Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-27

CAIN SatlSned expression OF one VINO
can't be fooled.
Around the corner. near one of the
busiest cross thoroughfares. there is a
little fruit shop run by a mddle-ased
Italian who is the father of large fam
lily, and with whom consequently every
penny counts. Thither Went the Cynic.
marched inside and produced his dollar.
Want TO buy dollar for M
cents?' he asked. using the same old
formula. Instantly the Italian reached
out a fat brown hand.
''Lemme see he aSked-and having re-
ceved the dollar he proceeded to prove
that the examination given it by the 9TH
ers was the work of rank amateurs.
Taking the coin. he first looked at the
face and back-so far good Then he
spun it up in the air-once. twice. three.
four times. Then he passed a long finger
nail over the milling. After that he rang
it on the floor a couple of times, succeed
ed in some strange fashion in making il
ring by Tipping ii with his thumb nail.
and finally bit t-bit it hard. Surely this
would be enough for most people-but not
for him.
Still holding to the dollar. he called
something in Italian. and instantly there
came f1Ocking from back room the
other members of his famly-even to the
Noungest-a tiny signorita of about SIX
years removed an eAClteu cOIOQuS III
Italian and anybody who has heard it will
admit that Italian is the most excited
language In the world. Back and forth
they talked and gestured-especially the
latter Then the dollar began to be pass
ed around.
First it went to the mother. She rang
it on the floor. looked it over and bit it.
Then the oldest daughter took couple of
looks. walked over and rang ii on the
glass counter. Then the next oldest
daughter took fall out of the poor dol
lar giving it one more bite and discios-
ing probably the prettiest teeth in Wash
ngton during the process.
The six-year-old reached for it, was
denied. insisted, and finally got it, While
she was looking it over the rest OF the
family began TO discuss the matter even
more eXctedly than before Evidently
they were divided on the proposition. The
head of the household seemed to be in
favor of taking a chance, but the wife
was dead against it.
At this point the siX-year-old looked
up, said something in Italian and point
ed to the wing of the eagle. Instantly
the entire family gathered round and in
vestigated that wing. OF ;urety. they
were not perfect. those wings Indeed
they were woefully imperfect! The en-
tire tips of both had been completely
worn away! And that fact killed the
fathers eagerness to take chance by
just about 30 per cent.
There was another family conference
which lasted several minutes. All, that
mighty ten-cent profit, The father seized
the dollar. and turned to the Cynic.
You wait" he begged. II come right
back"
And without waiting for reply he rush
ed out of the store into another store.
evidently kept by friend, across the
street.
He was gone about ten minutes. Evil
IDENTIFY he and his friend were discussing
all the pros and cons of the situa-
ton. Then he came out-slowly-and
slowly he re-entered his own establish
ment. The dollar was in his hand, and
he entered he held it out to the
Cynic.
Good bye,' he said.
And that was all.
The Cynic next determined to test a
man who he knew liked money He hunt
ed up policeman. At length he found
one standing in front of a theater.
watching the matinee crowds file in. And
SO. dollar in hand. he approached
Officer began the Cynic in a tone of
vast dignity. Il don't know you, and you
don't know me. But look me over. I'm
not exactly Notwithstanding char
acter, am -
The policeman took hasty survey, and
admitted none too enthusia stically that
the Cync was not.
Spit it out he remarked indignantly.
but tersely. What is it? Whatdaya-
WANT?
i've got a plain business proposition
for YOU" said the Cynic I've got a
silver dollar here and l don't want it.
You can judge for yourself whether its
good or not-that's up to you. The fact
remains that l don't want it, So III
sell it to you-for 30 cents. Want to
buy it,"
The policeman made a quick reach for
the dollar-and got it. Having gotten it..
he proceeded for d full three minutes to
forget all about the crowd piling into the
theater He was too busy examining that
coin. Neither did his uniform stop him
from dropping it to the sidewalk and
bending an ear to see if il rang
Later. after he had picked il up and
examined it all over again. he asked the
time-honored question, Whats the mat
ter with it, Only. he asked as one
having authority and possessed of right
to know-and know quick.
But the Cynic was not abashed.
II didn't say anything was the matter
with it-or l didn't say there wasn't any
thing the matter with it, either said he.
Il merely offered to sell it to you for
so cents. You can buy it, and take a
chance on it's being all right or you can