Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-15
AROUND THE CITY

A suburban car started from the Treas
ury corner late Saturday night. The
passengers were mostly men, some OF
them virtuously tired out from a day OF
hard work and a night of mark ting.
others sluggish or festive. according TO
the size of the good time they had been
giving the mselves in town.
OF the three women. two were returning
from some entertainment that had pro-
vided lurid red programs and popcorn,
while the other was so insignificant in
face and dress that you couldn't tell
whether she was going or coming
The atmosphere. heavy with fog. was
variegated with tobacco that had been
smok I'd. beers that had vanished and
Sunday dinners that were yet TO come.
1t was. Furthermore. streaked with the
loud breathings of sleeping innocence and
the military remarks of red-eyed gen.
tleman in the heavyweight class. who
continuously challenged anybody-every-
body-to stand up and fight to see who
was the better man.
AS the passengers were plainly not of
heroic mold, and as the conductor had
suspico,,sly developed muscles and the
motorman was tower of bone and sinew,
the avyweight found no takers.
Another star feature was the good
natured owner of pint OF peanuts, who
insisted on tire ating everybody. His first
invitation was EXTENDED to man oppo-
site. who helped himself with a spon-
taneOusness that nearly bankrupted the
bag. The oldish man on his right de-
cined peanuts, without thanks. The
young man in the corner to his left took
two.
He was a tall and slender young man,
with the earnest eyes of a student, ana
1t must have been that he accepted the
off ri mo- in do 70 10 ktndnnaQq that
prompted 1t, for at the second invitation
he smiled and shook his head.
Then the peanut man did rash thing.
He offered his big to the heavyweight
lawful seat and was lurching UP and
down the aisle. The heavyweight man
considered himself insuted and ordered
the peanut man to stand up and fight.
and fight, and he said so. The heavy
weight man hunched up his shoulders.
swelled out his chest, reached down for
the peanut man and
The conductor. who had been outside
with the motorman. pushed open the door.
and the heavyweight subsidized.
The conductor closed the door and
bulged himself out again and sized up the
entire crowd, settling at last on the slen-
der young man with the eyes of stu
dent. Then he lurched toward him:
Come, san up here. sir, an fight me.
I'll show you I'm the better man of the
two"
~ am sure you are"
The young man conceded his inferiority
with promptness that convinced all
hearers that he had no intention of going
to war The heavyweight, thrown back
again on the general crowd, announced
challenge to all corners:
Il can show any Teller in this bunch
who will get up an fight me that L mthe
better man of the two"
But the car was apparently filled with
Hague delegates. and the proposition
failed.
1t was a great tribute to the prowess OF
the heavyweight, but he evidently failed
to relish his laurels for he grumbied and
lurched around promiscuously until the
time came for him to spill himself out
into the blackness. After which he prob
ably reached home-somehow-and DEM
onstrated his martial abilities on his wife
and babies.
And when the car stopped again the
tall slender young man. who is making
fame as specialist, got out. hunted his
way to a strange house in the foggy mid
night. and performed an operation that
saved a childs life, though he knew her
parents were unable to pay his fee.