Evening star., 1907-05-05
AROUND THE CITY

A crowd swarmed about the base of the
Rochamoeau statue Friday afternoon
clerks from the State Department on their
way nome crossed over to see what was
gong on: nurses brought their go-carts and
babies from the park; newsboys Siarted up
from every direction. and vehicles blocked
the street. OF the fringe Of women staring
over from the opposite curb only one
seemed to know what had happened. She
was a pleasant-faced woman with a SYM
pathetic voice. and she carried a branch
Of doswood blossoms
1 heard somebody say man had fallen
OH car, and they have sent for an ambu-
lance
wonder what makes men so careless"
observed a woman with a shopping bag on
her wrist You hardly ever hear of a
woman getting hurt on the street. Women
look where they are going. but a man
skips OF moving car or jumps in front of
automobiles"
Poor fellow exclaimed the dogwood
jured-"
And the first thing he knows he's at the
an with the bag N-
suppose 1t s because women are more
INN ,lnid than men are. and for that reason
dame who used her umbrella for a cane.
II isn't timidity; it's common sense" in
sisted the bag woman. Women keep their
WIS Wi.s ABOUT them. and the consequence is
tney never get hurt"
There comes the ambulance! Oh-isn't
see a thing
The ambulance door was opened and two
men pulled out stretcher covered with a
gray blanket, with a small pillow at the
head They displaced a couple of white
wing win employees who had stopped their street
cix Gre,t Ill
bricks i''''i ''e
1t was a woman.
A woman had crossed the tracks at New
YORK avenue and 14th street when a police
man overlook her to say that she had
aropped slip of paper. She expressed her
thanhs; laid the blame on the cheap c,aso
OF her handbag that was always coming
unoone, and upon Investigating found thai
sne had also dropped her purse.
piained, with the philosophy OF, a victim
whose loss is scarcely worth mentioning
need new purse, anyhow, and fortu-
na.eiy there was only a few cents In it"
Lar was quatah an free cah tickets,
boy. 1~A tie"S-
How do you know" flashed the officer
Ia. 1awss Dave picked it up>an' run away
Other boys, white and colored, had gath
cred about the officer, each looking up with
eager expectance to see what he would do
re WAS, was soldieriy looking young man. with
klndiy, humorous face, but his voice was
as hard as the tagging they stood on
You come by here later and I'll have
that purse for you. Dave is on this beat
and Will have to come back. I'll have him
locked up, lady. If you say So" -.
MY goodness me, no! He didn't steal
the thing He Just picked it up Besides,
IT'S the nearest ever in my life came to
being robbed, and 1 really enjoy the SEN
saton-"
When the woman had started down the
street and reached about Il third of the
boys, the one in the lead holding out the
purse He was a slim boy in knee pants.
and on his golden-brown face was a look
of virtue that fairly shone
iii. lady, got your purse for youv'
Il showed him whichaway you went,
lady. .yelped the small and very black boy
who had noted the contents of the purse SO
neatly.
"Ah-ah-ah said he-he bettah 9Th dat
la-la- lady huh-huh pus." suffered tiny
tad the size and color of a chocolate drop
That means that each of you are good
for nickel. doesn't it?' said the woman, /
are we going to get 1t changed?
The boy Of the shining virtue announced
that he could make the change. and while
he was picking nickels from handful of
coins the woman asked him how he man
aged to get the purse from Dave.
oh. got 1t easy enough, ! didn't have
Such modesty was worthy anybedy.s last
dime. The woman fished her purse out of
her handbag.
why. you are fine boy! What's your
name?"
Before he could reach out for the extend
ed ten cents the officer came up and laid
the hand of the law the youngsters
arm.
why did you pick up that lady's purse
and run away? Why didn't you report 1t
to me-"
His name was Dave.
One small boy at the circus was fired
with ambition he watched a trapeZe per-
the center ring. AS she hurled herself
from bar to bar. the boy clapped his hands
and cheered. When she paused after each
stupendous act to smile and kiss her hands
he took it as an exclusively personal salu-
tation, and waved his red fez In reply.
When the drum signaled the close of the
turn and she was crossing ladder. head
downward, he shouted out in shrill treble
that caught the attention of the audience
for ten solid yards around:
"Oh. grandma, don't you wish you was
up there!'
Maybe grandma did; and maybe grand
ma didn't.
A woman going along in the dusk of a
business street saw an oldish man standing
before a store window. He was tall.
thin man, with a students stoop to his
shoulders and the profile of a deep thinker.
AS he stood, motionless and with look
of absorbed contemplation, the woman,
knowing how slight a thing will recall old
days and old scenes. felt, without knowing,
that the man had seen some article in the
window that had set him to thinking Of the
past With the instructive sympathy that
one lonely soul always feels for another
she walked by quietly so as not to disturb