Smyrna times., 1930-06-18
Cupid Busy in a
Restaurant
BY LEETE STONE

ment in the downtown district. Her
face was as wholesome and fresh
as her apron, and her heart was as
generous as sunshine. During four
years employment at Jiggs' serv-
ing beans, buns and batter cakes
to keen appetites. Katie had ac-
quired fair clientele-people who
liked to sit at her table, attracted
by her pleasant personality. They
tipped regularly. so that, all in all.
Katie was content.
Among her regulars was a for
lorn woman whose order was near
ly always spice cakes and coffee.
This sparsely built woman was
shabby, but neat, evidently rOu-
tine worker of some sort at small
pay. She never failed to leave a
nickel for Katie under the edge of
her plate.
Another of Katie's friends, of
the male persuasion, usually took
the seat next to the spice cake and
coffee woman. His hour was one
thirty, and his order varied, but it
always included a currant bun. In
fact, his face resembled a currant
bun with it's small, shifty eyes,
hardly larger than currants.
Certainly not to be passed over
was the floor manager, Clarence
Dill, whose brown suit fitted across
the back and shoulders in way
that made the pretty mattresses
and stenographers in all-but-seal
coats sigh softly as Clarence
strobe up and down the lunch pal
ace
Almost any one of the girls at
Jiggs'. and many of its fair pa
irons, would have welcomed a
closer acquaintance with the mana
ger than that afforded by seeing
him stroll in and out among the
onyx pillars of the restaurant; but
fate had directed the name Of Clar-
ence's alteration on the only femi-
nine creature there who kept her
eyes on the StewS she served, never
glancing at the fit of his coat, or
the poise of his well-shaped head
namely, Katie Clancy.
Clarence Dill went almost to eX
tremes in his desire to obtain
Katie's regard; such as wiping up
coffee spilled ON her table, which,
of course, was obviously her duty.
And he ordered the batter-cake chef
in sharp tones to serve hot cakes
to Katie instead IF those done and
laid in the warming pan. All un-
noticed.
But fate was even more cruel !;
for as the days passed Clarence
could not help seeing that the man
with the currant-siZe eyes was
making a definite impression on
Katie. Else why did she give him
Two pats of butter always, and
two pitcherettes of sirup with his
cakes?
The creature leered vapidly at
Katie; but she, bless her heart,
was no psychologist. She simply
thought he w3s trying to be pleas
ant, and rewarded him with an
extra sized baked apple. All this
was exceedingly trying for Clar-
ence Dill: but even he had to ad-
NIT that the man was generous in
the matter of tips; that is, for
place like Jiggs'. The man near
Iy always left a dime.
Clarence crushed his rage under
an exterior of unbrOken calm as he
watched Katie smile warm
thanks for this bounty, vOwing
that he would find a way to win
his wish.
On a certain unforgetable day
Clarence was watching the man he
considered a serious rival with the
usual distaste in his eyes. The for
lOrn looking Observation-Disclosures
woman had just left her nickel and
gone. Katie, standing near, had
turned her back to the little man.
Surreptitiously he reached over and
slid the next-door nickel under his
own plate, a luncS room crime that
is inky black in its diShOnOr.
Clarence Dill almost walked into
an onyx pillar with delight at the
discovery he knew it would hap
pen again, and the denouement he
planned was perfect. Sure enough,
the heinous breach of etiquette oc-
Cured next day after the spice
cake-and-coffee woman had gone.
The third day Clarence stood al
most within arms length of the
man and pretended not to be watch
ing him. His sleuth's training
made this easy to do. Kitty was
polishing the white marble of the
next table, also very near.
Again the covert gesture: but
this time the currant-eyed man got
the surprise of his life. A long,
brown-clad arm slid over his shoul-
der, and the whole hand with the
stolen nickel was pinioned to the
table midway between the two
plates.
"Come here, Katie" Clarence
said, "and see where your nickel
comes FROM" And he shook the
coin free from the clutching thumb
and forefnger.
Katie's eyes registered first as
tonishment, then admiration, and
Clarence knew he had won. Draw
ing himself TO his full six feet,
he bent look of dire scorn on the
man who had wilted completely.
"Pay your check and get out
I've watched you slip the lady's
nickel over to your plate for three
davs now And don't bother to