Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-17
AROUND THE CITY

man boarded q green car. He wore
travelling ulster and carried a label-scarred
grip. When he had dropped into a corner
seat he pushed the grip behind his feet, took
a transfer from his vest, took off his derby,
stuck the transfer in the band. put the
derby on, pulled a book from his pocket
and began to read.
For him the car had no existence.
The passengers smiled at the man. Then
they smiled at each other. Then they tried
to catch the conductors eye and smile on
him. but they got no smile in return.
The conductor could not have been new
to the business, for his pockets were REIN
forced with black kid, but he was young
enough to take himself very seriously. Ona
would have supposed that culling street
transfers from derby hats was quite the
regular thing.
Wouldn't he make fine actor. Mrs.
Blank?"
The girl who asked carried a shorthand
book and looked pretty in tourist coat
and a cowboy hat with a gay plaid band
Mrs. Blank was a respectable fat body, who
couldn't to save her life, look pretty, no
matter what she had on. She seemed TO
know 1t and not care
Il reckon he makes a better conductor
ooh! he'd look grand on the stage-and
mustn't that man have gorgeous time
travelling around, if he were top and
the earth just place for him to spin on!
1t thrills just to see his tags. Ihat
brown one is marked London and the blue
one isl can't make 1T out from here, can
you?"
The fat respectable body didn't try. Her
glasses were hooked on her breast, and she
had packages in both hands and bag over
her arm.
"Oh, Mrs. Blank, wouldn't it be exciting
to get on a car like he did and make every
body Stare?' >,
"Well. If that's your ambition, all you've
n ic hup some checks ana pdSto
them on your suit case Your coat ana Nat
will do and the cars are always HANDY.
Now, Mrs. Blank, I want to earn H. my ~
checks first Oh, dear me- l get so sick OF
taking old dictation. going to office ana PACK
home again. over the same old road. as II l
was of no more account than morse III d
milk wagon. l wish this was Pullman, ana
everybody was going. say the ROCKIES, IN
stead of to government offices ana depart
ment stores. Let's shut our eyes ana make
believe we are travelling, and travelling, anu
travelling. I'm going to California lnsteao
of to Georgetown. Do come along MIS-
Blank" .
sorry you have to make the journey
alone honey, but I've got to get out mere a'
Chicago -.
And the respectable, fat body got out at
the 18th street junction ,,.. ,o.+or ~
II was a very ridiculous little chatter, Oh
course and maybe it was stupid sui
II was the way two women talked while
riding together on street car.
mark in the gray dusk you Will propapiy
pass an old man leaning on the arm OF d
Young one Old men and young men are as
plentiful in this town as leaves on d sun ti
mer's hedge but the thing that makes tfis
coupIe worth second glance Is the story
of their coming together. 1t happened over
four years ago. The young man was solis
through the park late one au.uii nIona an
when he saw the old man sitting alone on
a bench, waiting for a fellow -boarder VINO
had brought him out in the early evening
and then forgotten to return Inc young
man took him home and learned from ms
landlady that his board was paid by rela-
tives who never came near him, ana tnat'
being half blind he had right lonely NE
The young man showed up ABOUT DUSK Tue
next evening and took the old man out LOT
an hours walk. He has been doing 1t ever
since When the weather is bad the hour
is spent in the old mans room.
That is why if you come across the TWO
in the dusky park. you will think them
worth a second glance, though the young
man is ordinary looking and the OLD man
talks always of the days of his youth
And if you should stop to figure up now
much an hour day for four years comes
to-why, maybe, you Will give the young
man third glance.
Two draft horses hitched to dray were
hauling a load of brick along 14th street the
other afternoon. Just as the gray was
crossing the car track the horses concluded
to balk The driver gave anxious looks up
and down the track while he pulled at the
reins Nothing doing. Then he got down
and tried swearing. He might have saved
the wear and tear on his soul. for the horses
refused to bulge. Then the driver reasoned
what you fool hawses think you gwineter
do? Mebbe you think you kin wreck can:
but amt gwneter let you. You mean me!
/ amt gwineter let you"
Let 'em have the whip suggested one
of a group that began to gather.
/ A car came whizzing from the north and
another from the south. and the driver
gave the horses the whip. Ihey Kept On
the track.
Then a working idea came into the head
of the big black fellow. for he put coax
ing hand on the nearest horse and SAID:
'.You two old boys git move on you
an Tom gwineter give you extry big din
ner tonight heah me?
The horses switched their tails ana
ficked up their ears. The driver got vt BACK aeS
on his seat and the dray turned OH the
tracls in time for two cars to flash by.
Perhaps it was the coaxing voice did it
Perhaps, again. the naturalists are wrong
and there is such q thing as horse sense.