Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-12

The crew had finished their committee
work"-had groomed the horses, swept the
main floor. frightened harness. brass and
steelwork, and washed, oiled and polished
the big truck till 1t shone like gigantic
toy. Sergt. PIN was in the sitting room
above stairs, with three of the company.
stretching his legs under game of poker;
and when he was not growing at luck
which duplicated his discard always in
his draw he was calling out sarcasms at
young Waters for the dust he was raising
In sweeping the sitting room floor. As the
Merry Andrew of the company. PIN alter
mated between fits of clownishness In which
he sacrificed all dignity for laughter. and
fits OF a sour wit in which he endeavored to
regain what he had lost by Furnishing ia
miliarity insolence and fiaying an limo
cent victim peace Offering to his self
respect Waters had been such victim of
such a mood but as the freshman of the
crew he had been silent under the haZng.
He had endured il for two days; and even
now, as long as PIN contented himself with
such remarks as Sally. y ought We been
white wings Your style o sweepin' amt
indoor sweepin', It's Broadway n a forty
mile breeze" Waters continued to work
without more than frownng at the laugh
ter of the men. But when PIN lost a
call TO show cards. spat contemptuously and
called out: " 'Watersl What a name to
squirt on fret the recruit wheeled on him
and retorted hoarsely, What's the matter
with PIN fer a name?"
PIN did not look up from his dealing of
the cards. " Pim?'" he repeated. cheer
fully.
well. there's just ore er two things the
matter with 'Pim,' Sally Pins no name
fer conversation politics" And this was
reference to Dry Dime Dolan, an uncle
of Waters. and a ward politician whose in
20 70 he IN 90 &J,rt ,,Ily
house. had pushed Waters into the depart
ment
Waters leaned on his broom and knit his
level eyebrows in glare at PIN The SER
geant regarded his hand of cards. The men
about him were in a broad grin.
tiremen re like the aristocracy fer an
cestors these days. PIN said. "On'y 1t
amt grandfather. It'll an uncle"
Waters broke at him with an oath. "Yuh
- old barnacle!" he cried ''Y'ought tive
been scraped out o here long ago. Yufl're
too - ignorant TO get promotion yer
self an because you can't get along yuh' re
sore on any one else that does"
PIN replied: It's slow climbin when the
ladders full an the probationers re soin'
up the back stairs"
Waters threw down his broom and struck
the table with his cIenched fist. BY c.
he screamed, IN a young mans cracked
voice or wrath, III go up yer ladder over
yer shoulders! Wait! An III put my heel
between yer teeth when 1 get up, y OIL back
number yuh spawned OF cripple yuh"
PIN smiled. Well, WELL" he said "Will
yuh, now? Whtsky's power in the land,
sure enough. They say some Sd avenue
brands II put out a fire"
The saloon of Dry Dime Dolan was on
Sd avenue, but Waters did not answer He
stood with the echo OF his own high voice
In his ears, staring al the face of a fireman
IN whose shamed and plying smile he read
that he had made himself ridiculous He
turned with growl of profanity, kicked
ms broom Into a corner and went below
stairs, his mouth set In an ugly snar Of.
anger.
The other men at the table had learned
the wisdom of the truck house maxim:
Never butt into an argument until it's a
hght; and they had sat through the quar-
rel without a word Even now only Billy
Parr dared to demonstrate with PIN
WHAT'S the matter, JIM" ne asked. mild
~. What We yuh got against the young
Me- PIN said Got against him?
Why, bless my eyes. / got nuthin' against
him. l knew his DAD in the days when we
were six-year-olds an 'ust to help the oil
goose-necks paint the fires green down the
BoWery. He's all right If he's got any of
his OF man in him. But he's got to learn
that he amt any better fer being CRATER,
neither. An he's got to learn 1t before he'll
he any good in this crew. at that.
You leave Sally an me alone. We're con-
duckin "a selec' school OF instruction fer
one"
Parr however did not leave Waters and
him 6lone. lie demonstrated with Waters
privately. What's eatin' yuh, anyway" he
said. PIN don't mean any harm. It's Just
his way"
rs III" Waters replied We'll. HEN learn
a new way before I'm done with him. I'll
make him eat dirt fer poundin' me the way
he's been dom" He walked away with HIS
chin up
Parr went back to PIN. Look here. now
Jim. he said. You leave Waters alone
You take my advice an leave Waters
alone"
PIN laughed. What's the matter. now7''
Parr answered solernnly: ''Thats all
right. I'm givin' yuh a straight tip. Yuh
leave Waters alone
We'll, say" PIN protested, what's the
use 0 you comm round here with holler
like this? 1t amt me that's worryin'
Waters. He's been gon' round here talkin'
politics like cart-taiI spellbinder. until
1t amt my fault II he's unlocked cub, IS
II? 'Tain't my fault?"
Look here. now, Jim" Parr said conf
dentially. ''Waterss got q pull There's no
sense putin yerself up against II this way
Leave m alone"
PIN reached out an emphatic fist and
wagged his thumb, with a double jointed
jerk!ness under PARIS nose. Look here
now, Billy" he Knocked him. when play
spaniel, an wag my tail 80. ev'ry time l see
a CRATER, whistle to me an III come" He
turned on his heel with that and went down
stairs to his stretch OF desk duty
His bad mood persisted. Sitting there be-
meath the jiggcr he tattooed thoughtfully
ness. He had come to the department
twenty years before, because he needed Il
regular salary 70 support his wife. In his
third year he had distinguished himself at
"a fire by saving the lives of two women
lie had hoped FOR an immediate recognition
of his services, but he had been approached
by the henchman OF ward politician with
an itching palm, He had refused to grease
the wheels and the result had been that
he had been placed on the roll OF merit for
saving life without personal risk" There
the recognition had ended. He had been
marked man not In favor with the
powers, and he had climbed up the grades
from $500 a year to 81 100 slowly and OBJ
securely.
Now he was stil blue shirt. a sergeant
by courtesy OF the department rules, but
with no outlook. The tide OF promotion had
swept by and left him stranded. He was
old enough 10 be a battalion chief but too
old to become a lieutenant. Add to all this
that he had not the textbook learning nee
essary 10 pass a civil service eXamina ton.
even IL he were recommended for promo
ton. that ambition was dead In him.
Waters had called him a "barnacle."
Well Waters. he told himself, probably
right.
He had but one consolation; he had been