Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-23
EGGS WERE VALUABLE

The deceased prestidigitateur Hermann,
whose initiative nephew is also reported to
have died, under somewhat mysterious cir
cumstances. in Europe the other day, had
a great fancy for prowling around among
the market stalls, especially those kept by
| women, in the various cities he visited, ana
mystifying the market folks by his feats
of legerdemain Market people are natu-
rally not great theater goers, and lew OF
them knew Hermann's characteristic
Mephistopheles-like countenanee, and SO
the fun he had in the course Of these mar
ket peregrinations was all the greater.
On the last occasion on which he visited
Washington before his sudden death he
started through the Center market in
search of little before-breakfast amuse-
ment-being an insomnia, he was usually
out of bed, winter and summer, before
sunrise, and prowling the streets. Her
mann had lot of fun in the Center mar
ket building on that morning. He pulled
large jack rabbits from beneath the aprons
of mystifled butchers; he took oranges out
of their hats, that they had been Waring
since leaving their homes; he took seven
pairs of playing cards out OF the apron
pocket of an old German woman noted
among the market folks for her intense
religious fervor, thereby causing her IN
tense surprise, not to say misery OF spiri,,
until the laughter of her associates told
her that it was joke he requested an
adipose butcher to quit trying TO conceai
a heavy wad of bills underneath MS 1901
and, sure enough, when the butcher moved
his foot there was the roll or money
which Hermann deity picked up and tuck,
ed into his pocket. He did all sorts or
queer things, and the market people en-
joyed his visit vastly.
When he had finished touring lne III
terror of the market building, he went out
side to the pavement on B street, and be
gan to Josh" the old colored women VINO
were selling YARDS" and eggs ana chlch-
ems and other produce there. He nnally
picked out one old nanny, who was con-
tentedly smoking a pipe, and who had a
LOT of fresh looking eggs stacked up on a
barrel in front of her, and t INQUIRED As 10
the price of eggs. She told him.
Are they fresh?" inquired Hermann,
Deed an dey is dat, subj" replied the
nanny "Dey's jes' gathud no iatuh oah
dis mawnin'."
"ITm. so?" said Hermann, stroking his
chin. "Well, guess I'll take a half
Dozen ~, ho,s
dozen eggs in a bag for him, and ne pald
ber for them. The prestidigitateur started
to walk away. but he seemed to De ooupt-
full about something, and returned 10 the
nanny. 80.
fresh =" he said to her I'm mighty par
ticular about eggs. think I'll just open
a couple of these. Have you got anything
l can drop EN- in? -, ,,
| "Dem's de freshest eggs whut 10, sun,
said the old woman, earnestly, but she
nevertheless handed him a tin cup In Whch
| to drop the opened eSgs.
Hermann placed the tin cup on the par.
rel before him. pulled one of the eggs out
| of the bag and broke the shell on the edse
| of the tin cup.
| "Why. what's this?" he exclaimed in a
surprised tone, looking questioningly at the
| old NANNY.
| She bent over and gazed into the cup,
| and her mouth opened wide when she saw
| a new So gold piece imbedded in the yolk
! of the egg.
.eWell. TO de Ian sakesr' she exclaimed,
| "Ah dun heahud o. de goose dat dun lay
| de golden aigs, but All nevuh heahud o
no hen dat dun lay aigs wifi gold money
shuah enough"
singular thing that" remarked Her
mann, stroking his goatee thoughtfully.
Lets try another"
He broke another egg on the edge of the
| tin cup, and the old NANNY watched the
proceeding carefully. She saw another new
! 81 gold piece. firmly Embedded in the yolk,
| slip out of the shell.
She made a quick grab for the tin cup
! containing the two marvellous eggs and Sc
cured it, while Hermann gazed at her with
some surprise.
! Here" said he to the old nanny, as
she was looking through her change, "those
/ are my eggs, you know. | bought them. "
''Dey wuZ yo' ais subj" replied she,
handing him back dime and two pennies,
and hanging on tight to the tin cup But
All CANT affohd tub sell no aigs like dem
| 70 no twentyfo cents uh dozen. Heah S
yo' twelve cents, sub, an All ticks dem
aigs back. Deed All do. Aid be uh-losin
money, sub. yo sees TO yo'se'f"'
! Hermann, chagrined. endeavored to re-
capture the eggs. but the old nanny hung
on to them and he picked up the four re-
naming eggs in the bag and walked
/ thoughtfully away.
The old nanny grinned broadly when he
/ had turned the corner.
"Ah knowed all de time dat he all was
Wun o desc heah debbil-wukkuhs, she re-
marked. Oats de reason All dun fool he
| all. Anyhow, All needs de moneys"