THE WAY THEY SETTLED IT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 218, 13 September 1881, Page 4

THE WAY THEY SETTLED IT.

The trick waa played upon old Moses Pierson— 'ha original Mosee, of Union-street— whego eotiug-Louse and lunch-room, with the quiet aamplcroom in the corner, were known to about everybody trut ever had occasion ■o visit that purt of (ha city. On a chill autumnal df-.y, in mvi afternoon when lhw tables were v?«ll-nigh bare of customers, four men entered and criered the beat dion^r Mobcs could ;rovivie ; an'!, finfjliy, after conßultin" ihe printed list of dishes to be Berve:.', thry settled riosn upou soup, muttonchop, fj&j. 1 , roost tuiksy, Bad pudeding Bnd pie ; ocri fcbo sundry bottlea of v/'we were culled tor end emptied white the dinner was in progrees. It vsss a sumptuous repast ; anJ ii ended in an ur usually large i'ill, as was made apparent when th^- j/ooJ 1-ost presented it in black uud w; it< . Ail fuur of the (nee at once plumed their right hands into their pocketu es though eager to pc? tl c bill— e tt ch tnaa eager to get hid money out first, " Hold on !" cried o.:e, pustiDi; hia l>,nJ u-;»ou the arm of (he man on bis U _H. Lai me settle ■r.ifv' "No;! (•.hall saitle ifais bill." "Fot if I k«r,w i-ys-lf i" esicitimed ihe fourth. " I tUu sitle this heah myself." And tUy arose from the (able, discaifiiog the matter, hotly, e»oh

tc-u of the party forbidding the host to »i-^b a penny from acy other than h rself. Finally, when is would appear ft Boue of them voold yif Id , a p r'ic!^, it wbs prcpoaer by one of the u-.'.p\bfj? thai tb.3 Isadiorc fchoold suffer bitnapU to ba hoodwinked ; that the four men should then arrange themselves againßt the wall, when tbs blind id host should move forward and lay bis hand upon one of the party, and the man so caught should be allowed to pay the bill. Old Moses entered into the spirit of the thing with keen reiisb. He allowed them to bind a thick, broad bandage over his eyes j and when all was ready the word wai given, "Now, old fellow! Here we are. Be sere end get the right oce !" And then Moaes advanced — advanced till be touched bis hand upon the wall. He thought he heard the men move. "Look here !" he shouted, " Stand fast ! I Bjb'c goin' to chase you all rcund the room." And he moved along to the left until a table brought him up ; and just then tha front door w«s opened, aud some one entered. 18 Hallo I What's up now, old chap ? What in the name of wonder are you doit', Moße ?"' The old fellow snatched sway the tajdage from his eyes ; and, bo I he ought to Lave known tbat some such trick was on the tapis ! But it W6S too lata now. The men had gone, taking their dinners wiih them, end the prospect of finding them was too slight to be seriously thought of. Be sure it was a long time before Moses heard the last of his wonderful game of " Blind Mane Buff."— New York Ledger.