Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-15
EXPECTING THE WORST

'Tll bet thousand to one that it's ter
rihle when it comes" remarked the man
with the lank hair and shrill voice as the
Washing ton-bound car swung around the
curve at Chevy Chase circle.
What's terrible when which comes?'
inquired the man in. the next seat. lowering
his paper and glazing over the top of it.
Why, that what's bound to happen"
replied the man with the lank hair.
And why's anything bound to happen?"
asked the man in the next seat. impatiently.
RAIN. breathed the shril-voiced one.
with shudder. And snow! Hail too,
Frost also! Fourteen kinds of unseason-
able weather, all in row! 1t means that
something awful is bound to happen"
''Shucks. snorted the man in the next
seat, Slapping his paper in his lap. You
talk like a dizzy old dame with the herb
habit. Cut it out and take a pill for your
hver's loafing. Take a pill
You can laugh said the man with the
lank locks. in a grieved tone. but l know
what I'm talking about. Didn't my grand
father. who's ninety-seven years old, but as
clear in the think-tank Chinese dinner
gong. tell me all about it no later than last
night. Shucks back at you. Take pill
yourself.
.But / don't mind telling about it, re-
sumed the man with the lank hair, after
some slight mollifcatory remarks from tho
red-hafred man in the rear, because IL
shows just what we're up against on this
part of the big map Grandfather was
saying last night that this year was q
dead ringer for 1881, and you We all heard
about the awful thing that happened then.
What! You re not Wiser What ignorance!
Anyhow. according to grandfather, 1881
started Off just like this year. Along in
March. when ordinarily the sleighing was
good here in town. there came a bunch Of
fha from 1Onr iy,
blister and peel and dried out that Pennsyl-
vania avenue mudhole so that every time
two-horse team passed the White House
the dust flew so that 1t reminded veterans
or the burning of Washington by the Brit
ish in 1872 Then it got cold and showed,
then it hailed and then it rained. And
along In June and July, when ordinarily
washington is like furnace. 1t was rain
ing and showing and hailing all in twenty
TOUR hours. and the water was so deep on
pennsylvania avenue and the Thermometer
so active that one day the Mary Washing
ton could steam at full speed from Alex
andria to the Soldiers Home without TAX
ing soundings. and the next, ice boat races
would be In order Oh. it was fierce year
and We haven't seen the worst of this one
yet You listen to me-"
We'll. what was the awful thing that
happened" inquired the man in the next
seat. with more Impotence
On, replied the person with the lank
hair. was getting down to that. You see
of 1881, and as his wife :, as a good cook
and be was naturally of an optimistic dis
position he didn't take much stock in the
calamity conversation that was going
round But finally It began to work on
his nerves and he got SO he'd sit looking
out of the window for hours at time won
derlng just what form the impending d sas-
ter would take, Just like folks. and particu-
larly married men. are doing now. So
Look here" said the man In the next
satienalist. "are you or are you not going
to tell us what happened in 1872
Certainly. replied the lank-locked in
diyidual. with an injured .blance around.
Il was just getting down to 1t. We'll. as
was saving, grandfather got 50 he couIdn' t
eat. He knew something was going to
happen: All signs pointed to It and hed
never known such signs to fail And sure
enough it did and it was terrible. It was
worse than he had ever imagined. Grand
pa was, poor"
Say. shouted the man in the next seat,
you tell US right away what that terrible
thing was that happened / don't propose
tO--4'sr ..% SIX.
Certainly" interrupted the long-winded
caiamfty conversatfenalist. nervously, Ger
tain!y | viii, right away AS / was saying
grandfather was sitting in his Office this
particular day In the summer of 1881, feel
ing sort of shaky and blue and he heard a
horse come galioping madly down the street
and stop in front of his door. And he just
The man in the next seat pulled ferceiy
at his cigar, but the lank-locked taiker
doomed right along, unnoticingly -4.-.
Grandfather rushed to, the trent door of
MS ONCE. he said, tand out there was a
horse. covered with foam and a man Just
falling to the ground from exhausta ton
And grandfather looked at the man and his
tongue just Glove to the roof of his mouth
He knew something fearful had occurred.
. Good day. Smith,. he said after he 60,
his Foice-the man who fell off the horse
was neighbor of grandpa's-tell me the
worst at once. Is ii bad?'
But the man on the horse just rolled
his eyes and breathed hard
Tell me quick" yelled grandfather is
it twins2
Worse than that gasped Smith. shak-
ing his head
Irlplets. by Heck yelled grandpa. as
ne Tell down in fit. And tripets It was
This kind of <wea Their always means some
thing awful is going to happen. You listen
to me-
And the man with the lank locks and
shrili voice gathered up his morning papar
and napkin wrapped lunch. stamped in his
geioshes to make sure they were on at the
heels. and left the car amid q loud. Shrek
ing silence.