Evening star., 1896-12-19

Star man, pointing through the hotels
kitchen windows
Well. ye won't have em wen McKin-
iey's swore in, an dat's no lie," remarked
one of the pan-handlers. Then there was
a general mirthless .augh. Tne man with
the top hat subsided.
The Guests Assembled.
BY o'clock all hands were pretty well
acquainted with each other. There were
about twenty-five of them. then. The ma
Jority of them were wide-awake, but some
OF the boys went to sleep as they leaned
thus sleeping standing one of the boys fell
TO the pavement and woke up with start
"Wiliie's fell out O. bed" said a pam
handler
G'wan," answered the boy
The restaurant and hotel kitchen lights
went out, but there was plenty Of illumina-
ton from the engine and boiler rooms.
how bout gettin pinched here?" in
quired one OF the men of his neighbor.
Are de cops onto it?''
Yes, de're onto it all right was the re-
ply. but we git kind NV show fur our
white alley here. Never saw no one pinched
here. 'cept bloke wot was howlin and
fghtin'. We all got de chase den. but wen
We came back it was all right
The man with the top hat had a lucid
interval
Now, if they only had couches and di-
vans out here" he said, this place would
be great
Git yerself 'vagged,' an ye kin have de
soft side NV jail bunk cut in a cheerful
worker.
witch reminds me-" chimed in one of
easiest mark wv jedge l ever run agin
got pinched dere las week fur ridin' on
de cars. l Civ de jedge de QUITO work
ballad an waltz. Will you leave de town
right off If let you go?' seZ he to me. No
won't, sez l. I cum here to git a job
an / m goin to stay here till git it,. You
are alright sez he. You can go, me man.
Easiest ting l ever hit. All We got to do is
to Civ him some hot tamale talk, an ye're
out. F I'd told him l wuz goin' to git
right out o town he'd a caIled me liar
and vagged me-
Dat don't go here said another DE
Police Court mug looks at yer hands an
he kin tell by lookin' at em II we've ever
done no work. An he soaks We fur tryin'
to con him.
Opposed to Nightingales.
In reminiscent kind of way the man
with the aged top hat began to softly
whistle snatches from the "Intermezzo' In
Cav illeria-" He was musicianly whis-
tier, but he was suppressed, although the
music was sweet and touching.
Nuff of nightingales in winter" was
the remark that abruptly choked him off,
A big wagon, loaded with meat, and
drawn by two horses. thundered up the al
ley.
Tanks said the cheerfulest Of the pam
handlers. TN have a terderloin steak wild
mushrooms, wid some beef croquetts, about
eighty Nv 'em on de side.''
When the bottled beer wagon clattered
up, the same man said:
No, l guess not. i amt got down to
beer yit. Bur l wouldn't mind. tanks,
havin' a little"
''Chablis.' suggested the top-hatted
wreck.
"Howdje guess it?" Whereat there were
jeers.
There were a few new arrivals in the al
ley after 2 o'clock. 1t required some little
effort for these to gain good points of van
tage close to the windows. One of them
roughly displaced a sleeping boy. He was
promptly kicked by three of the boys
heighbors. Toward 3 o'clock there was a
fine display of shooting stars in the deep
black windswept sky.
"A not unusual phenomenon at this sea-
son of the year." commented the suppressed
whistler. "Meteorites-'
Say, did yer feet ball team win de year
ye played wild Yale?" he was asked, and
once more relapsed into gloom.
Long before the east began to flame with
orange all but the drowsy boys had de-
parted from Heat alley. The men walked
down the alley to the avenue looked list
lessly up and down the cold, deserted street
and disappeared into the shadows. After
all, Heat alley is not such hilariously
cheerful place.