ABSENT-MINDED PEOPLE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 43, 13 February 1885, Page 25

ABSENT-MINDED PEOPLE.

" Can you— ah— er— tell me the number of my room ?" " Yes, sir— 9s." " Ah ! thank you— guess— ah— l'll go and get ready for dinner," and the absent-minded man lounged away towards the elevator. The hotel clerk looked after the slowly vanishing guest, and then, turning to a Star reporter, who was standing near, said : " I ye seen all kind? of men since I've been in this business, but he is the great original forgetter. He has been here now for three days, and 1 have to watch him like a baby. I'll bet he'll either forget his way to his room, or when he gets there he won't know why he went there," " What is he — a genius 1 " asked the reporter. " I suppose so ; he's an inventor, and he don't know anything but cogs and wheels. He ate two breakfasts this morning ; he ordered his lunch to be sent to his room yesterday, forgot about it, came down to the office, bought a New York paper, and read until 5 o'clock p.m. He then came up to my desk and inquired calmly of me what it was he had asked for a little while before. I didn't know, and he could give no idea, so I was in hot water until I questioned the waiters and found out about the lunch. It's laughable to you, but it's not so funny for me, because if I don't take care of him he will surely attack the reputation of the house as soon as he gets " Do you have many of these characters to look after ? " inquired the listener. "Never had one like him," said the clerk. "He's the worst; but we have a great many guests who exhibit signs of preoccupation. Perhaps the commonest examples of absent-mindedness which I see is in regard to door keys. In the winter, when business is rushing, a dozen or more keys will have to be replaced every two days. A guest going away will frequently foiget to leave the key in the door of his room or at the desk, and will put it ia his pocket, so we have to replace it. The house carpenter is about as good a locksmith as any in the city ; he has had so many locks to pick and keys to make. Then people leave articles of wearing apparel, books, memoranda, all sorts of things, in their rooms when they vacate. Well, if they are registered correctly, there is no difficulty in returning them their property, even if they forget to write for it ; but where a man registers inaccurately or indefinitely, it may sometimes be hard work to find him. "There was an Englishman here last winter," continued the clerk, " who deposited nearly £900 in Bank of England notes with me. The next day he was called to New York by a telegram, and having plenty of American money in his wallet, he hurried to the cars, without paying his hotel bill, and never thought about his money or anything but his despatch until he reached New York. I have often raen careful people going over a written list and checking the articles off as they pack them away preparatory to continuing their journey." — Washington Star.