THE RESOURCEFUL GAZEKA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XX, Issue 2062, 3 January 1925, Page 5

THE RESOURCEFUL GAZEKA.

'Hie Gazeka gave his order and picked up the wine list. “What will you drink?” he asked. “Oh! I’ll have a ginger-beer, please,” -said Betty a litiie breathlessly, contributing her first intelligent remark to the conversation. “Oh! have a lifdle wine,” said the Gazeka loftily. “No, really ” began Betty. “Do,” begged the Gazeka. ’Whether it was, perhaps, the old sex-antagonism subconsciously at work 1 cannot say, but BeMty, hitherto content to play the role of passive admirer, seemed suddenly to feel the imperative necessity of self-assertion. “Do,” begged tho Gazeka once more. “Well, Hie only win© I ever drink,” said Miss Betty with great calm, “is •champagne.’' For a fleeting second a. look of consternation came over the Gazeka’s face, but lie recovered quickly. Something, however, was obviously wrong. Though I had no precise information regarding his resources, I shrewdly suspected that an additional guest and the unexpected champagne might well prove to be too great a burden for his exchequer. By means of gentle and, 1 hoped, suggestive kicks under the table I endeavoured to place my poekethbook. at his disposal. As a medium off expression, however, my foot was exasperatingly ineffective. The Gazeka took no notice of it. “Bring me,” he said at length, “o small bottle of No. 5” (it was marked an 14s Od the small bottle). “1 think you’ll like that,” he continued, turning to his fair companion. “It’s a good wine, though there’s not much of it left nowadays.” Then he rose. “Exexuse me, ’he said. “bu.t, it never does to let 'these fellows open wine on their own. I’ll j'ast stroll round and see that we get tho real article.” This, obviously, was my clue. So iiiv signals had been understood alter all. Marvelling art! the Gazeka’s tactful handling of the situation, I made some feeble excuse, and followed leisurely in liis footsteps. 1 reached tho screen at the end of the room and stopped; From the other -side came the Gazeka’s voice. A shameless curiosity rooted ino ro (lie spot. ■ “Here’s half a crown for you,” he was saying. “I want your help. . What’s ribe cheapest white wine you have ?” “Yon can get a small bottle of No. 33 for two-and-nine." answered a mizzled voice. “Good,” said tdie Gazeka. “Get me a small bottle of that, a soda-water, some sugar, and an empty champagne bottle.” There was a moment of silence ; then 1 suppose,, the Gazeka’s great! * idea, dawned on the amazed waiter and ho guffawed. I withdrew swiftly to my place, avoiding detection. There are some secrets that even >Vho most sporting of . uncles may not share. “How’s the wine ” inquired the' Gazeka casually. “Beautiful,**, said Betty.—Punch. y