tales of the hotel st crispian: chapter 77

"Ol' Man River"

by Horace P. Sternwall

edited by Dan Leo* 

covers of harold p sternhagen's works by roy dismas 

other illustrations by konrad kraus

*Associate Professor of Victorian British Literature, Assistant Bridge Coach, Olney Community College; editor of Beat Me Daddy! 37 Previously Uncollected Tales of the Jazz Demimonde, by Horace P. Sternwall; Olney Community College Press; made possible in part by a generous grant from the Horace P. Sternwall Preservation Project. 

In the lobby of the venerable Hotel St Crispian, just outside the Prince Hal Room, Michael Chandler (called Henry by his wife Carol) has introduced himself to the author Harold P. Sternhagen...

"...and I wound up pointing to you over here and saying you were the friend I was meeting.”

“I never meet friends,” said Harold.

“That’s what the doorman said.”

“You are in a pickle, aren’t you?”

“Yes, yes, I am. I’m not used to lying, you see. Except for, except for — other sorts of things.”

“What other sorts of things?”

“Like, like —”

“Yes?”

“Like lying about loving my wife, and being content with my life, and my work. About everything.”



“So you’re only used to lying about the big things.”

“Yes, yes, that’s exactly it...”


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