Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-12
Around the CITY

There is a dignif1ed old house on Capt.
toll Hill and across from the house is a
vacant lot that calls itself an alley. The
house takes kindly to the open space,
because of the far glimpse it gives of a
white fence with trees on the other side
and above the trees a slice of sky that
f1ushes pink at sunset. A beaten path
by one wall curves around 1t out Of sight
to humble homes behind. and the old
house has pleasant knowledge OF the
honest folk who come and go. Some of
them are cOlored laborers, who are off
to their work in the gray of the winter
mornings; some are colored women for
ever Juggling baskets Of laundry, and the
rest are Scampering children
Which brings in Oscar.
Oscar had bundle of soiled clothing
which he had been toting to his NANNY
when Turing bank of snow against the
brick wall brought on q sudden and vto-
lent attack Of architecture. woman
| who was playing solitaire at a window Of
the house happened to notice Oscar
When she had lost four games, made her
self cup of tea, written q letter and
started for downtown she happened to
Oscar still on his job Being a spinster
OF the type that feels called on to mother
the universe regardless of color, sex or
age, the solitaire woman waded across
the slushy asphalt to order Oscar home.
But Oscar wouldn't be ordered He nre
ferred to EXPLAIN:
I'm making city This here is the
Union station. You don't have to pay to
ride In the cars. You can go anywhere
| for nothing This hotel is for white
people and this one is for colored peonle
| You can live in them for nothing an
have every thing to eat you can stuff
This here puddle d free bathing beach
and al these here is parks and play
grounds with bands. and-wait minute,
lady. l forgot to make peanut stand.
You don't have to pay for peanuts In my
city: nor candy. neither, nor soda
water
| The kiddie nodded his peanut stand out
| Of q dab Of muddy snow and the
woman. in sympathy with the glamour Of
make-believe that none Of us may carry
| beyond childhood expressed her apprecia-
| ton Of the altruistic outlay:
why. you've made the finest city in
the world! You don't have to pay for
| anything. do your"
'Yessum you do. You have to pay for
| your wash. Evybody has to pay extry
! for their wash
Oh, well-maybe tho millennium will
have its flaws.
A runaway horse was tearing down
9th street.
in chop sea. and the wheels were a
mere flash Of red as the team passed a
car.
To the passengers who could get a
glimpse the runaway had all the thrills
of Ben-Hur chariot race A man in
a front seat stood up and called off the
event with the gasping excitement Of
one who is on grandstand with big
money at stake:
The off wheels gonel There runs
somebody to head him off; missed him.
| There he goes, smash against the curb.
No. he didn't. Now he's ready to plunge
! into another team; blessed II he did /.
Look at the crowds! There he gallops on
| Then the grandstand man had to quit.
| for the horse was out Of sight.
| And the passengers looked at each other
; with eXhilarated eyes.
It's great to get something for nothing
| Two young men got in car One had
weak eyes, a high tWangy voice and cot
| ton in his ears. The other was more
wholesome, but nothing to brag of. The
| weakened one fumbled in his pocket dan
then said to tho other:
! i've got ticket somewhere in my
clothes-pay the con for me while I get
it, will your
| The other young man gave the con-
= ductor two tickets and then held out his
| hand for the fare his companion was to
pay back But the weak-eyed one ceased
funlbling to remark:
Now we are even. You owed me a
nickel"
"Owe you nothing! Where did you ever
have nickel to lend anybody?'
| The weak-eyed young man screwed his
race up into the expression that goes with
mental arithmetic. Then he started to
count with his fingers Then he an
nounced his date:
I -Four years ago next Labor day."
| me other young man looked as IL he
continued to have his doubts but what
could he do I'm the face of the adage that
| figures cannot lie?
| She was an old, old lady who had the
| appearance of owning brocades and
| handed-down lace, and she was crossing
! an asphalt that was free from cars,
| teams or frisky young persons on skates
/ she walked with the slow, wavery step
| OF age and talked sociably to herself, as
Is the way of lonely people who live In
| their dear past.
And as she pegged along with her cane
| a gentle but decisive touch on her
shoulder shocked her into the fact that
she was standing in front of a horse that
had Just turned in from a side crossing
with his coal cart and sleepy driver. The
old lady scuttled, panic stricken, out of
the way. and the horse logged on.
He was lean old horse of the pallid
gray that death rides. and he had tired
legs and a long, drOopy head. Maybe he
considered it too much exertion to run
down even small old person with d
cane Maybe, again, the gentle shove
| was an act Of kindly intelligence.
There's heaps more going on among