Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-21
BOBBY AND GERMAN BAND.

He was just tall. quiet-looklng boy.
with serious expression and solemn brown
eyes. When he first moved on 9th street
the boys misunderstood him and thought
him a girl-boy. They even went so far as
to call him Madam" and heap insults
upon ms hat and bicycle. Whereupon Rob-
ert Colvin whipped them all in turn in such
a neat, gentlemanly manner that thew
called him Bobby and ind erstood him per
fectly. a few went far as to call him
Gentleman Bob but the boy did not OBJ
jeCt to that
He was very generous and in his quiet
way. he was ever found the side of the
smaller or weaker boys.
he was most obliging to the mothers Of
the neighborhood and they held him IN to
their sons in manner to make them hate
a lesser favorite
Things began to happen on the block
soon after Bobby began to be a favorite
Life had a Zest never known before but
Bobby himself grew not a whit less serious
or gentlemanly.
Once the entire lot of boys were having
a SNOWFALL fight, and quite forgot in Their
eagerness that they were in front of Old
MIR. Jones' house. 1t was an undcrs God
thing among the children that Mr.. Jones
and his property must be respected. Mr.
Jones was a fearful old gent ieman He
had never really done anything nor had
he threatened. but he had looked. From
that moment the boys shivered at the
things Mr. Jones might do if he wanted
to. So now, when in the midst of the snow
battle the door opened and the Old man
appeared every mothers son of them grew
rigid in his tracks and waited for the blow
to fall.
So" Numbered the terrible old man. you
are getting neutrality-suspicious. are
Yes, SIR" Bobby answered, touching his
cap.
''Ha.' roared Mr. Jones. ARE you going
to-shovel it off-or leave 1t it is?'
II IL iIal
pleasantly The boys felt certain now that
no escape was possible. The air grew cleo
trical while Mr.. Jones fixed his eyes on
Bobby with the look that had taken the
nerve out of the other boys.
Leave it it is?" screamed the old gen
tleman
Yes, sir. Come on. boys!' and Bobby
led his awe-struck hosts on to new fields. 1t
was reported afterward by Miss Jennings,
who lived opposite and always sat at the
window. that MIR Jones went into TIE YES
Thule and doubled up with laughter when
Bobbys army was well out of sight. But
the boys never believed that: they simply
, adored Bobby the more and c.ung to his
hee.s, feeling sure Of fun and safety when
to the band episode which made Bobby
famous and at the same time further
proved his resources.
Pretty Miss Betty Lands loved to have
the boys sit on her piazza. When the sum-
mer came they met there every evening
and told stories. sung songs and adored
Miss Betty. Bobby fell under her charm
at once. and although she was twenty and
he ten, he saw no reason why he and dear
Miss Betty should not marry some day
and be perfectly happy. Miss Betty saw
eae~,reason why either'-at present-'so
Bobby was her slave.
zone summer eveninS-it was the summer
after the snow battle-and. By the way Mr..
Jones was quite friendly with the boys
now-all the boys were sitting on NJ IS
Bettys piazza having a delightful time
when along came a street band. stationed
itself in front of the houee. and began to
play.
"Oh. dear!' sighed pretty Miss Betty,
covering her ears; now the torment has
begun. That hideous band comes around
about twice week all summer and it near
Shall 1 ask them to go away" said
ASK them" laughed Billy Waters. you
can't drive them off. We've asked them MIL
Hons Of times"
'Then we'll try something else.'' Bobby
smilingly nodded. And somehow every one
on the piazza felt that the band was having
its last undisturbed roar.
About a week later the band presented
itself again near Miss Betty's house. The
boys were Just through their evening meal
and were hanging about waiting until 1t
was time to go to Miss Betty's house. With
the first roar Of the trumpet Bobby and his
satellites disappeared. but were upon the
scene again In minute To the surprise
of the band leader they formed semi
circle about the band and gazed as If their
souls were stirred deeply. Each boy had a
lemon. and as he stared he sucked his
lemon calmly, but with noise of increas-
ing delight. Soon the band began to have
sensations Their mouths grew moist and
aching their Instruments grew foggy: still
the boys kept on sucking those lemons.
Go away screamed the bandmaster at
last feeling that in some way the discom-
fort was due to the boys and the lemons.
Go away, you little scamp
People do not always go away when
ske d Rnhby reDltpd. taking his
lemon from his mouth for the purpose; then
he replaced 1t with renewed vigor. and the
leader almost jumped. his mouth was act
ing so queerly. Presently the moist must
clans took themselves and their mouths
further down the block. the lemon brigade
following Again the musicale was begun:
again 1t ended In puckered mouths Then
the men grew furious and said things In
broken German They said all sorts OF
things. but the boys continued sucking the |
lemons At last, in sheer dismay, the out
witted Germans tucked their instruments
under their arms and made rapid retreat |
Then Bobby came from behind his lemon
and shouted the speech which made him
famous
give us serenads we'll give you a
lemonade every time, and don't you for
get it!''
wistfully at Bobby:
'.Oh. YOU dear Bobby. how do wish that
YOU had been born ten years earlier or l
ten wears later-you are such fun!'
But Bobby never could make Miss Betty
explain what she meant by that strange
remark.