Cruel As The Grave
Page 78"Impossible, Bessie! Clean impossible! Don't drive me stark mad!" cried
the landlord, jerking at his gray hair.
"Well, but, Pop, you must come and tell the gentleman so, or he'll sit
there all night," remonstrated the girl.
"Blow the fellow to blazes! Where is he?"
"In the parlor, Pop."
The landlord trotted into the parlor and gave a little start, for, at
first sight, he thought the gentleman's head was on fire! But a second
glance showed him that the gentleman only had the reddest hair he had
ever seen in his life, and that the level rays of the setting sun,
shining through the western window, and falling fall upon this head, set
this red hair in a harmless blaze of light.
Recovering from his little shock, he advanced to the gentleman, bowed,
"Yes; I wish to engage a room here to-night."
"Very sorry, sir; but it is out of the question. Every room in the house
is engaged; even my room and my daughter's room, and the servants'
rooms. And not only that, sir, but every sofa is engaged, and every rug;
so you see it is clean impossible."
"Impossible is it?" inquired the stranger.
"Clean impossible, sir! utterly impossible!" returned the host.
"All right; then it shall be done."
"Sir!"
"I say, because it is impossible, it shall be done."
"Eh!"
"Here is a hundred dollars," said the stranger, laying down two
induce any of your guests to give up a room for me to-night."
"Why, really, sir, I should be delighted to accommodate such a very
liberal gentleman, but--"
"You must decide at once. Now, or never," said the stranger, firmly, for
he saw the game was now in his own hands.
"Well, yes, sir; I will find you a room. The two young college gents
who took a room between them may be induced to give it up."
"Must give it up, you mean," amended the stranger.
"Well, yes, sir; just as you say, sir."
"And I must have it in fifteen minutes."
"Yes, sir."
"And supper served there in half an hour."
"And your company at supper, as I want to have a little talk with you."
"All right, sir."
"And now, you can go and see about the room."
"Just so, sir," said the landlord, gathering up the two fifty-dollar
bills that had bought him, body and soul, and then bowing himself out of
the room.
"'Money makes the mare go,' and the horse too. I wonder what he'll think
when he finds out his bank bills are not worth the paper they are
printed on," mused the stranger, as he paced thoughtfully up and down
the room.