Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-08
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AROUND THE CITY

place was the Office of car barn, with a
nice-voiced clerk behind the lattice, ana
the line was a blue streak of conductors,
who darted in to shove cash and trans
fers under slit and then darted out
again for their individual runs Eacn
man had his account ready and the
exactness of each transaction would nave
proved a beneficial lesson for the oc-
casional fractions passenger who resents
a conductors persistency in refusing,
say, an overtime transfer for fare.
At one time the line broke long enough
for the woman to take her place before
the window. She, had left her umbrella
in q car the day before, and wanted to
know If it had been turned in. The clerk
asked for a description. The woman
started out confidently with the state
ment that it had a wood handle, then
her information took an apologize turn:
I'm not very well acquainted with
that umbrella. 1t wasn't mine
The clerk smiled, as If he understood.
The woman didn't seem to like the cut
of the smile:
Il mean, 1t was loaned to me by a
friend after 1 had left mine at Saliie
house l am most sure it was gloria,
and now 1 think of 1t. there was no furl
band, and you had to raise 1t with
jerk. If you happen to have found an
umbrella yesterday ! can tell you if it
is the one / lost
The clerk must have considered this
good idea, for he went to corner and
brought back eight umbrellas tied in a
sheaf. The stray gloria was not among
them. Then he went over to another
corner and brought back ten umbrellas
tied in sheaf. Eighteen umbrellas. All
chance, with handsome handles. There
wasn't a wood stick gloria in the lot
The woman apparently accepted her dis
appointment with the philosophy all dis
play when the loss is some ones else.
Her interest became centered in the
knobs of gold and silver and ivory and
metal-traced pearl
How long have you been making your
collection"
The nice-voiced clerk smiled at the
question.
How long? Why, todays. Sometimes
we get as many as tWenty-one. 1t all
depends on the weather. People start out
in the rain and II 1t clears they leave
their umbrellas on the cars or wherever
they happen to be-"
And men are as careless as women, :
commented the woman with an eye to the
bossy frames and handles that could
serve as canes. The clerk must have
been of the opinion that carelessness
knows no sex. for he kept on smiling.
I'm sorry you cannot find your UNI
brella.' he said kindly
"Oh. that's all right She needed a
new one anyhow. What will become OF
all these me ones II they are not
claimed?"
The clerk was ready with his answer
when a new batch of conductors blue
streaked in and the woman moved aside.
And as she did it she said by way OF
parting:
You may keep on calling this a car
barn If you like, but for me 1t Will al
ways be the place of lost umbrellas
An ancient black man was dragging a
stiff foot along a park-shaded street.
AS he reached tree whose leaves were
falling in crusty brown showers ne
paused, apparently to ruminate, for as
woman who was approaching was
privilege of his age and race:
Lady, don't dis sign read Keep on
de grass?"
The woman looked at the board near
the tree and admitted that 1t did.
"Yas'm. An de sign over de breedges
say: Keep tody right, an walk yo' horses
over de breedge'-ain't dat fac'?'
The woman confirmed his statement.
"Suttinly. And de sign on de men S
Ian in de kentry says 'No-trapesin', an
de ones you see long de tracks say Look
out fob de cyahs-yas'm. An de signs
whar dey's buldin' says No addermis-
sion,' an dem leetle guards stuck on dc
'ficted mans hat, allowin' he amt no
nlppieCFIt, uOHe say 1ltdSc lie - uS DliIlc.
1 don't know nair letter in a book, but
reads NAH titles cl'ar, like de Bible
done tell US all to do-whuffo, was stan
min heah studdyin' bout dis heah sign
bode. l mex out dat de guvment Kin
mex folks keep off'n de grass, but 1t
amt got no holt on Gawd. Eff was
to tip fun desc bricks to dat gravelly
paff yander, I'd get TUX up an jailed
but de guvment can't keep de leaves
off de grass, case sGawd. let's EN- drap
:, ;v,tt 60 - loAH Anb fry fpor-
mo, the guvmept has'stc hiah cuilod
man to sweep de leaves off'n de grass,
an dat's de good Fathers way er takin'
care of He's poor-yas m"
There didn't seem to be peg 10 hang
an argument on, SO the woman limited
herself to sympathetic words and an air
of earnest listening. The ancient man
voice became touchingly crafty:
"Ahm JUS out of the hawspital wiz
a misery in NAH laig-dats why Ah'm
Nah ole 'ooman lows she kin keep me
in hog meat, but she amt got nair cop
per fob t'bacca-an' I suttiniy do miss
nah smoke-I suttinly do. Lawsy me.
twis t'bacca l could smoke. yeah in
an out. on a little patch / had down
yander In old Mehaln'. Gawd bless her.
Why, yas'm. was bawn. and riz in
Mehlan'. Now, amt dat Gurus? All
know'd you was a Mehlan' lady. honey.
de minute l sot eyes on you--de amt
no body like US. chile. in de Wholer
Gawd worp. Thanky. honey thanky.
Ah'm gwine git me a Dagger tbacca an
a leetle dram too huhhuh-I alters trusses
In de Lawd, honey, an reads my title
clar-'
And his touched compatriot went Off
feeling that he was also rather good at
reading faces.
The rain staggered down, as if it were
made of something stronger than water,
and the wind gave rollickinS promise OF
not going home until morning-if then.
A woman was making the best of the
storm in q dress that had to be clutched
up to keep 1t from stopping along the
bricks and an umbrella that plainly con-
sidered itself an airship and tried to act
woman's umbrella arm were two bundles
and magazine.
AS neither hand was free and as she
seemed in hurry, it was rather selfish
in another Woman-short-skirted rain
roated and with an umbrella not above
it's business-to ask:
Pardon me, but have you the timer
The skirt Topped down in the wet. The
bundles were shifted to the other arm.
The umbrella scared to the left long
enough for it's owners face to get
drenched The woman fumbled under
her coat
Quarter past 2" she said. in voice
that tried its hardest to be polite.
so late as that? / wonder II your
watch isn't bit fast? / looked at mine
just before starting and it was barely
= and l haven't been out ten minutes.
I'm sure"
I'm rather proud of the accuracy OF
my watch" claimed it's owner, as she
reclutched her sloppierthan-eyer skirt