The Diplomatic Clerk

"Henry, yon Ij aveu 't a room left, have yon?" iiiqnireü a Ngw York drummer of bis friéiid of mauy years' standing on the other side of the counter. "Standing" is used r.dvisedly. "Hot one," replied Heury, "bnt 111 look over the rack agaiu aixl see if I can't find yon a piace soruewhere. " "All rigbti" said the New Yorker while bis iriend gave the slips his anxious attentiou. Light broke over his face íd a moment, aud be carne back. "A mau up on the parlor floor gave np his room abont an hour ago, but he didn't expect to leave it quite so soon. 111 nena up and see if I can't hurry hiin alittle." The porter's bell was rung, a whispered colloquy took place between Henry and that blue ehirted fnnctionary, and in 15 minutes the man from the seaport of which Chicago makes such frequent nse was rejoicing in one of "the best rooms in the house. " But the clerk omitted to inform him that the previous occupant had given np his room at the precise moment