ladies who
did not know exactly what they want.
ed but hoped to secure seats ut some
agreeable entertainment by asking
questions In bad German. A boy,
rather older than the pages, stood at
the swinging glass door and drove Il
round on Its pivot with vigorous
pushes. He drove II faster and fast
er as more and more people passed
In and out. His hope was that some
time In the course OF the morning he
would succeed In hitting slowly
moving passer with the following
wing OF the door. Those who en-
tered and left the hotel approached
the whiriing door very much In the
spirit OF medieval sportsmen who
rode at the quintain.
All this delighted Tommy. He had
hitherto led a quiet and uneventful
life. seldom disturbed by anything
more exciting than Sunday school
treat. He watched the moving fg-
ures. gszed at the strange faces. lis
tened TO a babel Of different lam
guages, and felt that this was exact.
ly what he had come TO Berlin to en-
Joy. For some time he was content
simply 20 stand watching and listen
Ing. Then he began to wonder what
he had better do next. He had the
whole day before him. His breast
pocket was stuffed with money. He
had great city to explore
Before leaving homo he had read
mp Baedeker's Guide TO Berlin. an old
copy borrowed from my sister En-
lily. He knew that there was q street
called Inter den Linden which he
ought to zee. 4 park called the Tier
Garten. an avenue called the sieges
Alice several churches and museams
There were theaters picture CALLER.
les and restaurants, all duly named
and the nature Indicated bY the