Flannery, but you're way off, you are;
nobody ever has everything."
Tom looked disappointed, even sad.
"Well," continued Bob, "I'm waiting for your order. Which soup will you
have?"
"Which you goin' to have, Bob?"
"I'm goin' to have the _consomme_."
"Then I'll take the other one," said Tom.
"The _supreme_?"
"That's him," replied Tom.
"Why do you prefer that?" laughed Herbert.
"Well, you see, it sounds better. That one that Bob has took I can't
make no sense out of it nohow, and I don't believe it's good to eat,
either--anything with a name like that."
[Illustration: THE GREAT BANQUET.]
"But the name of your soup is not much better."
"That's so, Herbert. Blamed if I know what they wants to put such stuff
on fer a feller to eat fer," said Tom, with an air of disgust.
"Well, Tom, you may as well get used to these names, for you'll get a
lot of 'em before you get through this bill," said Bob, laughing.
"Them names don't go all the way through, do they, Bob?" asked Tom,
alarmed.
"Yes, plumb through to the end."
"Well, that will spoil my dinner, then, for I don't know nothing about
such words."
"No, I guess it won't spoil your dinner, Tom; I'll bet you will eat like
a hungry tramp before we get through."
"Maybe I will, Bob Hunter, but I'd like to know what I'm eatin' all the
same," replied Tom, somewhat indignant. He did not like to be compared
to a hungry tramp.
"That's all right, Tom Flannery; now don't you get off your base so
sudden like. You will think you never struck a lay out like this before
you get half way down the bill," said Bob, trying to restore good
feeling.
"Well, I hope I will, that's what I say. A feller ought to get something
good when he has to wade through such blamed old names as these, that
don't mean nothin'."
"But they do mean somethin', jest as much as what our words mean to us."
"Do you mean to tell me, Bob Hunter, that anybody uses these words?"
"Of course they do, Tom. They are French words, and French folks know
what they mean."
Tom thought for a moment; then he said:
"I was way off, Bob. I thought it was some words jest made up for this
bill, 'cause you see I don't know nothin' about French."
The waiter now reappeared, bringing with him two long rolls of French
bread, a supply of butter, and three glasses of ice water.
Presently the soup was brought on.
"Sail right in now, Herbert, you and Tom," said Bob. "The next course
will b
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