Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-31

and high over the heads of the two hun
dred occupants Of long, low benches and
gaudily clad groups standing patiently
alongside bandanna-covered baggage, he be-
held a boy swinging by his heels from one
of the wire cots suspended from the wall.
LOOK at that youngster," he said. Hes
been here three months-he and his moth
er-waiting for his sister to get out of the
hospital across the island, where she's been
having all the ills that American boys and
girls are heirs to. She started In with mea-
sles the day she landed, and since then
she's had scarlet fever, mumps, chicken
pox and what not one after the other. In
the meantime that boy and his ma have
been kept here, though they've been passed
for landing, for it's a rule to detain healthy
members Of the family until the sick ones
are ready to go ashore with them Nearly
all of the youngsters you see sprawling all
around are here for the same reason. That
whv saw Uncle Sam Is their foster father,
because eventually they'll get safely ashore.
A Bow With Record for Mischief.
"well that kid-he's from Naples, his
daddy, in the detention room Tor men,
across the hall, says-has been making
more trouble for me than half dozen
Yankee boys could think Of all together.
He started in the second day he was here
to carve I'D that little black-eyed Araby
girl over there because she wouldn't let
him kiss her. and 1 not only had to take
arate the two mothers, who were pounding
each other over the heads with their fists
for all they were worth. Next day the boy
tried to whip all the other boys at one and
the same time, with the result that was
compelled to pull him out from under pile
of small bodies representing every country
in Europe and few in Asia I thought
that would settle him, because he received
such a good licking, but it didn't. Fact is,
he's born fighter and he's like the pro-
verbal fiea-you can't get your hhger on
him until it's too late. Why, he's all
around the place at his own sweet will,
and how he manages 1t don't know. Just
when + think he's safely locked In this
room I'll discover that he's missing, ana,
on searching for him, find him over with
his father, entertaining the men with his
Italian songs or in the dining room steal
ing hunks Of rye bread, or over at the nos
pital trying to get in to see his sister. Hes
the ringieader in all sorts OF mischief, and:
I tell YOU. he keeps me earning my money.
The keeper grfnned as he saw the boy,
in an effort to scramble down from the
bunk, miss his footing and sprawl igno-
miniously on the slate floor. Then. as the
lad picked himself up, and, despite the evil
dent hard tumble. walked away with
swaeper. meant to show that he wasn't
hurt the man spoke admiringly:
Wanted to Be President.
'He's a plucky lad and bright one. Dur
ing the time he's been here he's managed
to pick up good deal Of English, and he
can make out pretty well what say to
him One day not long ago told him about
our President, and he seemed much inter-
ested. The next day he came up to me and.
half in Italian and half in English. made
me understand that he'd been thinking
very hard about what I'd said about the
President, and he believed he'd like to be
President some day. When told him that
he couldn't. because he'd been born in
Italy, his face fell and he seemed much
disappointed.
in order to make him feel better-rve
taken quite a fancy to him-I tried to ex-
plain that, although he couldn't be Pres
ident, he could be many other things. and
ended up by saying that the best thing he
could be was good citizen. He asked me
to explain what that meant, and l did as
best could. In the middle Of the talk
was called away by something and forgot
about the boy until found him tugging at
my arm an hour or so later.
tsWhat do you want. Italy?' said.
Please, SIR he answered-all these chill
dren are very polite. although you wouldn't
expect it-Tm going to be"
Shrieks and shouts from the center Of
the room hurriedly drew the keeper thither,
where he was instantly surrounded by two
fearful women and theiD dozen offspring.
equally divided. For full five minutes he
listened to their chattering, then he led one
dren to another section of the room and
seated them on bench. After he had
helped to bring up the family's bundles he
returned and took up the interrupted talk.
citizen And he was so much in earnest
that TIM willing to wager that he'll make
good his words. Why, he's actually begun
pcnching the other boys because they
won't take on their caps to and salute the