Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-12

be to de good of de firm; so l jumps out,
goes to the gent-who now had out dis
tress signal in his eye dat would stop a
train-and 1 tells him in me best broke
French dat if his machine was out of order
my man, what was profesh, could help
him.
"Oh, If you'd be so kind, sir" he says,
giving his machine kick for to relieve his
feelings. Il paid seven tousand dollars hr
dis devil of a teakettle. and It's never run
seven blocks yet witout breaking out in
some new disease
So 1 says to our shutter, CASTOR 1 says,
Castor, assist dis gentleman"
l knew he wouldn't understand a void
said, but Duchess was waiting for her
tom TO play de game, and she explained
to Shutter what | wanted, and he says
whatever is proper French for Sure
He crawls under the hard-luck machine,
and crawls over it; he takes off covers,
twists out screws, unhooks a couple OF
wheels, loosens nut or two, lifts out few
coils and cans. unhinges some dinky parts
what was red hot side and covered
wit grease de odder, looks wise, and de-
livers a speech which Duchess TOMS into
English for de benefit of de gent.
She tells him dat here wasn't much de
matter wit de machine, only dat de lubri-
Gator was choked de bearings hot, de
make and-take sparker was off its base, de
carbureter wasn't carburetting, a valve
was playing pook-a-boo wit de compen-
sator, de control gear needed a few KIND
woids, de exhaust had struck and was act
ing silly, and de feed pipes was strictly on
de bum.
De gent looked like he'd been sentenced
to ten years when he hears dis, but he was
a dead game sport, all right, for he CAD
ders his breat and says, rs dat ALL ma
dame? / feared something was really
wrong wit de angel. Does your shutter
tink he can fix it all right inside of
week."
Duchess done some Ginning wit de shut
fer and den told de gent dat our man could
fix tings all right in half or tree-quarters
of an hour.
Oats very nice" says de gent, 'but l
couldn't tnk of OBTAINING you long"
Not at an says Duchess, wit Miss
Fannie's best manner. I'VE was just going
into dis new hotel to see had dey anything
wort eating"
or drinking I whispered to her, quick
ITO see" she goes on, "if dey has any
thing wort eating or drinking here. We
travellers from form countries must see de
sights of de city, you know
Tank you for de chance for to show you
my probation Of your kindness" he says,
tickled to deaf. You must let me be
your host, for I am stopping here, and
know what dey has dat is fit to eat and
drink"
"Oh, if you insist" says Duchess. fetch
ing him a smile dat wouldn't come off wit
sandpaper. IF you insist, says, fetching
him me best French bow.
II insist" he says, and leads de way.
and we folleys; Duchess tipping me a wink
like she was asking what 1 fought of me
French wife. Well, a French maid and a
Bowery boy make strong team when 1t
comes to pulling a leg.
We pass six rows of men wit buttons and
gold lace al de door, who looks like dey was
wondering if We knew what kind OF a booze
tariff we was runnn' against; passes into
de middle marble room. where de gent calls
I'D re head waiter, and says to him: Some
of dose homeless squads en- gelle, escarole
salad-wid a rub of garlic-a quart of spe-
cial brut-and-wcnt you name moutful
more? ?" he says to Duchess.
Not annodder tingI' says Duchess, and
den. unless it was a glass of cherry and
bitters before de bold, some biscuit Tor
toni after de bold, with bit of cheese and
demitaSSe-
And a pony of brandy for chaser"
chips in not wanting de gent to forget dat !
had tost
De head waiter writes down de order and
toms it over to de second head who gives
| it wit a short lecture to just a walter who
read in aloud to two odders, and den six
or eight more got busy and tings was doing
in our corner OF de lot
De grob was to de good. Dere wasn't as
much of it as dere would been If L d%ordered
it. but what dere was was good enough to
make Duchess roll her eyes like she was
having pipe dream. And de fiZZ! Say de
only ting better dan de foist bot was de
second. We was gassing gally-gally TO de
| chap all de time, mostly about ottermobiles,
which nobody has to know anything about to
talk knowing on for nobody else knows
anything about it, neider It's a grand sub
| iect for folks like Duchess who knows
everyting-in her mind-from cure for
! colds in de head to how to be elected
President Her and de gent was wise gazea7
| boos on mobiles, so dey didn't notice dat me
| and de second bot got together, and dat
drove me ponies tandem after me coffee.
| | caught sight of de check dat was hand
ed de gent when we was done, and if IT