Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-21
AROUND THE CITY


other peoples affairs. And she pass
| ed through a swarm of laughing. play
| ing. scrapping youngsters on a corner.
she nagged out at the unfortunate man
| with her:
| why don't they make these boys go
| to the Fairgrounds, instead of letting
| them run wild in the streets. l told you
| it was foolishness raisin' all that money.
| anyhow-you THROWN away good
| dollar on a tag that wasn't worth a cent.
! Didn't l tell you so, huh?'
The unfortunate man knew enough to
keep quiet. and if the youngsters heard
they paid no heed.
They just kept on laughing and playing
and scrapping until. in a flash. they made
q simultaneous rush for the side door or
a newspaper office.
And in another flash they were sell
ing Taft extras.
AS the woman who knew so much put
it. they were running on the street.
But they were not running wild.
'"Transfers for u
The conductor SKINNED along the run
ming board of the car distributing green
slips.
A tiny boy reached out for one. but as
the young woman in charge of him shook
her head the conductor smiled and
SKINNED on.
men tne Tiny boy walled out.
He said he had transfers for me. NOM
mer, an then he wouldn' give EN- to me.
He's Massey, bad man. mommer!
And really and truly. you know. from
the tiny boys standpoint. he was.
Everything depends on the point of
view.
A car was whizzing along in the sun
shine. AS it passed the new Municipal
building man who was looking out In
rlI c,r6C ny1N- md
notice. His movement attracted the man
behind him and he also looked out and
took notice. Men are only sheep. what
ever finer things they may call them
building every last man in it was follow
ing the actions of the first one. They
We're looking out and taking notice.
Then a woman who likes to know things
looked over at the building to see what
could have attracted the men-oh, we'll.
maybe women are sheep. too.
1t was just spiral Of silvery smoke
putting from the roof up. up, up into the
true-bue sky. but
Where there's smoke there must be fire.
and a fire in the new Municipal building
meant that elevators had started and that
the city government was moving in.
And while the men exchanged gratifed
comments over the beginning of the build
ing's career. as signaliZed by its first fire.
the wOman-being woman, as we'll as a
sheep-sat there and wondered where she
and her fellow-passengers would be on
that way-off but overcoming some day
when the government would move out of
the time-eaten building and its last fire
would burn low.
1t was raining and the car was sopping
wet. Most of the passengers stood. but
there are always exceptions.
One big pink man with a snowy beard
defed rheumatism and wet cloth by
Pumping himself down on one of the
drippy seats. His presume BILE wife. with
a laughing explanation that she was
tired. seated herself in his lap And when
the conductor came along to collect fares
she inquired, with the earnestnesS of one
who seeks knowledge:
DO l have to pay extra for a reserved
seat?'
The conductor spoke no words that
could go resounding down the corridors
of time. He just grinned, and the pas
sengers grinned with him.
A little wet hen of a woman on the
same car said to another little wet hen
OF a woman:
Look how soaking wet Martin Luther
is, 1 think he ought to be protected
from storms. don't your
Hes protected. all right" explained
the other little wet hen. who evidently
knew a thing or two. Don't you see
he's got on raincoat?"
Which was one name for the ecclesiastic
raiment worn by the bronze statue that
guards Luther Memorial Church.
An old bay horse hitched to a country
wagon was pOking along 9TH street. Over
its long head was draped a cover of
white net to protect it from the flies.
1t seemed simple and comfortable ar
rangement, and nobody paid any atten-
ton until a ragtag boy yelled out:
Catch onto the bride!''
Somebody chuckled. Another somebody
whistled out: mo Wedding Bells for
Her" Then many somebodies-and more
nobodies-stopped TO stare "a the white net
fiuttering in the sunshine and one young
woman who must have been overweight
ed with problematic material said to the
man with her:
That's an awful heavy wagon for that
old horse to pull. 1t doesn't seem fair.
anyhow. for animals to have to work and
suffer in this world unless there's a re-
ward of some sort for them in the next.
Where do you really and truly suppose.
John. that horses go 10 when they die?"
John must have been happily free from
doubt. for he answered in two words:
Glue factories"
And while the man was settling his
fate for him. the old bay horse poked
serenely along inpervious alike to SYM
pathy, ridicule or flies.