Evening star., 1900-10-13
IE KNEW ALL ABOUT IT

The Man Who Wantslt to Know had been
| standing on the corner for half an hour.
waiting for some one who could tell him.
Before that he had been as long on an
| other corner. after haYing lounged about
the hotel lobby since breakfast at the dairy
lunch room.
He looked lansuidly up the stree. and
down the street, and for minute gazed at
some workmen and turned away as II it
made him tired to see them toll For five
minutes he stared straight ahead at moth
ing. In profound brown study.
The atmosphere Of droning bees and
and dreamy hours environed him. His ap-
pearance was a protest against the busy
confusion Of the lstreet and an antidote to
all industry. He wanted to know. without
going to any trouble about it. except to
walt until some one should come and tell
him.
Suddenly a look Of satisfaction lighted
his face.
'Thell me- he said, seizing fleeing Star
reporter by the dropping corners of his
coat-'tell me-you newspaper men know
everything-tell me-just minute, 1 won't
detain you long-teli me how is the election
going?'
The Star man put his hand In one bulgng
coat-pocket and then in the other. These
were side pockets. The newspaper clip
pings with which they were stuffed were
not more than a day old. Those in his in
side pockets, his hip pockets, his vest pock-
cts and between the Innings Of his coat ran
back through odd periods for a month or
more; and In all the pockets Of his old
clothes at home were scraps OF paper, pock-
et-Worn and crumpled into the semblance
Of rats nests. All Of these clippings re-
lated to politics. Those cut from one set OF
partisan organs foreshadowed certain re-
publican victory; those from another set
made glowing claims of democratic triumph.
The Man Who Wanted to Know stood OBJ
structively across The Star mans path. He
must be told.
Indiana" began The Star man, sis in
doubt; there's a hard fight
No more In doubt than I am" broke In
the Man Who Wants to Know. Indiana In
doubt! Well. you make me tired. / sup
pose you think Texas and Pennsylvania,
and Maine and Vermont are in doubt? In
diana! Soul Of the prophets: in doubt! I
wish were as sure of inheriting fortune
as Indiana is Of going for Oh. have no
patience with such nonsense. Why, 1t Is
too internally stupid to talk about. 1t Is
down right fdiocy. Ha, ha, ha; you amuse
me. and make me tired all over. Do you
bet? No? Well. then, I'll bet you 400 to L!
No. 1 do not want to rob you. I'm too good
sport to bet on certainty"
Every shade Of disgust. contempt and TN
patience found expression the faoe Of
the Man Who Wants to Know as he spoke.
"Where've you been all the while ?
body, or thought the matter over for your
self?' he asked with cutting irony. II used
to think you had some sense. Well, well!
am awfully sorry for you
The Star man gripped convulsively at the
republican clippings in one pocket and the
democratic clippings in the other.
Now tell me about New York" resumed
the Man Who Wants to Know, in a more
conciliatory tone
LAS I was about to say" answered The
Star man. there is a hard fight In New
York: both sides are"
"A hard fight" broke in the Man Who
the election Is just as good as over in New
York? Everybody knows that. Any one
who pretends he doesn't know 1t Is either
nj tural fool or can lie worse than Chinese
York? But that's not worth while; just
ask any darn fool you come across, and he
can tell you how New York is going"
But suppose he asks me first" suggest
ed The Star man.
"Oh. he won't be fool enough for that II
he has heard you say anything about hard
fights and doubtful states,' retorted the
Man Who Wants to Know.
II suppose" he continued, you are
thinking a lot OF nonsense about doubtful
states. Maybe you think Utah's in doubt.
or that there's chance for good healthy.
able-bodied campaign contest in illinois or
elsewhere in the middle west? If you do
just you let me tell you that your judg-
ment has taken a vacation, got sick leave
or Is on the retired list. The red Indian on
a copper cent couldn't make mistake
about this election. It's a dead cinch. II
you want to get rich just bet your money
| according to the pointer give you. I
never was wrong about an election. This
one amt worth prophecying about 1t 8
as plain as the nose on your face. III you
have a notion that any sane man Is In
doubt about 1t. 1t isn't creditable to your
common sense and power Of observation.
The thing Is all over. Just you put that In
your paper and the people will think you
know what you are talking about"
The Man Who Wants to Know let go The
Star mans coat and slouched slowly down
the street. looking for some one else who
could tell him.