Judge — June 16, 1917 — page 8: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE LEAGUE ADVANCING AT E WORE the largest emerald on —— H his finger, and the saddest ex- A Dyspentic pression on his face that ever | by Gsbnex was seen on mortal man. In the great : restaurant, the maitre d’hétel gave him * an attention that could only have been won by a tip that would, in its amount, have gained respect from a Bank Presi- dent for anyone opening an account. He sat alone and sad-eyed at the table as relevés, entrées and entreméts were placed before him and removed untasted. Nowand then he put his hand in hispocket and drew forth a piece of dog biscuit which he nibbled. At length, seeing that [ watched him, he leaned forward and spoke. “IL believe,” he said in a tone as melancholy as a piece of sable-bordered note-paper, “that you are also a stranger here. Will you do me the honor of dining with me?” Promptly I moved to a place opposite to him. “T see you are interested in my case,”’ he continued. “Iam a lonely man. I am glad of the opportunity to tell my story. If you area literary person, as I imagine from the luster of the seams of your coat and the frayed edge of your necktie, I might be of use to you—that is, if startling adventure, harrowing experience, dramatic contrast, and what I believe you call human interest are of use to you—all receiving a psychological significance from the unappeasable longing for the unattainable that will give it value for the more serious and thoughtful.” He paused to offer me a Timbale de Nouilles & la Purée de Gélinottes. “Exactly two years ago,” he contin- ued, “I was cast away upon a coral islet of the South Pacific Ocean. I was the only survivor of the condemned tramp steamship “Tantalus,” which no amount of paint would induce any in- surance company to accept as a risk As I staggered out of the surf, I saw sand and a spring of water bubbling from beneath a large rock. I had managed to fasten to the life raft which brought me to the shore several tins of hardtack When I had dressed for dinner by re- moving my clothes to dry, I laid out the biscuits in a row. There were ex- actly three hundred and sixty-five of them. I could possibly live on one a day and that meant a year of life. The island was in an out-of-the-way part of the sea. I could not know when I might be taken off. I determined to be ab- stemious. Then the struggle began. Sometimes in the desperation of hunger I would eat two crackers—consuming A DOUBLE QUICK PACE Imagination MIRBARD an extra day of existence at a gulp. I began by degrees to weaken —at times I became light-headed. 1 dreamed dreams and beheld visions. Some men have seen and longed for the eyes of houris and the lips of odalisques. What I saw was a piece of roast beef. Cételettes, not cocottes, were what I wanted. I grew more and more emaciated and famished. Finally one day agreat event happened. I caught sight of a box which had been washed up by the waves. Its appearance was such that I was led immediately to conclude that it contained food, perhaps more biscuits; possibly—rapturous thought—canned meat. Ina frenzy E tore it open “Yes?” L said. even missing a mouthful in my eagerness to hear. “What it held—was cook-books.” His voice had the sound of a passing bell heard across a lonely moor on a rainy evening. “Cook-books of all sizes and kinds from * How to Live Happily with Five Cents for Dinner,’ to an edition de luxe of a monu- mental work, ‘A Guide to the Culinary Art in all its Branches, comprising the most recherché Systems of French, Italian, and German Cookery adapted for largest establishments, by Antonio Muscatelli, pupil of the celebrated Caréme.’ Without thinking I sat down and began to read. Immediately my torments were ten times worse. I came to such choice little bits as this: ‘Dress eight fine, fat quail; fill each with truffles; put into a stew-pan with half a pound of streaky bacon and cover (Continued om second page following) iil i Punishment for those who fail to remove their hats when the Star Spangled banner is played. comicbooks.com