Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-17
EvENED Up THE r! SCORE

notes in downtown lunch room the other
noon hour.
Has Dutferstone told you the last story
about his kid?" asked one Of the others.
Dufferstone had told them all the last
| story about his kid Oh, yes-seven times.
So they fixed up the plot to break Duffer-
stone Of the habit Of telling them the last
stories about his kid. 1t was mean and
ornery quartet but Dufferstone has been
| avoided a good deal Of late on account of
| his crop Of stories about his first young
one, and perhaps he needed lesson.
When No. i met Dufferstone the next
morning on the way to Office, he said:
Hey, there, Dufferstone. y'ougnt to have
been up to my house last night. burned II
there wasn't burglar in our room. 1t was
| about o'clock this morning, and neither
my wife nor myself suspected that anything
was wrong. We were botn sound asleep,
| and little Jin-you know that bit CT a two
year-old of mine-waS the first to wake US
up. He's just learning to talk, you know,
and blamed if he didn't let out whoop
when he heard the burglar tooling around
the room, and yell 'Panyud! (Spaniard, you
know OF course it WOKE US both up. and
called out to the fellow, who was rummag-
ing in the bureau drawers. and he chased
himself down the front stairs ond was out
the front door like bullet out of a gun
Now. what do you think of two-year-old
kid acting a watchman hey, Dulfer-
stone? Great, wasn't it?"
Dufferstone looked good deal bored dur
ing the recital. That is a trait of men who
make the greatest nuisances of themselves
in relating the brilliancies Of their own
young ones.
No. of the mean and ornery quartet hap
pened into Dufferstone's place Of business
during tina morning.
How are you, Duff? ' said No. q Say
just dropped in to tell you a corking yarn
about that little three-year- nephew of
mine-my sisters little boy, yknow. Great
est bow that he and
don't you forget it. He's wonder, and no
mistake Well, sir, Duff my sister had
Reggy-thats his name, y'know, Reggy-
my sister had Reggy out walking on the
White Lot yesterday afternoon. They were
strolling around the big fountain at the
rear Of the Executive Mansion. when
stout man. wearing a frock coat and top
nat, came toward them. OF course my
sister recognized the President at once.
The President approached, raised his hat to
my sister, and addressed little Reggy.
Why, how dye do. little boy?' said the
President to Reggy.
"Reggy grabbed his mothers hand tight
ly, and, said he, looking up square into the
Presidents face:
100 go way, 90 OF Kinley Mack
"On the level. he did. Duff! Now. what
do you think of that? Wasn't that out O.
sight for three-year-old? Just said, he
did. 90 go way, 90 OF Kinley Mack. By
DUR puff?" 'h'hk fna's immense don't you
No. told it all over couple more times
poking Dufferstone in the ribs at proper
intervals he went along.
why, I didn't know you had a small
| nephew" said Dufferstone, dismally.
Dickens you didn't" was the reply
well, is that so? Why. m'boy, he's a
wonder. Let me tell you"
And he pinned Dufferstone against the
wall of his office and told him stories CT his
imaginary nephew for fully half an hour.
No. had scarcely left Dufferstone's office
before No. 8 dropped in. No. laugh
ing all over.
We'll, Duff, old man." said he, Shaping
him on the back, how're you making out,
anyhow? What am laughing about? Well,
l was just thinking l came in about
funny crack that little three-year-old niece
of mine-my brothers kid, y'know-got of
at the dinner table last night. Never told
You about my little niece? Why, that's
queer l thought everybody in Washington
knew had the SWEETEST and brightest little
niece that ever came down the pike Ha.
ha, ha! She certainly does say some Of the
funniest things sometimes. Well, last night
we We're all talking at the dinner table
about the Philippines. Little Freda was sit
ting on her little high-chair, not saying a
word, you know but she was just more
than taking in the talk, for all that. OF
course we don't suppose she understood
what we were talking about, but It's
mighty peculiar for all that. My brother,
in the course of his talk, said:
What kind O. jays does Spain think we
are, to hand 'em back those islands after
lighting for EN-? Do you people think it
would be the right thing for us to vacate
the Philippines and let the Spanish robbers
| take possession of EN- again. after the job
of work George Dewey accomplished in
getting a foOthold down there?
Well sir, Duff, you may not believe 1t,
but burned If little Freda didn't drop her
knife and fork on her plate with clatter
and eXclatm:
" Not by a dood DEAL
Say, what dye think o. that? You see,
shed heard her father and me make use of
r nd oh sit
knowing that it was going 10 fit, but just
on general principles. DIE ever hear Of
anything so pat? Not by a dood deal! she
said, just like that. Phenomenal. hey,
Duff"
DuRerstone was nervously drumming on
his desk with paper weight by this tine,
and he looked al his watch several times
But those moves We're just meat and drink
Tor No. B. who had so often suffered at
Dufferstone's hands In the same way. So
he remained and recalled couple more lit
tie "reminiscences of little Freda.
No. of the mean, ornery quartet
didn't run across Dufferstone until late in
| the afternoon. Dufferstone was running
Tor an avenue car to go home, when No
| hailed him from across the street. Duffer-
stone, thinking that No 4 wanted to talk
some kind of business with him gave up
his chase after the car and waited for No.
4 to come up.
How're you, Dufferston9?' inquired No
4. How 8 that boy of yours ANYHOW?
Say, the reason 1 called you was that I
know you're Interested in these little
stories of childhood. and wanted to tell
you that a friend O. mine was telling
me this morning lown ct"
Suspicion, dark and deep, crept into Duff
| ferstone's eyes. But he felt his own guilt
| He took out his watch and started to run
for the next car that cana along just then.
Amt got time just now Dufferstone
called back to No. 4.
All of this happened on Saturday last and
Dufferstone has permitted six whole days
| to go by without telling n single story of