He Offered a Suggestion.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1892, Page 3 (Supplement)

He Offered a Suggestion.

Whk** he sab down to the table the waiter brought him a newspaper, and hurried away to see aboub a previous order. Ib was somo time laber bhab he laid the paper down and beckoned to the proprietor of bho restaurant, who was walking round oxercising a general supervision. 'Order taken, sir?' asked the latter, as he hurried up to the customer. • ' Oh, yos, some time ago. I wanted to ask if tho giving of papers to customers was your idea ?' ' Yes, sir. Ib makes the time pas 3 quicker, and the little delays incidental to ' . 'I understand,' broke in tho customer, 'ibs really a very good scheme, bub ib occurs bo me—you won't object to a suggestion from a stranger, will you ?' ' Certainly not, sir. I'll bo glad to have it.' ' Quite right. Now it occurs bo me that ib would be a righb clever tiling bo get a few sebs of Dickens' works.' 'Bub, sir, our patrons—' ' Of course a few volumes of Shakspere would add variety. When a man came in he could call for roasb chicken and " Dombey and Son," or " Romeo and Julieb." If ha only wanted a plate of toa&b and a glass of milk ho could backle one of the Christmas stories or a sonnet.' The propricbor looked ab bhe customer us if in doubb whab bo do, bub bhe labter appeared bobally oblivious of his gaze. ' It's merely a suggestion,' he said, ' and it's immaborial to mo whether you acb on ib. If you do, I must add that " David Copper* field is jusb aboub long enough for an order of steak and baked potiboes. Ah, hero ib comes now. No charge for the suggestion, sir.' If ib.could have been clone wibhout dauger of criminal prosecution a man would have been carried out of that restaurant with an ico-pick in his head.