Evening star., 1907-11-17
AROUND THE CITY

This transaction would have been sat
| isfactory to most customers, but there
are always exceptions, and the woman
was one of them
Say. you've given me cent too little.
| The candy is only 10 cents a pound. and
| you have charged me 10 cents for half
pound.
| The clerk explained that there are
no half cents customers are required to
pay the extra penny whenever prices can
not be divided into equal numbers.
You needn't tel me. | know all about
that rake-off scheme, but I'm not the
| woman to stand for il. III give my last
dollar any day. to help body out OF
trouble. but no store is going to make me
pay 10 cents for a half pound OF cahdy
that is ony worth 912 cents. Here, you
take this bag back and weigh me out a
good 10 cents worth .
The clerk weighed out another halt
pound of the mint creams, and the wom-
an took the bag with the air of one who
has fought good fight and conquered
1T isn't the extra cent l mind, she ex-
planned as she left the counter. ii ttle
principle of the thing | said wouidn I I
pay 10 cents for a haf pound OF l3-ceh'
candy. and | didn't.
But she did
Two tiny children were playing in the
loaf blown triangle at Pennsyl ylvania ave-
nue. and 18th street. The elder, illera ~
a little boy blue, with anchors empfo'o-
cred on his navy cap and coiiar. Man
racing around in the basin OF the tountalii
from which the water had been Drawn,
while the other child, in scarlet coat ana
white frock was admiring him from the
brim. An old nurse. brown and sunbeamS'
guarded them from bench
And as the boy raced and the g1ri-chlid
watched, and the mammy-nurse beamed'
a spinster-iooking person came along tie
path that circied the fountain. MAYBE
she was not quite as hateful as those SIN
gle sisters in the fairy tales that all kno"
Having fine time, little boy!
He stopped at once in his greatness
rush to enlighten the spinster persos
I'm not a little boy. I'm gweat Dig
fish swimmn' in wiver.' ...,,,.
deep. too isn't it? Can the little siii
SWIM"
..sne amt a little girl. She's wed bird;
She flies awound in the twees- She would
dwown in the wiver-
While this statement was in process the
it'll, girl jumped up from the FOUNTAIN
brim, stretched out her scarlet-coated
arms and ran to a tree. She was showing
how a red bird could fly.
The boy in the basin continued his state
ment of facts:
shes got a nest full of eggs up in
that tree, an I'm goin to climb up ana
get 'enl--'
This awful threat sent the little girl
CRYING to the nurses mOtherly arms, ana
from this Gibralter of love and protection
she fairly shrelled back:
You shant have my eggs. He shant
have my eggs. nanny, shall he?
''Cose he amt gwine tech dem alss,
after you done take de time an de trouble
to build yohsaf a nes an hatch EN-. Don
you mine him. honey chile. nanny ain
slwine let MIN tech dem aigs-'
But the boy was in dreadful earnest, and
his legs were straddling over the fountain
rim when the spinster person saved the
situation.
You are a fish. You can't climb trees" "
This was sensible reminder, and the
bay drew his legs back.
'FeeSh dies on Lam seconded the nurse,
with telling effect, an sides dat man
gwintter come tippin' long bimeby an put
you in basket an fotch you home an
fry you-dat's what
This awful possibility must have con-
vinced the boy of the folly of fins. for
he jumped out on the path and began to
wriggle on his hands and knees.
I'm snake. I'm goin' to crawl up
the twee an suck all the eggs up
The tiny girl flew into a paroxyism of
rage. and the old nurse soothed her with
a tenderness that was beautiful.
"Nemmine. honey chile, dat ole snake
amt gwine tech dem aigs.. A man
swinter come tippin along bimeby an hit
fence rail till sundown''
Besides. there are no eggs in the nest.
anyhow. said the spinster person They
were Matched out way last spring, and
now they are beautiful birds
"They'se my wed BIRDS sang out the
little girl. Il want 'em. Where's my wed
birds. mammy?''
II killed EN- wiv gun" announced the
boy.
The little girl flung herself into the black
arms and walled.
''Shuh! don't you mine him. honey chile
He amt never had nair gun. He don't
take care: a man gwinter come tippin'
long bimeby an cahy him away for tell
in stories. Dem red birds is flynn all
roun' de park. Look, yander, at dat big
one sittin' down on dem bush branches
Run along, chillen, an which cotches
him fus.''
down the path the nanny nurse chuckled
and beamed. while the spinster person
But who cares to know about spinster
persons.
Two women young enough to have
birthdays" were going along street
when one called the others attention to
a man who had just entered a saloon.
See the look of hope on that mans
face? He's coming out presently with
an expression of joy fulfilled. I know.
because I've kept tab. My husband says
l ought to be spanked. but I'm wild to
go through one Of those shutter doors.
OF course, | know there's just a counter
inside. and a man behind it, and a lot of
bottles and keg of beer, and I shouldn't
want thing but zee cream soda; but it
just rasDs my nerves to have my hus-
band do things that I'm not allowed
TO-
Il know just how you feel interrupted
the other in a voice of tenderest SYM
pathy. I'm the same way about my
husbands clothes. I should hate to have
to keep on wearing the horrid things.
but If I could put on Johns suit once
and wear it down town as he does I
should be perfectly happy. It's such a
satisfaction to know things for your own
self. don't you think so?"
''Of course. Any woman would feel
that way Maybe it's the o'd Father
Adam in u.s.
Maybe. again, it was old Mother Eve.
She was forlOrn, care-dragged wom-
an, and her voice was sob-choked as she
talked to old man whom she had halt
ed on the street
Seems to me, doctor, that when they
put man to work in the penitentiary
they ought to give the money to his lit
tie children. instead of letting them run
wild and hungry on the street. Can't
you give me some sort of medicine that
will strengthen me up sos 1 can earn
little something?"
| A person who was nassing failed to
foverhear the doctors answer to this an
! peal. but he put his hand on her shoulder
And that was n good sign.
MISSIONARIES MAY WHISTLE.