Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-07

| licking II you soil it," said the janitor.
NO. papa, our feet are clean," replied
the son.
My feet are clean.'' said the care
witch. He noticed on the wall the picture
| of the car. cut out Of a newspaper, point
ed at it with his finger. and shouted:
That's my fathers picture. Where
did you get t?"
mo. That's the picture of the car"
grunted Petka- Hes not your father"
| The bearded janitor pondered. The idea
| flashed through his mind that Semen
Petrovitch. a tenant who was a journal
ist and writer, might be interested to
the son of a palace employe. some ques-
tons. and he hurried upstairs to invite
him to come to his room.
Difference in Diet.
In the meantime Petka was busy max
ing the sandwiches.
What do you like to eat best? l am
fond of sandwiches with jam. Do you
like the blackberry JAM" asked Petka.
Il suppose the blackberry jam is fine.
But l have never tasted it. l eat orange
| jelly. pineapple jelly, matted milk and
such things
"Oh, raspberry jam is fine, but we
don't have it. l never heard Of orange
| jelly. The best things that I've eaten
are gingerbread and raspberry JAM Vol
they are tine!'
| The janitor and the journalist returned
Petka was ready with the sandwiches
| and began to wrap them in an old news
| paper. The journalist began to talk with
| the czarevitch. IA.
''Allodia.' he said. what is the occu-
| patton of your father? I mean, what
does he do at the palace"
The czarevitch looked at the curious
! stranger timidly and replied:
| Il don't know. He writes, talks with
| mamma, with me and the strangers, then
| he eats, then he plays with me and with
my sisters, and then he walks. That's
| all his occupation"
We'll, he must be a clerk of the pal
ace the journalist said to. the janitor
Turning to the boy, he continued: lis
your papa now homer"
Yes. he's home. l suppose he plays
! cards with lila Markovitch; maybe he
writes a letter to the aunt Aunt Mary
| is the best of all my aunts. She brings
me all sorts of toys"
Don't Like His Grandmother.
Have you grandmamma, and is she
nice to your the journalist continued.
Ugh. l don't like her. She neve.
smiles. She just sits and scolds papa and
mamma. Oh, my mamma weeps. and the
| papa is sad. too
But about the car and czarina? Do
they live in your house?"
The car and czarina?" repeated the
youngster. pursuing up his small lips.
There are no such people living in our
house. There live just papa and mamma,
! Olga and my other sisters, and lots of
people whom l don't know
The janitor was somewhat angered by
comparisons the youngster made be-
tween the ikons (holy pictures) in has
house and those in the palace. Once he
told the little visitor to mind what he
was saying, he would be thrown out
A little later, becoming more interested
he asked the boy to bring his father
down that they might share a bottle of
vodka. The young visitor said he would
vodka.
In the midst Of the questioning the
czarevitch became impatient and de-
manded that Petka and Gogo hurry to be
away for the seashore.
we are all ready" they answered.
We have good shoes. sandwiches, and
we can walk ten miles"
The three boys then set out along the
snowy road toward st. Petersburg. stop
ping at shop to buy candy as they
went They had only gone four blocks
when a sleigh carrying palace officials
overhauled them and they were made
captives.
The czarevitch was thrown into At
of temper by the order to get into the
sleigh. He declared he wanted to be a
sailor like Peter the Great, and did not
want to stay in the palace and the park.
The janitor, when he learned from his
son who had been visiting him, was over
come.
What a fool l was to talk so to him.
he muttered. My tongue has put me in
fix.
He had reference especially to his in
vitation- that the boys father come down
to drink vodka with him.