Richarch Harding Davis
PART I
Mr. Van Bibber broke one of the rules of his life one day, left his private club, and went downtown. This unusual event occurred as a result of a call by his lawyer, who wished to have Van Bibber’s signature on some important letters and documents. It had been five years since Van Bibber had come so far downtown. As he walked through the busy street, he looked about him at the many new business buildings, shops, and stores. He was as confused as a newly arrived immigrant by the great activity which he met on every side.
At first he rather enjoyed the nivelty of the situation, and after he had completed his business at the lawyer’s office he tried to walk along lower Broadway in the same calm, quiet way that he walked along Firth Avenue, where his aristocratic and elegant club was situated.
But everybody seemed to be very busy and in a great hurry. Peole struck against hime, and when he crossed the streets the automobiles tried to stricke hime down. He recognized a few people whom he knew fairly well, but they were all in such a hurry and they seemed to be so uncomfortable. And so he decided to go back to his usual seat in his club window uptown as soon as possible.
“Hello, Van Bibber,” said one of the young men who was passing. “What brings you down here? Have you lost your way?”
“I think I have,” said Van Bibber. “If you’ll kindly tell me how I can get back to civilization again, I shall be very grateful.”
“Take the subway from Park Place,” said his friend from over his shoulder as he disappeared suddenly into the crowd.
Van Bibber had no very clear idea as to where Park Place was. But he walked along Broadway a little distance and then turned into another street. Presently, a poor dirty and red-eyed man approached him and asked Van Bibber for a few cents to buy food. “I’ve come all the way from Chicago,” said the man. “And I haven’t had any food for twenty-four hours.”
Van Bibber drew back as though the man had a serious desease and handed him a quarter without waiting to receive the man’s thanks.
“Poor fellow,” said Van Bibber. “Imagine going without dinner all day.” Van Bibber could not imagine this even though he tried, and the idea of going without dinner seemed to be such an impossible one that he decided to go back and find the man and give hi more money. Van Bibber’s ideas of dinner were rather special. He did not know that there were restaurants where one could get a good meal for quarter, including roast beef, vegetables, and dessert. He hardly considered a quarter sufficient tip for the waiter who served him his dinner and certainly not for the dinner itself. Van Bibber did not see the main at first, and when he finally found him the man did not see him. Van Bibber stood for a minute watching the man and while he watched him saw him stop three other gentlemen, each whom gave him some money. Then the man approached Van Bibber again, repeated his sad story, and asked for money again. He evidently did not recognized Van Bibber, and the later gave him a half-dollar and walked away feeling that the man must certainly have enough money by this time with which to get something to eat, if only lunch.
PART II
In returning to find this man, Van Bibber had become a little confused in his directions, and he went completely around the block before he discovered that he had lost his way. He was now standing exactly where he had started. Suddenly he same man approached him again and gave him the same familiar story. He had just come from Chicago; he had not eaten in twenty-four hours, etc.
This time the man looked a little unesay. He was not sure whether he had approached this particular gentleman before. But Van Bibber had a clever idea and put his hand quickly into his pocket as if he were about to give him some money.
“Nothing to eat for twenty-four hours!” said Van Bibber. “And you haven’t any money either?”
“Not a cents,” said the man sadly. “And I’m weak from lack of food. I hate to ask for money, it’s not the money I want. It’s just the food. I’m dying from hunger.”
“Well,” said Van Bibber suddenly. “If it is only something to eat which you want, come in here with me and I will buy you your breakfast.” But the man held back and insisted that they would not permit a man like him to enter such a fine restaurant.
“Oh, yesy, they will,” said Van Bibber, looking at the menu placed in the window of the place. “It seemed to me to be extremely cheap. Go on in” he added, and there was something in his stone of voice which made the man enter quickly into the eating place.
It was a strange place, Van Bibber thought, and the people looked curiously at his elegant dress, his maners, his gloves, the flower in the buttunhole of his coat. They also looked curiouly at the miserably dressed object who accompanied him.
“You aren’t going to eat two breakfast, are you?” asked one of the waiters, addressing himself to Van Bibber’s aompanion. The latter looked a little uneasy, and Van Bibber in turn, smiled quickly in triumph.
“You are mistaken,” Van Bibber said to the waiter. “This man is straving. He has not tasted food for twenty-four hours. Give him whatever he asks for.”
Van Bibber’s companion looked very unhappy. The waiter smiled and wrinked at Van Bibber. The man ordered milk, but Van Bibber protested and ordered two beefsteaks and fried potatoes, hot rolls, two eggs, coffee, and ham and bacon.
“Heavens! What do you think I am?” cried the man.
“Hungry,” said Van Bibber, very softly. “Or, are you an impostor? And you know, that if you are an impostor, I shall have to hand you over to the police.”
Van Bibber now seemed to be enjoying himself very much. There was a policeman standing across the street, and occasionally Van Bibber would look at his companion and then point toward the policeman. His companion had begun to eat the meal which the waiter had brought him, but was not enjoying it at all. He kept cursing loudly as he ate.
PART III
Whenever the man stopped eating, Van Bibber would point to a still unfinished dish, and the man, after strong protest, would attak it again as if it were poison. The people who were sitting nearly were laughing, and the proprietor behind the desk was smiling.
“There,” said the man at last. “I’ve eaten all I can eat for year. You think you are very clever, don’t you. But if you want to spend your money so foolishly that’s your business. Only don’t let me catch you around these steets at night, that’s all.”
And the man started to leave, shaking his fist at Van Bibber.
“Wait a minute,” said Van Bibber. “You haven’t paid them for breakfast.”
“Haven’t what?” cried the man. “Paid them? How could I pay them? You invited me in here to it. I didn’t want any breakfast, did if you’ll have to pay for your fun yourself, or they will throw you out. Don’t try to be too clever.”
“I gave you seventy-five cents with which to buy breakfast. This check calls for eighty-five cents, and it it very cheap,” said Van Bibber, bowing politely towrd the proprietor. “Several other gentlemen also gave you money for breakfast when you told them that you were starving. You have the money with you now. So pay what you owe at one, or I’ll call that police officer,” he said.
The man started to run toward the door, but the waiter ran after him, took hold of him by the neck and held him.
“Let me go,” cried the man. “Let me go and I’ll pay you.”
Everybody in the restaurant came up now and formed a circle around the group and watched the man count out seventy-five cents into the waiter’s hand, which left him just ten cents to himself.
“You have forgotten to tip the waiter who serverd you,” said Van Bibber, smiling and pointing at the ten cent piece which remained.
“No,” said the man strongly.
“Oh, yes,” said Van Bibber, “Do the right thing now or I’ll…….”
Then the man dropped the ten cent piece into the waiter’s hand, and Van Bibber, smiling, made his way through the admiring crowd and out into the street.
“I suspect,” said Van Bibber later in the day when retelling his adventure to friend, “that after I left, the fellow tried to get that tip back from the waiter, for I saw him come out the place very suddenly, and without touching the pavement he landed on his back in the street. That waiter was certainly a powerful fellow.”
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