«Тобиас Ужасный» и другие рассказы

In fact, there is some mention of it in the blats, and it is not a frivolous proposition in any respect, and more dough is wagered on it than any other eating contest in history, with Joel Duffle a 6 to 5 favorite over Miss Violette Shumberger all the way through.

This Joel Duffle comes to New York several days before the contest with the character by the name of Conway, and requests a meet with Miss Violette Shumberger to agree on the final details and who shows up with Miss Violette Shumberger as her coach and adviser but Nicely–Nicely Jones.

We learn that Mr. McBurgle gets greatly interested in the contest, and when he discovers that in spite of his influence, Miss Hilda Slocum declines to permit Nicely–Nicely to personally compete, but puts in Violette, he is quite indignant and insists on her letting Nicely–Nicely school Violette.

Well, this Joel Duffle is a tall character with stooped shoulders, and a sad expression, and he does not look as if he can eat his way out of a tea shop, but as soon as he begins to discuss the details of the contest, anybody can see that he knows what time it is in situations such as this. In fact, Nicely–Nicely says he can tell at once from the way Joel Duffle talks that he is a dangerous opponent.

This Joel Duffle suggests that the contest consist of twelve courses of strictly American food, each side to be allowed to pick six dishes, doing the picking in rotation, and specifying the weight and quantity of the course selected to any amount the contestant making the pick desires, and each course is to be divided for eating exactly in half, and after Miss Violette Shumberger and Nicely–Nicely whisper together awhile, they say the terms are quite satisfactory.

Then Horsey tosses a coin for the first pick, and Joel Duffle says heads, and it is heads, and he chooses, as the first course, two quarts of ripe olives, twelve bunches of celery, and four pounds of shelled nuts, all this to be split fifty–fifty between them. Miss Violette Shumberger names twelve dozen cherry–stone clams as the second course, and Joel Duffle says two gallons of Philadelphia pepper–pot soup as the third.