Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31
TORCHY AND THE PRO-


- of one of these 14th-st. jiggle pic
ture joints here the other day at
lunch hour, of course l chases over and
pushes in. didn't know whether it was
a riot call or what, until finds out they're
just putin on new Jeffries- Johnson
film-not real fight roll, but trainin
stunt scenes. With the way the towns
worked up over this Nevada meet,
though, that's enough to draw a mob,
and before l got damned solid l starts
workin my way out.
Maybe II was usin my elbows some
vigorous, when the first thing | knew
some one remarks real pettish, Il say.
now, what do you think you're doing?"
"Me?" says |. How foolish! Why,
don't you see I'm mixin' peanut butter
and Portland cement to make sandwiches
for the steam roller man? Have bite?"
And by twistin around l gets a fair
look at this sensitive party who don't like
my way of openin' path. The sight
amt one to make me shrivel up, either.
Why, he's nothin but a kid, little longer
in the legs than me; but not over sixteen,
anyway. And it couldn't be he was
afraid of havin' his clothes mussed; for
he's sportin more mud stains and wrinkles
than you'd see anywhere except on some
of the park bench tourists. But he seems
grouchy about gettin little shoulder
bunch; so bumps him again for luck.
See here!" he snaps out. who are
you shoving?"
why" says I. II thought it might
be young Grand Duke, or the new Prince
of Wales. Excuse me if l Didn't read your
palm right"
Humph!" says he, real scornful.
"Mucker!"
How rude of you, Claude!" says I.
"Mucker eh? Now what college boy did
you get that from? Better take look
in the gum machine mirror and see who's
calm other folks mucker."
He f1ushes up at that, and when three
or four men give him the laugh and
begin to guy him, he gets so wild he
almost cries. Course, wa mt lookin' for
any noon hour mix-up in place like
that, specially over nothin' at all; so I
keeps slidin' out with my best grin on,
and as soon as I'm clear l beats it to-
wards the dairy lunch.
TN just turnin' in there too, when sees
I this scrappy party right behind.
"Oh, WELL" says /, IF you feel as bad a
that, let's 60 hunt up an alley and have il
II don't care to fight you," says he
"Then don't. Nobody's insistin'," says
the chaser"
Il wanted to say" he goes on, THAT I'r
my temper and called you mucker. l.
pardon"
"Eh?" says l. Honest, 1 wa mt expect
that kind, specially from young party W
a pair of bum tennis shoes on his feet, and "
bands under his finger nails. has to stand
him for minute before l can come bacl
don't take it so hard. l admit might ha
the gangway act some rough. So we'll c.
sheet and match to see who pays for the coh
II would if had any money" says
haven't a cent left"
Then I'm stuck says l. IF it's a
maxim a meal touch, it wins out. I'll star
witch and hunk of pie. Come on in"
Blamed if he don't hang back some, eve
so it's cinch he amt any regular panhanc
new system. And he's there with the hun
though he does hesitate little after the
What's the matter?" says I. did
musty one?"
"Oh, no, suppose it's all right" says
lid curiously, "only was wondering what
this was"
Say, don't you recognize your old frie
ladys Standby" says l. Its saltpet
corned beef, of course"
oh" says he. I've heard of that"