ed itself upon him, he sat up,
became grave, and looked about in search of the waiter. In doing so, he
encountered the eyes of a short fat man at a table near him, who at the
first glance seemed to be reading a newspaper, but at the second, seemed
to be reconnoitering him over it. Mr. Kornicker observing this, not only
returned his glance, but added a wink to it by way of interest. The man
thereupon laid down his paper, and nodded.

Mr. Kornicker nodded in reply; and said he hoped he was well, and that his
wife and small children were equally fortunate.

The face of the stranger was a round, jolly face, with two little eyes
that twinkled and glistened between their fat lids, as if they were very
devils for fun; and his whole appearance was cozy and comfortable. His
chin was double; his stomach round and plump, with an air of
respectability; and he occasionally passed his hand over it, as if to say:
'Ah ha! beat that who can!' But notwithstanding his merry look, at this
last remark his face grew long; and with a melancholy shake of his head,
he pointed to his hat which hung on a peg above him, and was swathed in a
broad band of crape, terminating in two stiff skirts projecting from it
like a rudder, and giving it the appearance of a corpulent butterfly in
mourning, at roost on the wall.

'Ah!' said Mr. Kornicker, looking at the hat, 'that's it?'

'Yes,' replied the stranger, with a deep sigh, 'that's it.'

'Father?' inquired Mr. Kornicker, nodding significantly toward the hat.

'No--wife,' replied the other.

'Dead?' inquired Mr. Kornicker.

'Dead as a hammer.'

'Was it long or short? consumption or fits?' asked Mr. Kornicker, drawing
up his feet and turning so as to face the stranger, by way of evincing the
interest which he felt in his melancholy situation.

The man shook his head, and was so affected that he was troubled with a
temporary cold in his head; which, having alleviated by the aid of his
handkerchief, he said: 'Poor woman! She undertook to present me with a
fine boy, last week, and it proved too much for her. It exhausted her
animal natur', and she decamped on a sudden. She was a very fine woman--a
very fine woman. I always _said_ she was.'

'And the child?' inquired Kornicker; 'I hope it's well.'

'Quite well, I thank you. It went along with her. They are both better
off; saints in heaven, both of 'em; out of this wale of tears.'

Mr. Kornicker told him to cheer up. He said that every man had