Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-06
JUST IKE SOME MEN

AhAS poi lily gentleman emeTSeu lntO- 1ftI
street from Yale street one-windy afternoon
last week.
He wore asbfhliantly polished silk hat.
lie mad scarcely got to 14th street before
a sudden gtAD Of wind lifted his silk hat
from his head. carried it up in the air.
twisted it AROUND on an eccentric axis for
a while. drqRped it, and let it fall right in
the middle sQf IHhe street between the car
tracks. A young man driving a grocery
wagon Jumped from his seat, picked up the
hat as it rsns alongside the tracks, and
waited for the sportly gentleman to come
up. The pertly gentleman took his time
about 1t. He Didn't look to be a little bit in
a hurry. He didn't look to be at ell fius-
tered In 1act, he wore a smile on his
rotund features as he accepted the eX-
tended hat from the driver of the grocery
wagon and pulled a quarter out of his
change pocketto hand to the driver.
No, thanks, sir; glad to've collared it. p"
said the driver, declining the quarter. and
then ne hoped back to his seat and Grove
on, while the portly gentleman crossed
over to the west side of the street and con-
ttnued his dignified walk north
A lot of school boys were playing ball
the portly gentleman passed by the same.
one OF the fielders threw the ball to put
a base runner out at the plate, and he
threw wild. The catcher leaped in the air
Ioi thC jail, buI. II was no USE Lie pdit
sailed about four feet above him. and it
caught the silk hat Of the portly gentle
man right arnidships
The hat sailed out into the middle Of the
street, and the boy who was acting as
catcher looked as If he thought 1t would
be best for him to bolt in the opposite d.
rection. The kindly countenance of the
portly gentleman changed him In this de-
termination. however, and so he ran out
into the street, picked up the silk hat as
an uptown 14th street car was about to
run over it, and respectfully returned it to
its owner, who was still quite unruffied,
and whose countenance still wore an amia-
BILE smile.
'Ah. am obliged to you, boy" remarked
the portly gentleman, and the quarter that
he held out was this time sheepishly ac-
cepted.
The portly gentleman pursued his way
north His hat didn't look SO shapely and
brilliantly polished as it had looked when
he first emerged into 14th street, but he
didn't appear to be worrying any over that.
He was passing the cluster Of small bust
ness buildings right south of Whitney ave-
nue.. below the car sheds, when man who
was repairing an awning pole made sud
den turn with long iron rod and swept
the portly mans silk hat right off his head
into the ditch. The ditch was clean, If
dusty, and the portly gentleman didn't APP
pear to be put out. He cheerfully said
"Quite able-don't mention it," in
response to the mans apologies, and when
tHe ldtteT handed MIN the nat ne replaced
1t on his head after smoothing it a bit with
the sleeve Of his overcoat and went on his
way.
He was just turning into the post office
above Whitney avenue. when piece OF
newspaper that had been sent careerins
through the air by the gusty wind struck
his silk hat and pulled it off his head and
deposited it at his feet.
The portly gentleman put his gloved
hands on his hips and gaZed steadily at the
There nothing malignant
the expression of his countenance, but
there was a heap Of determination. After
gazing intently at the silk hat for about
forty-five seconds the portly gentleman
deliberately jnmped up in the air and came
down on the hat with both feet He then
kicked the i,hat into the gutter went into
the post Office bareheaded and got his mail
came out and walked across the street to g
drug store. whence he shortly emerged
with plaid cap on his head several sizes
too small, and then continued his PLACID
| return journey to Yale street, and the Incl
| dent was closed.