Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-23

her good looks left, you'll have her framed up.
pair of seedy thoroughbreds they was, seedy
| and down and out
was wonderin' if they still INDUCED in them
lively family debates, and how soon d have to
begin dodgin' dishes; but they sits down across
the table from me and hardly swaps a word.
All notices is the scornful way Lizzie asks if
they II have soup, and the tremble to Bob Cath
| aways hand as he lifts his water tumbler.
AS there was only US three in the room, and
| as none of us seemed to have anything to say,
| it wan what you might call boisterous
| semblage. While was waitin' for dessert put
| in the time gain around at the scenery, from
the moldy pickle jars at either end of the table,
over to the walnut sideboard where they kept
| the plated cake basket and the ketchup bottles,
across to the framed fruit piece that had seen so
| many hard fly seasons, and up to the smoky
| ceilin looked everywhere except at the pair
opposite
Lizzie was balancin' the soup plates on her
left arm and singsongin' the bill of fare to
EN-. Col pork-col hanna -corn-beef- m cab
| bage," says she.
If Bob 'Cathaway didn't shudder at that, l
did for him. You may bring me-er-some of
| the latter" says he.
tested the canned peaches and then took
sneak. On one side of the front hall was the
hotel parlor, full of plush furniture and stuffed
birds. The office and bar was on the other. /
strolls in where half dozen Clam Checkers was
| sittin around big sawdust be. lndulgin' in
target practice; but after couple of shifts
| concludes that the breathin' air is all outside.
= lamp off the hall table and climbs up to
No. z. It's as warm and cheerful as an under
ground beer vault. Also / finds the window
nailed down. Huntin' for some one to fetch
me hammer was what sent me roamin'
through the hall and took me past No. IL,
where the door was part way open. And in
there with an oilstove to keep 'em from freezin,
see Mr.. and Mrs. Bob Cathaway sittin' at
little marble topped table. playin' double
dummy bridge. Say: do you know that hat, un mex,
proposition of theirs kind of got me in the short
ribs. And next thing l knew had my head in
the door.
For the love of Mike" says 1, chow do you
stand it,"
"Eh?" says Bob, droppin' his cards and
starin' at me- IL beg pardon?"
Well. with that steps in, tells him who l am,
and how I'd just had talk with Brother De-
Lancey. Do get the glad hand? Why, you'd
thought l was blooming he angel come
straight from the pearly gates Bob drags me
in, pushes me into the only rocker in the room,
shoves cigar box at me, and begins to haul
decanters from under the washstand. They
both asks questions at once. How is every
body, and who's married who and are so and
so still living together?
l reels off society gossip for an hour before
gets chance to do some pumpin on my own
hook What wants to know is why in blazes
tney re n1Q1n IN a mole ike Sldm Sleek.
Bob only shrugs his shoulders. Why not
here as well as anywhere?" says he When
you can't afford to live among your friends
why-you live in Clam Creek"
but two years of it," says 1. What do
you find to dor"
"Oh, we manage" says he, wavin' at the
double dummy outfit babe and l have our
little game. It's only for dime a point; but
it helps pass away the time. You see when
monthly allowance comes in we divide it
equally and take fresh start The winner has
the privilege of paying our bills.
How was that for excitement? And Bob
whispers to me, we starts out for little
walk before turnin in, Il generally fix it
Babe-er, Mrs. Cathaway-can win, you know"
From other little hints l gathers that their
stay in Clam Creek has done thing for EN-,
anyway 1t had put 'em wise to the great fact
that the best way for two parties to get along
together is to cut out the hammer music.
$50 you had a talk with DeLancey?" says
Bob on the way back. Il suppose he-er-
sent no message?"
1t had taken Bob Cathaway all this while to
work up to that question and he can't steady
down his voice as he puts it. And that quaver
tells me the whole story of how he's been hop
ing all along that Brother Delaney would
sometime or other get over his crouch. Which
puts it up to me to tell him what human ice
berg he's related to- Did 1? Honest, there's
times when l amt got much use for the truth
"Message?" says l. prompt and cheerful