Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-18
AROUND THE CITY

A man holding a tray of notions s.ood III
front of a government building yesterday at
noon A rather dandifcd clerk came up
and proceeded to look over the Vendtr
wares He said he wanted collar button.
After lingering the entire assortment ana
trying the spring OF each lie finally made
selection The spring seemed all right, bGt
he was afraid the button didn't shine quite
as bright as some of the others, and lie
would like to know if it could be guarai1
teed not to tarnish. lie believed 1t would
he better after ALI to take one that looked
more like gold.
The man with the tray pathetical:y
patient. but there was nothing Job-lke
about another customer, who had also come
out of the building and had bought but
ton a pair of suspenders and two shirt
sleeve fasteners
Say. Blank, you don't want one OF these
buttons What you want Is 4 Tiffany stud
with a diamond in it, And you want it for
a nickel.
The dandifed clerk pretended lie took 1t
as joke. But his ears turned red,
Two women were looking at the hats in
shop window one was a skinny pe, son,
with the lone and lorn expression that dis
tinguished Mrs. Gummidgc; the oti"r WAS
stout and pink with a satisfied smile ana
a wealth of chin.
II don't know as ! care for any of en-.
announced the stout woman after survey
of the seasons style Too many flow RS
and the flowers 100 gay l Wouidn NINA
having that brown straw tCque II they
would rip the CARLOAD of red roses Off it
Don't you admire red?' The skinny per
sons voice was lone and Torn as her
looks Il was just wlshin was young
enough for that scarlet null with the poppy
wreath. I'd a gone my death for a hat like
that when | was girl l useter have my
heart set on red merino and a stran OF
coral beads, and never got either. Seems
like I'll keep on wantin red things II I'VE
TO be hundred.
That's because your lougin' warnt salts
fed at the right time. My mother was
great hand TO buy us girls all the tomfool-
cry We took a notion to-iu reason, OF
course--and | do the same by my own
daughters. AS mother used to say, let the
children have all the foolishness they want
while they are under your wing, and wheh
the times come 10 get married they are
ready to settle down. II your ma had a let
you have your fiji of red you'd forgot you
ever wanted il long before this
How could she. when she died Al the
raisin / got was by an old maid aunt. who
WAS too pious for light pink let alone red
Then why on earth. Miss B!ank, DIDN'T
you get married and hive a Houseful OF
girls like me- SOS you could hav2 taken
your own longin's our on them. Mother
used 10 say that what's in Sou is bound to
come out. Why don't you get yoa a red
hat2
The sdimpy person must have been even
Toner and lorner than Mrs. Gummidge, in
that she lacked the laurels Of widowhJod,
but she had her fair share of discretion,
which she showed by giving the other
meaning look
I'D love to. but some folks would say L
was tryin' to pass myself off for Younger'n
what l am. No, my red wearln lays are
gone an forgot. an when prices ufop bit
I'll get myself somethn gray.
An elderly man with a preoccupied air
was walking slowly along He had reached
the crossing between the park and the Be
lasco Theater when automobile cana
whizzing toward him from the direction of
old ST. Matthews. It was tremendously
imposing machine, with a thrown-t,aclS
buggy top OF tan leather aud a body of
anarchist red
The chauffeur gave a warning loot. b.
the old man paid no heed. Then tie hc
footed again. BY the time the third tas,