Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-02
Around the CITY

1t was just the time of evening wher
mealers-out were hurrying to and from
cafes.
| Bang! went a sharp report and every
man. woman and child came to sud
den stop before turning to race in the
| direction9of the sound The next in
| slant more men, women and children
| began to swarm out of stores, off cars
| and around corners in a mad skedaddlt
| to see what was doing. and big blue
coated policeman cropped up from dear
knows where.
| For the sound was of a pistol And 3
pistol means excitement. And excite
ment is the salt of life.
| With one expectant rush, the GROVE
massed at corner. Then a voice was
lifted. Saul-like:
only a busted tire"
And a woman who was scurryine
| along the outer edge of the commotior
| noticed that as the crowd broke w
| into individual groups to scatter ir
every direction the face of every man
and woman was labeled with the same
| expression:
| Disappointment.
A big. bony young man was waiting
lot a car
When it slowed up, the conductor
jumped. out. every man looked helpful
and the women moved up.
For the young man was holding IN
his arms little old lady, who was help
less as Il baby
It's a good old world after all
woman in this town met with a
serious loss yesterday afternoon. MIS-
fortune overlook her as she and an
9th na
yard across from a green place where
there was nothing but silence and
grassland trees and trees, and trees.
And squirrels.
cheerful until she came to the marble
yard. but the first look across its rail-
ing brought her to stop:
My tombstone's gone"
And in her voice was the wall OF one
beset by unexpected woe.
The other woman developed thirst
for information.
why. didn't know you were buy
ing tombstones-
I'm mott just picked it out"
"Oh, Who for"
For myself: it was a lovely slab
just the kind I'd like to have: with
roses-and a scroll for my name
Well but you certainly weren't
crank enough to go and buy yourself a
tombstone before you were dead, were
you?'
The bereaved one broke out in a "a sh
of sarcastic surprise.
"Of course. ] didn't. Silly. I just
picked 1t out in my mind. It's been
here over two years-and now some
busybody's gone and bought it, Oh
we'll. I'll have to be satisfied with an
other Which would you take, il you
were me, that cross with seat to it,
or the angel. or that column
She interrupted herself to laugh at
q w
passed on.
This is what one girl was saying 10
another as they came together at a soda
water fountain:
NO. indeed. honey; I've got a fiat OF
my own, praise be. / couldn't stand for
Harry's home. His mother was all right
but when ! first set eyes on that en-
craving of George Washington with fish
Bladder legs in the dining room / felt that
wanted fresh air. Then they had Solo
mon and the Iron Worker over the par
Tor mantel and a chrome. Beatrice Cenci
with the jaw ache in the very room
had to sleep in, so / just told Harry he
had to choose between us, and-of course
come up and see us; there's a lovely roof
garden"
II your shoe must come united the hes,
place to have it happen is in front of the
White House.
This was palpably the opinion of q
stout woman in hobble, who stopped in
front Of the fountain, laid her silver
striped parasol and a bag of. maybe
buns. on the stone coping and then at
tempted to lift her foot to the same
haven. The attempt was a failure.
When she had turned real. genuine
turkey red from inability to overcome the
combined drawbacks of a stout contour
and a narrow skirt. the woman surveyed
her tan pumps with desperate indecision
whether TO try. try again, or to move on
with her laces dragging.
An approaching woman saw the situa-
ton and was hurrying to relieve it. but
as 1t CHANGED two Very young soldiers in
khaki who had been rolling cigarettes
under the Garfield Bulletin tree got ahead
of her good intentions.
With boyish wink at his companion,
the straightest, pertest youngster stepped
up to the united lady, touched his cap and
said:
Better let me have try, ma am
Ma'am was only too glad of the chance
So the private soldier who may one day
be chief of staff-which he ought to be,
IL he isn't-finished up a bow knot in
fine style. gathered up the silver bag. the
music, the parasol and the maybe buns,
handed them to the stout lady touched
his hat again and then went back to the
tree to roll more cigarettes.
Right nice in him, wasn't it,"
An oldish woman. brown of color, and
at least drab tinted as to morals, was
Dragging to another woman about the
number Of times she had been mar
ried and divorced. The other woman.
rigidly correct in views and sharp as
to voice. felt called upon to rebuke her
earth, earthly sister of the flesh.
IF you has had four husban's an
divorced 'em all, an now hankerin'
after a f1f-all ] can say is you are
goin' to have a monty hard time in
de spirit lam where dey's NEWER marry
in nor givin' in marriage
Oats a fac. Mrs. Tawmps'n. Only
last Sunday night our preacher told us
we mus'n expec' no husbns in de over
worl'-so dat's why I'm a gwine take
time by de fo'lock, an hep mahsef-
heah."
And then the Tenleytown car came
along, and the white woman who was
listening had to tear herself away