aid gravely: "Look here, one of two things has got to
happen: either we must change our restaurant or I'm going to resign."

"Why?"

"Well, to make matters clear, I'm obliged to tell you something that
in our business we usually keep a secret. About three weeks ago I had
a notice to transfer twenty feet of Gold Hill to a fellow named
'Tournelli.' Well, Tournelli happened to call for it himself, and who
the devil do you suppose Tournelli was? Why our Italian waiter. I was
regularly startled, and so was he. But business is business; so I passed
him over the stock and said nothing--nor did he--neither there nor here.
Day before yesterday he had thirty feet more transferred to him, and
sold out."

"Well?" I said impatiently.

"Well," repeated Tallant indignantly. "Gold Hill's worth six hundred
dollars a foot. That's eighteen thousand dollars cash. And a man who's
good enough for that much money is too good to wait upon me. Fancy a man
who could pay my whole year's salary with five feet of stock slinging
hash to ME. Fancy YOU tipping him with a quarter!"

"But if HE don't mind it--and prefers to continue a waiter--why should
YOU care? And WE'RE not supposed to know."

"That's just it," groaned Tallant. "That's just where the sell comes in.
Think how he must chuckle over us! No, sir! There's nothing aristocratic
about me; but, by thunder, if I can't eat my dinner, and feel I am as
good as the man who waits on me, I'll resign from the Club."

After endeavoring to point out to him the folly of such a proceeding, I
finally suggested that we should take the other members of our Club into
our confidence, and abide by their decision; to which he agreed. But, to
his chagrin, the others, far from participating in his delicacy, seemed
to enjoy Tournelli's unexpected wealth with a vicarious satisfaction
and increase of dignity as if we were personally responsible for
it. Although it had been unanimously agreed that we should make no
allusions, jocose or serious, to him, nor betray any knowledge of it
before him, I am afraid our attitude at the next dinner was singularly
artificial. A nervous expectancy when he approached us, and a certain
restraint during his presence, a disposition to check any discussion
of shares or "strikes" in mining lest he should think it personal, an
avoidance of unnecessary or trifling "orders," and a singular patience
in awaiting their execution when given; a vague hovering between
sympathetic respect