"The Idiot" by John Kendrick Bangs

I quite enjoyed this humorous collection of stories about an “idiot” and his “tormented” breakfast companions in a boarding house. The idiot likes to tease with wordplay and with exposition on novel concepts such as floating houses. The last chapter is a heartwarming ending. In addition to the humour, I enjoyed picking up some minor tidbits on early 20th century life. Question... why have boarding houses fallen by the wayside?