Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
REToRTSs, COURTEOUS

my dear" he petufantly inquired from
the head Of the stairs, after protracted
period OF rummaging In the attic. will you
be good enough to teii me what il. the
dickens has BECOME 81 that top coat OF
miner ~
She appearediat the bottom Of the steps
and gazed at him blankly.
why" she Began ''I was wondering
what you were bunting for up there. l.
"uh-huh." Said he.o starting down the
stairs. so you've gone and sold that tor
coat OF mine to- the old clothes man, hey
Well, Ii that wouldn't jar
Didn't tell you'll she began again.
"that T had-ae %
And here" he broke In. peevishly, eve
| been figuring right along on having that
coat TO cover me up when the chilly even
ings drifted along. and
II you would only give me chance to
Probably you've gained the impression
and that I'm trying to hold out my wealth
on you, and maybe you've charted it out
tnat I'm able to dig up $40 for new top
coat every time different spring or au-
tumn fits this way, or"
John Youstreet, If you
ana II bet a nickel's worth Of gum
that you'd be ashamed to own up just what
the oid clothes fellow gave you for the
SSs~ss - AAtACCOp you SOLO IL TO MIN dI I'LL.
Come to think Of it. on several occasions
youv disposed Of valuable garments and
snoes and hats Of mine to these back-door
peadlers who give in exchange for such
.nanss TIN teapots and eggbeaters and
truck like that
For mercy's sake, will you-"
Anu wnen you heard the peddler pound
ing on the back gate you, of course. began
TO wax aVarfcious over the miserable little
hand" -
stop long enough"
Ana you Just tossed 1t over to him when
ne onered to give you, to boot as they
say, one OF those nickel coffee strainers,
anu SO mere am with the autumn right at
mana and all Of the fellows flashing their
~, .op coats on me- without anything to keep
me warm unless l wear that two-inch-t thick
ulster, and now I'll have to go down and
make another $40 dig, when the one that
ouu al put gave away was just good in
oiMost every respect as a brand new"
she went over to where he was execut-
ing his little endless-chain- of-words stunt.
GRABBED him by the lapels of his smoking
JACKET, shook him until his teeth all but
a..ieu. Snenceo him with two or three
hysterical little screeches, and said:
II you had lived two centuries ago in
!saa.,s or any of those places you
you'd nave spent most of your time on the
aucklng school as a common scod. 1 never
neard human being give vent to such a
flow OF perfectly unreasonable nonsense in
my Ire. and when you get started yol1're
worse than an old windmill that creaks and
sroans and complains all day and all night.
Fellows got right to kick IL his clothes
are all peddled away to junkmen-"
anu II you would only rest your voice
long enough to listen until people work in a
"ord edgeW1se you would get more infor-
nation; but, no, you go on with an inter.
minable string Of stun about eggbeaters
and coffee pots without knowing a word Of
WI Mha. you are talking about and you never
by any chance do people the slightest sort
OF Justice for spending all of their time
looking after you and your comfort, but
the nrst time you thinksyou've got a chanca
10 negin one Of, those continuous perform
teeny Weeny miserable thing away YOU
start like an old hundred-year-old clock
that takes the notion to start running. and
nothlng IN the wide, wide world will stop
AN right, then. IT, you think It's the
proper kink for you to swipe the only
clothes I've got and dish EN- out to ra 2
dealers for little or nothing why go ahead,
but o. '
And all the time that you're going on
ike train of cars running away down a
mountain side I'm trying the very best I
To tell me what?"
All the time that you're gibbering and
gyratmg around and tousing up your hair
and twisting up your imustache until you
look IKE a Wairus m struggling frantically
to tell you ~ s.-,
All right. What were you trying to tell
me, I'd like to know?"
And never a word would you let me get
IN, no matter how frantically and frenziedly
tried; but, no, away YOU went, like a
Hank Monks stage coach flying on two
wheels down Rocky mountain grade. and
if you don't remind me of my Aunt Mary
out in Royal Oak, Mich, who would talk
for three straight days and nights once she
got uQWOund. don't remind Of
body, and yet was trying the best knew
to tell you-''
Then he grabbed her by the shoulders and
shook her. and she smiled.
We'll" she inquired, pleasantly, "and
how do you like it yourself?'
We'll, let's call 1t draw said he, re-
lapsing into a sheepish grin himself.
What's that you say you were going to
tell me?"
THAT 1 took your topcoat down to the
cleaners" she replied. amiably, and that
I am expecting the cleaners boy to. bring
1t up at almost any minute"