The Washington herald., 1912-02-04
Quickly Seized Upon.


This man came into view while all but
the German were looking the other way.
The German, abjectly apologizing, start
ed away. and in an instant had escaped
the group and reached the side of the
stranger. 1t took him five seconds to
point out the superlative beauties of
rain coat that hung before his little
store, while the detected competitors
eyed him sullenly and returned to their
shops. Then he lured the tall. lean man
inside his shop, and the latter emerged
in another five minutes wearing rain
coat, the replica Of the one that hung
outside. He did not come out slowly or
dreamily. He left like a man departing
from a dentists chair, with his hat
jammed over his ears and his handbag
tapping violently. And he did not break
in his stride until he reached the Ave-
nue.. two blocks away.
While he was disappearing, an aged
colored man. carrying pick and shovel,
shufiled into view. The man Of half
dozen countries saw him first, button
holed him, and held him in CONVERSE.
ton, while Manz and drifted nearer TO
get the conversation.
Saved 1t for Him.
'I been sayin' this coat for you." ex-
planned the hybrid merchant, as We
came within earshot, cause knew a
man like you that could understand"
us you all kiddin' me boss 50 gaspingly
demanded the ancient Ethiopian.
Sure I amt kiddin' you.' replied the
man of half a dozen nations. What
would want to kid you for? I'm givin'
1t straight. that this here coat belonged
to a Younited Sthates Senator an he
hooked 'em with instructions that some
deseryin' man should have 'em for Sl.6
cash Charity on his part call IL.
Vanity, whether in politics, art, or
secondhand shop has its purposes. You
could fairly see the aged worlman's
pride-or vanity II you would have II So
bristle and soar as he though OF the
honor OF wearing the mythical Senator's
trousers. Then he disappeared 10 that
bourne from whence no traveller returns
without speeding money-the front door
OF a secondhand shop.
Brings His Dress Suit.
AIanz was sorrowfully watching him
when another type came into~View- He
was a man not unusual in the haunts OF
the secondhand men. well-dressed, WE'LL
fed. apparently prosperous, he neyerthe-
less cited his financial rating by the
polished dress suit case that he carried.
Manz and 1 fell to speculating, assuming
that many others like this man visited
the mypoic moralists. what wonderful
store house OF socialistic lore lay on the
dusty shelves of the little stores.
Garments that had been worn at func-
tiOns where society in all its luxury had
locked, vioIins that, perhaps. had charm
played, trinkets obtained at the ends OF
the world, onyx images from Japan. live
with their tales of the land Of orange
blossoms and eternal content-all these
thrown together at last on the grimy
wooden shelves Of disuse as the cards Of
life changed hands. the luck of life fed,
and the very life itself became a different
thing. What strange tales these old
garments and fiddles and vicious-looking
revolvers might tell. il they would. The
folklore Of fairyland could be no more
wonderful than the story OF that old and
battered guitar waiting for the hand
that would mend its broken strings and
waken It again. Or that dirk
Brings a Gold Watch.
Just then the fated and prosperous
emerg ID minus suit case and bearing the
disgruntIed look OF a man who has found
some one else,s hand in his pocket He
started away quickly. There followed him
a bowed, shifty-eyed. dangerous looking
man who had in his hands a gold watch;
not at all the kind Of watch that shifty-
eyed men should show publicly. He pro-
duced it as he entered the shop. Then
there was an interval and he. too, hur-
ried away.
Manz had finished making marks on
paper then and we decided TO wander.
In leaving the district, Manz and in
advertantly crossed the street and, un-
mindful of advice that had been given US,
gazed or rather stared. into the Germans
shop window. In an instant the proprie-
tor had come forth and pounced upon
Manz. Now there is only one trouble
with Mama weakness, some call it
The Germans unerring eye took in Manz's
apparel until II reached the collar. In
an instant his look Of pathetic disappOint-
ment frightened and he shook Manz by
the hand.
"Joost vat you want" he cried enthus-
iastically, "joost vat you want"
Just what ] want" replied Manz, alb
ruptly, lis just what you haven't got.
The German with the strasbismatic
sense Of honor, smiled conciliatingly.
"Yestudday," he said In a stage whis-