Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-24
Drawings by F. Vaux Wilson


think SO if you could see EN- punched
once; for Elisha P. is mighty fine man; you
know, one of our most prominent and highly
respected citizens. Everybody says SO. The
local weekly always prints it that way. Be
sides, he's president of the Trust Company,
head of the Budin' & Loan, chairman Of the
School Board, and director of such things
the Old Ladies Home, the Hospital and
the Nut & Bolt Works Always wears black
frock coat and white string tie too,-tall, {
thin jawed, distinguished lookin' gent. Z
While the Morans-say, let's put them off z
as long And the more we linger in 6
the society of Mr.. Bayne the better ought Is
to be. Up to last spring, blush to admit,
I'd never been favored much. Course, com
muffin in and out the way do, didn't have
good show; But we passes the nod when we
meets. Elisha p never strains his neck durin
the exercise. You could detect his nod with
the naked eye though, and | expect that
a good deal from him to me. You get the idea.
That nod includes only the Mr.. McCabe that
ownsa shorefront place andvotes in Rockhurst-
on-the-Sound. 1t don't stretch SO far as to 4
take in Shorty AIcCabe who runs Physical Il
Culture Studio on 42d-st. And that's all right II
too I'm satisfied. u
Then here one day back in April, as I'm
drivin' home from the station with Sadie, who
should step to the curb and hold me up but
Mr.. Bayne? Does it offhand, friendly, mind
you. Course l stops sudden. Sadie bows
and smiles. | lifts my lid. Mr. Bayne holds
his square topped derby against his white shirt
front. We shakes hands cordial. And I'm .
most gaspin' for breath when it's
@Ah, by the way Mr. McCabe," says he,
@about that-er-Sucker Brook tract? Have
you thought it over yeto'
TUST like that, you know; as if it some
> thing we'd been talkin' about for months,
while matter of fact this IS the first hint I'd hae
that Elisha P. interested at all
Not that it hadn't been put up to Why, three
diff rent parties had interviewed confidential on the
proposition offern to let in the ground floor,
gvin' as many diff rent but or less convincin
for bein' 50 generous. One explains how he
wanted to the tract go to some local man instead
Vnr1y lf0rc fharn that her
little syndicate sW1ngln too much undeveloped prop
erty and has got to start bargain counter while the
third man slaps hearty on the back and whispers
that he just wants to put me next to good thing.
| come SwalloW1n the bait too; for Id turned
over Bronx buidin lots not long before at nice
little advance, and the kae only DRAWN three per
cent. Course this Sucker Brook chunk amt much to
look at strip of marshy ground along the raroad but
half mile away theyre sen villa plots and acreage
is mighty SO the city line as we are. Took
week OF Scout1n among friends to discover that
this gang of real estate phlanhopsts had bought up
the Sucker Brook tract private tip that trolley
extension was goin' to be put through there So it
might have been too, only couple of the County Board
members who tryin to pull off another deal got
busy and blocked the franchise. Then it a case
of unload, with runnin favorte in the Easy Mark
Handicap And now here comes Elisha F.. straight out
of the Trust Company, to spring the trapdoor himself
"Why, yes, Mr.. Bayne,' saysI 1--WE chewed it over
some; but amt quite made up my mind to take it
"You haven't! says he, his nice, white, respectable
eyebrows shown great surprise. But, my dear man.
l personally had that offer made to you. Why, we
could have But never. mind that. hope you may
see fit to give us your answer by Saturday noon"
"That depends, says ION whether you come for it
not"
a beg pardon?" says he starin.
AT the studio says shown over one of my pro-
fessional cards. "Thats where do business. So long,
Mr. Bayne.' And with that throws in the clutch and
leaves him gawpn'.
@Why, Shortly says Sadie. "How horrid of you!
And Mr. Bayne is such nice old gentleman too!r
eyes, amt heo" says l. "And for snoothness he's
got creased plank lookin' like graveled walk
DIDN'T think he'd come after that. But the other
lines they had have been hauled in empty;
for not ten days later has phone call from him sayn'
he in town and that if it convenient he II drop around