34 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



One store in Broadway stood empty so long 

 that a man who wished it for a restaurant was ac- 

 cepted as tenant, although his references were 

 worthless. When he defaulted on his first quar- 

 ter's rent it became my duty to call upon him 

 daily and secure as big a contribution as possible 

 from his cash drawer, and as the deficiency be- 

 came more and more hopeless I was authorized to 

 reduce it by my own gastronomic efforts. Three 

 cents had been the limit I had thus far set to the 

 cost of my lunch, and this offer nearly ruined my 

 digestion. My bill-of-fare studies had always 

 begun at the bottom price, and the shop where I 

 got half a pie for three cents became dear to me. 

 It was located on the corner of Pine and William, 

 and to this day I cannot pass that point without a 

 thrill. 



Now I began at the top-notchers in price, fol- 

 lowing turtle soup with pate de fois gras, and 

 eating truffles at two dollars a pair, with ice 

 cream. I believe that nothing but the thought 

 of my tri-weekly confessional letters home kept 

 me from ordering a bottle of a beverage with a 



