The Washington bee., 1911-08-05
Public Men And Thinps
(By the Sage of the Potomsc-)

have tried to look almond-eyed, anC
Iimitate the Egyptian beauties of mu
raj decorations. Now the ''baby
stare" is the proper thing with mi
lady" Now, speaking about this ey'
business brings me to that little fel
! low who affects a Prince Albert coat
every day and Sunday too, and who
moves around the bailiwick of the
Police Court with head bowed like
one smiling for the odors of Cologne
! that's Clinkscale, a possible success
at law. Now "Clink" CHATS the way
they used to call him down in Ole
Nlrginny before he metamorphosed
into lawyer and special brief writ
err has pair of eyes that usually
work at cross purposes. They sell
dom appear as if they are both To-
cusSed on the same object at the
same time. However, when a green
bit of paper of any denomination,
bearing the autograph of w. T. Yer
non, futters in the air, Clink man
ages to focus both of his disturbed
Orbs upon it at the same time, and
if it is rendered him he reaches for
1t wildly. Clinkscale is a peculiar
compound of docility, irascibility and
patience. He can stand at Sixth and
Louisiana avenue for hours watching
the appearance of a possible unkempt
client, and at the same time keep one
of his eyes peeled down Louisiana
avenue in the direction of a certain
square room where they give away
a large glass of water with the pur-
chase of a small glass of "Oh-be-
joyful" When he arises to address
the Court, beginning with You
Honnah," he never says Your" he
fumbles around impatiently for words
and ideas, but usually finds both. l
believe it was old Seneca who first
said some men look their part, and
some mems look belle their part"
Now ClinkScale never looks his part,
unless you think his part is that of
a fellow "snoopin" around for a
handout. He does belle his part if
you give him credit for being a pref
'y good lawyer. Just to look at Clink
you'd conclude at once he was a
fellow trying to escape work. And
the first time you met him, and heard
him talk, and saw him furtively cast
his glance two ways at the same time
with a pair of dissenting orbs, you
would set him down as a finished
product of the Know-Nothing Uni
versity. But after you get acquaint-
ed with the little bundle of flesh that
came within an ace of being the
most pronounced brunette that ever
chirped in Goat Alley, you conclude
he's really live wire.
ClinkScale has removed the old sign
which read Attorney at Law and
Special Brief Writer to Billy Ma
homes Second" and has put up a
new sign which just reads Attorney
At Law" At being in letters twice
the size of the others. He used to
have lots of practice at writing briefs
before he and Tom Jones agreed to
disagree. Barring Clinkscale's pair
of eyes that, like oxen, pull apart
from each other, he's no slouch. l
was a party to a civil suit once in
which he was the attorney, and you
bet 'You Honnah" he managed it in
great style One thing about Clink
is that even the colored lawyers hand
it up that he's a good lawyer, and
when an article in his somber colors
can motor all the way from Virginia
on just a pair of indefinite legs, and
without gasoline; make his way thru
law school, and then get in the front
rank of colored lawyers here - and
we have some who are real perfectos.
depend upon it he's the goods. Clink
is a million miles away from being
a dummy. He's just around the cor
ner from peaches and cream.
Well, l met my friend the other
day who worked me for SIS to take
a plunge in the surf at Atlantic City.
He's back, very much back. I was
sitting in a certain cafe Monday al
ternoon, eating a deviled crab-bad-
ly deviled, too - when I heard some
one III the next room say: Waiter,
l guess you might bring us two
springs broiled, some French fried, |
a couple Of Dogshead - better start
off with a couple of Martini's- and, |