Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-25
AROUND THE CITY

A young motorman was whizzing his car
toward the Capitol yesterday AFTERNOON.
From the awning above his head dangied
spike Of golden.rod.
THAT chap must be fresh from the coun-
try" observed an oldish man to the faded
woman beside him. Funny. how weed
like that will start you thinking! Remem-
Der that meadow the other side old Car
ter's swamp, with the hog-weed rum
ming wild over It. and how we uster-
I'D like to know why you can't call 1t
golden-rod, same as everybody else?"
Because it's hog-weed. That's why.
Say, MON, don't you know those fool
Browns have come home from the country
with every last one OF 'em broke out with
poison oak?"
"You don't say! And-Jim, mind the
time Of the picnic. when tore my frock
getting over them meadow rails?"
The frock must have recalled a memory
Of youthful sparkling. for the oldish man
chuckled, and the faded woman's voice rip
pied into an almost fiirtatious giggle.
And a passenger behind. who was listen
ing, wondered whether that meadow the
other side of old Carriers swamp was as
beautiful as a cool spr'-'g she knew about,
set in golden-rod. with big trees over
.Motorman's got girl. all right. See
the golden-rod she's give him?'
This deduction was made by an astute
young man who doubtless had experiences
to go by. His companion. Just a trifie
younger. and therefore great deal wiser,
nodded assent:
''Uh-huh! Say, did l show you that post
card LII sent me from Atlantic City? It's
a peach!"
suddenness that implied his right to be
considered when LIS favors were being
passed around.
Let's look!'
The youngest young man fumbled In his
pockets and then remarked with maddening
nonchalance that he must have left the card
in his other coat.
''Your other coat!
That was every word the astute one said.
The expression on the others race told
the rest of the story. There was no other
you're the limit" wen. on the astu.e
one You didn't get any post card from
LII, sonny. You may think you old. put
YOU didn't"
The foolish, happy youngsters. Lord love
them, forgot all about the motorman and
his posy. but the oldish man and the faded
woman kept I'D their "reminiscences of days
that were beautiful because they were
gone.
And the passenger who listened looked
straight away at the torn-up streets and
saw a cool spring set In solden-rod, with
big trees overshado wing. and an old gray
stone with a gourd on It,
A cat was taking comfort in a shady spot
on a pavement. Many people passed. but
only one person stopped to exchange the
compliments of the day. He was a we'll
no lonely old maid in all Washington could
have stroked cats back more tenderiy
or talk to it in such whimsically coaxIns
tone.
gone on. two young women who were STROLL
ing behind handled the incident this way
"Ain't that Teller silly? l wouldn hve
in the same house with man VINO was
mushy over cats and dogs"
me neither julie. Fine lookin'. too. amt
he?"
And the man who can never hope TO i've
in the same house with two gum-chewing
Young women in badly Numbered white
frocks and grimy duck shoes swung along
ga!ly. without dreaming OF what he had
missed.
A woman sat In a hotel parlor the other
evening at dusk.
Another woman who was apparently wait
ing for some one walked listlessly up and
down the big. silent room-then stood at
a window to look out at the gray twilight
starred with electric lights-then went to
a piano and played, in sort or unoertone,
snatches of fashioned tunes.
While she played. an elderly, prosperous
looking man, who was passing down the
corridor, peeped in, listened to a few bars
of Nellie Gray" and then crossed the
threshold With him was a youngish
woman a bit over-dressed who waited a
second or two and then, with a con-
temptuous shrug and grilnace. slipped her
hand under his arm and pulled him to-
ward the door. The man smiled and fol-
lowed.
The woman at the piano drifted into
"Ialy Dale" and then into THE Hazel
Der'-and then into THE Old Folks at
Home"
The elderly man must have heard the
old songs from the outside, fol- at the
first chords Of Home, Sweet Home" he
was back in the parlor-alone.
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