Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-15
WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES


The trim, somewhat stylish, middle-aged
woman tripped- into the G street real estate
mans office. smiled pleasantly as she APP
preached his desk. shifted the small pack
age she carried to the other arm. and be-
gan:
II have called. Mr. Hairtrigger. to"
We'll" cut in the real estate man, glano-
ing suspiciously at1the package carried by
the middle-aged woman, Il haven't got
time to look at it-today. know that no
home is complete without Photographers
from the OldCF1emish Masters In 40 num-
bers, at 80 cents per number. delivered
weekly. but my wife has already contracted
for ten or fifteen continuous performance
publications of that sort, and the Flemish
masters. old or young don't enthuse me a
little bit, anyhow, and don't see
But ventured the middle-aged woman.
continuing to smile quite pleasantly, Il fear
that you misapprehend--'
well, 1 really don't feel that need the
three volumes of Famous Women in His
tory today, either" interrupted the head of
the real estate firm of Haitrigger Co..
seeing that my wife has been purchasing
that nightly ornamental work every two or
three years ever since we've been married,
so that now we've got whole attic full
OF 'em. Nor do ], exactly see my way clear
to purchasing a handsomely illustrated
copy of The War in Cuba or The War In
China, or The War in Guam or The War
In Painted Post or the war in anywhere
else. I'm a man of peace, first and fore
most, and so long as war doesn't rear her
fearsome head right here in washington,
thus tending to depreciate values, L don
care where they scrap, or how they do it,
l believe in-'' ~
Il really think" put in the somewhat
stylish middle-aged woman, the smile be
ginning to fade a trifle from her amiable
features, that you should be put right as
to the nature of my
''Oh, it's not a war book, then, eh?' in
quired the G street real estate man. Well,
If it's new cook book, containing 1,9S5
salad recipes, together with hints as to how
to gid milking stools, I'm afraid 1 shall
be compelled to desist from purchasing IT
today We're having all of our meals sent
in by caterer now. and the arrangement Is
entirely satisfactory, thanks, and as for
the suggestions in the book bearing upon
the best means Of converting an ordinary
barrel of the common or garden variety
into folding bed or roll-top desk, were
so stocked up with furniture now that m
seriously thinking of having lot of 1t
auctioned off. We don't"
Il see.' interrupted the niddle-aged wo-
man, shifting to the other foot and begin
ming to look somewhat lukewarmiy upon
the real estate man, that you are dis
posed tc jest and to"
Not at ALL not at all, my dear madam
broke in the real estate man, "but, sup
posing did feel in a jestful mood, l surely
couldn't be made to feel any Jester by a
perusal OF your Spare Weeks With Great
Poets for I find that as l grow Older poet
ry has an ineffably saddening effect upon
me, moving me even unto tears when l
read too much of it, and
Just moment, If you please, SIR" again
interrupted the comely middle-aged wo-
man, until l endeavor to make 1t clear to
you that l have no book Whatsoever
ooh, it's not a book them" said the real
estate man. again glancing suspiciously at
the small package carried by his visitor.
We'll, I've got SO many different kinds of
fountain pens now that / can't write with
that 1t would be simply waste Of time for
you to show me your stock. If it's new
kind of button fastener. 1 beg OF you to
excuse me, for I am. the inventor of seven
different kinds of button fasteners myself,
on none of which, however, have L yet had
time to secure patent. Ii your line Is
toothpicks that can be converted into nail
files. again l viii ask you to spare yourself
the bother of showing your stock to me, for
/ haven't any teeth of my own to speak of,
and as for my nails, I'm so far advanced
in the study of Buddhism now that I'm
seriously thinking of initiating the exam
pie of some of the Mahatmas by letting
my nails grow, so that you'll see"
The neat-looking middle aged woman
brought her parasol down on the real es-
tate mans desk with bang Just at this
moment, and when he looked up from his
blotting pad, upon which he had been max
ing geometrieal figures, she impaled him
with her eye. H. a.
'Just be good enough to punish yourself
by remaining quiet long enough for me TO
state to you my errand here" she said. in
a clear, distinct. tone. never removing her
eye from his. You will understand that
l can derive no pleasure or profit whatso-
ever by talking to with born wind
bag, and il I had known that that's what
you were I shouldn't have come down here
to your office at all. Now that you're rest
ing your countenance for half moment or
so, 1 will state to you that, while down at
the seashore. l met your wife, who is a
very charming and delightful little wo-
man. and very great deal too good FOR
you. l became so much interested in her
that l determined to put all of my Wash
ington property, consisting of several rows
of houses in Mt. Pleasant in your hands us
agent upon my return here, and 1t was
upon this errand that 1 called. However,
you have proven yourself to be such q
garrulous nonentity that
And she swept grandly out Of the office.
despite the efforts of the apologize real
estate man to block her
We'll, I'll bet that bluff threw a scale
into him, anyhow" said the styIish-Iooking
middle-aged woman to herself as she reach
ed the street, and then she went into an
office building further down the block and
succeeded in selling four bottles of her
patent shoe polish to the typewriter girls