Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-21
AROUND THE CITY

Somebody was moving from q house IN
F street just back OF the State Department.
and among the household belongings
set out on the pavement was a big. round
clock. Its ticking was SO aggressively loud
that two women of the neighborhood on
their way from downtown stopped. and
they noticed that. in spite Of its clatter, II
had long ago run down. A young man just
behind the women also paused to see what
had attracted their attention. The ticking
stopped. Then the young man went on
and the ticking began again.
II reckon it was Jared in moving. and
just goes spasmodically," explained one OF
the women, as they. too. passed on.
There's nothing spasmodic about that
clock" said the other. when they had left
1t half block behind. ut beats as loud
and as regularly rs II we were carrying it
along with US What's that sign about
death ticks? Maybe it's call for US, and
our time has come"
Don't see single automobile around"
interrupted the explanatory woman, with a
levity unbefitting her years.
Stop talking like that, 1t may be q
warning for us, sure enough. The clock
stopped when the man was there, so it
wasn't meant for him. Let's hurry home"
ihey crossed the asphalt and entered a
house on the opposite terrace, and the
young man kept along on his side Of the
street. He was evidently a mechanic, for
he wore blue denim and over his shoulder
lot of elbow sections of steam piping that
clicked together loud and regularly with
every step he made.
And this small and very common little
u, VIII probably supply one estimable
lady, anyhow. with creepy story that will
last her all her life.
A woman who has to consider her pen
O1n IN
walked because she had leisure enough for
the twenty squares, and a car ticket was
more vitality necessary in the business hours
of her day.
Before her hobbled an ancient colored
man with twisted legs, who chanted out
the merits of hank of shoestrings that
dangled from one of his crutches. Beside
him skipped q haif-grown yellow girl with
thin stork-ike legs. She was begging In
sistently for something which the old fell
low refused to give.
The woman took an emotional view OF
the situation Plainly the girl was beg
slng her grandfather for money to buy
food for supper, and the old soul had none
70 give her. Foodless supper time is not 20
Ce tolerated, so the woman overlook the
couple told the man she wanted two pairs
or shoestrings and handed him dime He
turned the money over to the girl
NOW, run long an buy candy, like you
always Does
The girl siggled, and her stork-like legs
flew down the street.
And as the old man hobbled on he walled
his doggerel to the dusk:
Kun out de house. quick you can.
an GIT d sight er de shoestring man
IFS strings err cheap, his strings er strong
a mls =, strings RI er extry 'uckler long,
oh-h! dc purity little shoestring m-a-a-a-n''
incidentally, the laces We're the cheap
snort Kind sldo at the stores for a nickel a
bunch.
~, a florists van was drawn up to a curb
/ he door and "a hea
OF sunlight showed the interior to be as
green as a jungle with palm foliage in
tended, doubtless. as a decoration for some
wedding or high tea. Against the Ieafy
huge pot of pink azaleas. He was a bright
eyeu, broWn-skinned youngster, and totally
unconscious of the pretty tableau he made
1t was tableau that several passers-by
had noticed. when portly gentleman stop
pee to exclaim to his companion In tones
loud enough to be heard across the street:
Here you have the tropics without the
trouble of going to them. i saw hundreds
OF bits like that when [ was in the Philip
pines
He said It with an impressveness that
implied that he was the star member of
the Taft party. with. perhaps, an excep-
tior in favor of the Secretary himself
Naturally, the people around stared after
him, as he strutted off, and one man stand
ing al the Riggs House steps said to an
other-also loud enough to be heard across
the street:
Suppose that fellow ever saw the Phil
ippines?"
the loud pedal down:
Il know he hasn't. He lives next door to
me in Anacostia.''
They We're only chatting, of course for
the man who claimed Anacostia is promi-
nent resident of the northwest
1t was just way two fun-loving old
boys took to guy the portly gentleman for
airing his travels at the top of his voice
for the benefit of the street,