Story Of A Hat

STORY OF A HAT.

Revealing the Secret of Its Two Trips Around a Table

A number of literary men were at one time gathered in a well known chophouse in New York. The conversation was of course brilliant, and the repartee sparkled with mirth and wit. During a lull in the talk the door slowly opened, and an old southern darky, grizzled with age, poked his head in and then slowly drew his body in after him. A waiter started to eject him, when one of the gentlemen cried:

"Wait a moment. Let's see what the old boy wants."

The darky bobbed up to the table where this gentleman sat and held out his hat. Throwing a wink to his neighbors, the gentleman took the hat and, making a show of placing something into it, passed it on to the next man, who did likewise. The hat made a tour of the room, to the puzzled wonder of the darky. The last to receive it solemnly handed it back with a polite bow, saying:

"There, sir, don't you think you have something to be thankful for?"

The old darky looked solemnly around the company and, mechanically taking the hat, he said:

"Gen'men, I'ze indeed glad dat I got eben de hat back!"

The reply was so thoroughly enjoyed by the company that the darky left the place a much richer man than when he had entered it. -- Kansas City World