Why It Was Hot

"I bad beard of obafing dishea for years," said Srniiey Williaius, "but the cue I saw for the first time floored me coinpleiely. "I never thonght much abont the blamed thiugs, but sornebow I supposed a chaÖEg dish was some sort of couceru that they grated tbiugs in - someth'iug that rnbbed together and mashed things. "The other night, though, Bolton and I went iuto a Madisou street restaurant for dinner. You know I always have a sneaking liking for hash of any kind, and so tdoes Bolton. Boltou ordered turkey hash for two, and the waiter brouglit it on in a swell sort of silver dish nearly as tall as a cake basket. ít had a tight cover, and when we opened it it steamed like a 40 horsepower boiler blowiug ofl. "I loaded up Bolton's píate, and in tbe first pass at it he took the skiu off his tongne, .it w as so hot. " 'Just like these inferna) places,' Bolton growled. 'Anything you've got to eat is hlisteriug hot, while coffee is always stone cold. ' "After awhile Bolton took some more hash and burned his tongue again. " 'Holy Moses,' he said, 'what's got into that hash?' "I told bim nobody waa especiad to know anything about restaurant hash, especially the fellow who was eatiug it, but he wasn't satisfied. "Well, we kept on eating hash nntil we had enougb. And do you know tbat hash left in tbe dish was botter than it was at tbe start? " 'Well,' said Bolton, 'I wouldn't have believed iny eyes, but with most of the skin off my tougue I've got to give it up. ' Then he called the waiter. " 'Say,' he said, in a low tone, Til give you a quarter if you'll tell me what iii blazes is tbe matter with that hash. ' " 'Beg pahdou, sah?' " 'What keeps tbat hash so all fired hot?' " 'Why, sab, that's a cbafiiig dish, sab!' "That's how I found out that a cbafing dish is a silver fruit stand with a fire built uuder it. "-