Page 128 (1/1)

The "dudes" dis the bubbling coffee and watching the cook slice ham with a knife that had a blade like the sword of a Crusader

Mr Hicks had an alert, suspicious manner as if he feared that soiven the signal

When the operation of bread-slicing was completed, Mr Hicks stuck the point of the knife in the tail-board and, gripping the handle, struck a pose like that of the elder Salvini, while in a sonorous voice he enumerated the delicacies he had to offer It sounded like a roll-call, and his tone was so imperative that almost one expected the pickles and cheese to answer--"present"

"Coet it!" he finished, abruptly, and retired to sit down under sagebrush as if he were disgusted with food and people who ate it There Wallie joined hiuests eat their firstupon which The Happy Family at The Colonial had prided itself more than another it was upon its punctilious observance of the a the "newcomers" who averred that they carried their elaborate politeness to a point which made them ridiculous For example, when two or more met at the door of the elevator they had been known to stand for a full entlehts, would converse with a lady with his head covered

Now Wallie felt that his eyesprodded Miss Eyester in the ribs with his elbow in his eagerness to get in ahead of her, while old Mr Penrose reached a long arm over Aunt Lizzie Philbrick's shoulder and took away a piece of apple pie upon which she already had closed her fingers

When Miss Gaskett and Mr Appel chanced to select the same slice of ham neither seemed disposed to relinquish it but displayed considerable spirit as they pulled until it gave way in its weakest sector, leaving Mr Appel with only an inch of fat between his thurin while Miss Gaskett went off triumphantly to make a sandwich

Mr Stott with his usual enterprise and shrewdness had gotten next to the tail-board, where he stoodthe food with an eye to his next selection He was astonished to see Miss Mercy's alpine hat rising, as it were, from the earth at his feet to crowd him from his desirable position As she stood up she jabbed hiround before he realized it Miss Mercy snickered in appreciation of the cleverness of her manoeuvre