Evening star., 1905-11-04
A GORGEOUS CREATION

LTeeS
Washington University buildings and Nc
Pherson Square commenced to take on their
autumnal tints strange figure began to
attract a great deal of attention in that
neighborhood He was the 'shriekingest
and most self-conscious dude ever seen on
the streets of Washington. By his looks
he was a Mexican or Central or South
American dude. He was skinny to the
point Of emaciation. with an extremely
swarthy facial cuticle. lneaments OF the
Latin-Ameriean type and parrot-like nose
of extreme sharpness.
From the day of his first appearance 1t
became perfectly manifest to all OF the
folks In the neighborhood indicated that
he had all Of the clothes fit to wear. ana
that he knew It, He spent the major part
of the forenoon and couple of hours OF
the early afternoon parading around tnat
neighborhood in entirely difIerent anu
quickly shifted sets of togs 1t Is SAID tnae
he'd change 'em as often as hve uaaaes as TN ~.
the course of six hours-these changes IN
cluding by the way, only his walking rlss.
and not comprising his Notwithstanding
fixouts.
The clothes in each and every case OF
change were all the merchandise IN tne
way Of what the real-thing high-priceu tai.
lors call spunkiness, too. They all showed
ultra" tailoring. The trousers were gem
orally fitted at the bottoms with perma,
nent turn-ups'' or cuffs" and IN several
instances the wearer of them went the
tailor some better by adding another turn
up to 'em, thus giving them double ron;
The walking clothes were of all Shapes ana
fashions long tailed cutaways, single
breasted three-button sacks. worn open,
with the accompaniment OF hooray 1ancy
vests; double-breasted sacks OF all Shapes
and conformations, some with tnat little
splu-tail in the back and some without /:
Innc
loud checked cutaway turned up with whlte
vests-vthe whole works in the way OF relay $
and substitutes
And with each rig he exhibited distinct
set Of spats, a different pair OF gloves. q
separate hat, to-match pair or snoes a
hat to suit, cravat to fit the SHIFT. and
even a cane to make the "ongsomb' per-
feet.
Folks living or working up that way fell
into the habit of looking for him. He
swing along H street many times day,
and the girls in the millinery stores on that
street, as well as the men in the art furni-
ture stores not to mention the young wo-
men in the establishments that have
Modes" and Ladies' Tailors" signs exhib-
tied out In front. fell into the way OF watch
ing for his comings and goings and OF keep
ing tab on the different layouts Of togs that
he flashed with each appearance
When he'd conclude the forenoon and
early afternoon parading in the quickly
changed sets Of walking things he'd get
too, he seemed to have as many changes,
at the very least, as he had fingers. Olive
green riding coats, ecru coats. gray coats
some cutway-frocked and others or the
sack shape, cutely fashioned and spotlessly
white riding breeches, riding boots Of unim-
peachable brilliancy, spurs that caught the
rays Of the sun and dazzled the eyes, hats
to go with every shift-there never was a
horseback rider in little old washington
that "had anything on" this mysterious one
when it came to being clad for riding
He had a queer way of starting out for
his ride. Every day along toward 8 o CLOCK
a colored man would lead his gayly capar-
isoned cob up in front of one of the 18TH
street hotels and stand in front of the curb
there holding the horse and waiting for the
rider. The rider, looking like the morning
sun, would presently trip along from the
general direction Of Mcpherson Square, en-
ter the hotel, get drink of water or mere
ly pass through the hall. and within min
ute or so he'd emerge from the hotel ana
walk down the steps and across the side
walk. where he'd mount the horse.
Passing that way at just that moment
you'd naturally think that he'd come out
of the swagger hotel straight from his
sumptuous apartments there-that. at any
rate was manifestly the idea sought to be
created in the minds of persons passing
just as he emerged.
Getting into the saddle, he'd carefully ad-
just himself and his raiment before the
man holding the horses head would turn
olive green or of his ecru riding coat. as the
case might be, In the correctly splitting
manner back of him and take hold of the
reins in the conventional riding academy
fashion. hold the crop out at the proper an
gle with one end of II resting on his thigh.
and then. head back, shoulders squared and
eyes cast furtively about to perceive just
how big hit he was making with the OBJ
servant and insanely jealous populace. he'd
give a polite cluck to the horse, and then
he'd be off-at a walk. Persons who fol-
lowed the progress of the horse claim that
the animal was never required TO go al any
speed faster than walk during the prog
ress of any OF these Journeys.
So addicted to the habit of change had he
become that he was frequently known to
shift even his riding raiment as often as
twice in the progress of an afternoon. 1t
was his habit to return to the hotel whence
he had started horseback. where the
colored man would be waiting for him. Dis
mounting, he would stand in posture of
elaborate good form, switching his crop
with fine insouciance. while the horse was
led away. and sort of potter around in
front of the hotel for ten fifteen minutes,
thus benevolently stalking all hands passing
by to a treat.
He was doing this week ago yesterday
-Frday-when 1t happened.
The George Washington students seated
on the steps over the way. had been OBJ
serving the unbeatable Latin-American
dude for some weeks. not without profound
en- of them on the west steps OF the unver-
sity on that afternoon when he dismounted
from his cob and stood in front of the
catty-corner hotel. ficking imaginary dust
from his riding breeches and enjoying the
stares with which the passing pedestrians
regarded him.
The students on the steps gazed at him.
and then at each other. They seemed to be
profoundly impressed-there could be
doubt to that.
Finally couple of the students tall
young fellows. stroled over to where the
lovely piece of work in the riding clothes
stood. With their hands in their pockets.
the two students stood and gazed at him
with keen interest. They didn't say word
but just stood at each side of him, not
more than four feet away. and gaZed at
him with every manifestation of intense in
terest.
Four more of the students then strolled
over from the university steps and formed.
with the other two, a Gordon around the
gorgeous figure. They just stood with their
hands in their pockets, and looked at him
and then at each other, without ever crack
Ing much as the symptom of a grin. 1.
is simple fact that he considered that he
was making hit, and gazed haughtily into
the empyrean and went posing gor-
geously.
Whereupon all of the remaining students
on the university steps crossed over in ut
ter silence, and made a double Gordon
around the beautiful thing.