Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-31
AROUND THE CITY

Two men were crouching in the darkening
shadows of Washington Circle. Electric
| lights starred the gray dusk outside and
radiated beams of silvery yellow over the
grass; but the men kept out of the beams.
They were so concealed in an extra big
black patch of murkiness made by the foun-
tain that two pretty girls and their chap
erone who were cutting through the circle
on their way to church did not see them
| until one of the men reached an arm out
of the black patch into a splash of silvery
yellow. His hand could be plainly seen as
it stole over the ground.
They are white so it can't be craps!"
the chaperone gasped, after she had sour
ried her charges to the safety of the streets
Il don't want to misjudge anybody, but,
girls. I'm afraid those men up to mis-
chief. Maybe they'll be gone by the time
we get back.
But the men were not gone by the time the
three women got back. They were still
crouched in the dark, that had deepened
until the grass and bushes and one side of
the fountain were smothered under sable
blanket, picked out here and there with the
silvery yellow beams. They had even been
reinforced by boy, who was recklessly
crawling near the outer rim of the circle,
with every inch of him shown up by the
light. One hand stretching over the
grass and the other held a can.
What are you doing, SOM inquired the
chaperone from the safety of the outside
bricks.
Son answered with the affable sponta-
neousness of his kind when judiciously
handled.
We're getting bait for catfish The grass
is full of angleworms tonight
He illustrated his assertion by picking up
a red.brown wriggle and dropping it into
the can Then he smiled at the chaperone
and went on with his hunting.
The chaperone smiled her relief and went
on with her pretty girls.
Nobody seemed inclined to waste sympa-
thy on the catfish.
Worms don't count.
Two women were walking along the H
street side of Lafayette Park. The one
with alert step wore mourning, while
| the other, long. dawdling sort of person,
| meerschaum brown. They must have been
| comrades. tried out in the long test of
| everyday friendship, for they talked and
| laughed together with a Zest that only boon
companions may know.
AS they were passing the giant elm at
the corner of the park the alert woman
stopped, picked up a match, struck it
against the bricks and then Strengthened
up and stepped on it to crush out the
blaze.
Poor Sophie tread on a match and was
burned to DEATH" she remarked the two
resumed their walk.
implied that Sophie had lived around the
corner and had been buried within the
week.
sophie who?" inquired the pipestem
woman.
why. the Grand Duchess of Austria.
forget the date, but it was some time in
the hoopskirt era of the early sixties"
You certainly are one refreshing woman,
Sallie Blank Nobody but you would have
given a thought to that match-or to the
poor grand duchess. Never mind, honey.
the day is coming when you are going to
shed those black togs and be shining an
gel with wings"
The alert woman interrupted the eulogy
with a laugh, a comfortable little laugh
that implied that the black toys were all
right and that she was pretty we'll salts
turned the corner and the person who was
following kept straight on.
To walk the entire length of the park
behind two women and to overhear no. crit
icisms no self-praise, no gossip of neigh
bors, no scandal, no complaints, no talk of
dress, murder trial, servants, society or
man and to have practical evidence of the
consideration of the one and loving appre-
citation of the other, is not, perhaps, an ex-
citing experience, but
Honestly, isn't it rather an unusual one?
A stylish woman stopped to speak to a
colored woman of the "aunty" type:
"Why, Kate, what are you doing in
black?''
III III illOulil lOH HAL uuSDlu MISS
Ann"
SO, you've lost your husband poor
thing"
"Yes'm. he done tuck hissef off wiz a
yaller gall
why, that's bad, and you such good
wife, too"
"Yes'm, bin right steddy wife. to dat
ole man, Miss Ann, honey. 1 done riz him
ten head of chin, an dey amt nary one
on em bin in de chain gang yit."
She announced it with the pride OF one
who has established a record.
And when you think of the poverty, self
sacrifice, suffering and hard work involved
in the rizzing of ten head of decent chill
dren. handicapped by worthless father, it
looks like Kate ought to be entitled to
some of the honors SO completely absorbed
by the lady who mothered the Gracchi.
A tired-looking little woman sat on
bench in a park. A dapper young man
passed her. stopped and returned to ask in
sinuatingly:
May have half Of this bench?"
Eyes, sir. You may have it all"
And the tired-looking little woman got up
politely and walked of.