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Harte, Bret, 1836-1902

"Drift from Two Shores"

In the course of my experience I cannot recall the fact of
two men taking an ante-breakfast cocktail together. On the
contrary, I have observed the male animal rush savagely at the bar,
demand his drink of the bar-keeper, swallow it, and hasten from the
scene of his early debauchery, or else take it in a languid,
perfunctory manner, which, I think, must have been insulting to the
bar-keeper. I have observed two men, whom I had seen drinking
amicably together the preceding night, standing gloomily at the
opposite corners of the bar, evidently trying not to see each other
and making the matter a confidential one with the bar-keeper. I
have seen even a thin disguise of simplicity assumed. I remember
an elderly gentleman, of most respectable exterior, who used to
enter the cafe as if he had strayed there accidentally. After
looking around carefully, and yet unostentatiously, he would walk
to the bar, and, with an air of affected carelessness, state that
"not feeling well this morning, he guessed he would take--well, he
would leave it to the bar-keeper.


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