Evening star., 1914-04-05

| peanuts the while he surveyed the scene
with a jaundiced eye.
/ What's the matter with you?" asked
the Observer.
"Nawthin'. boss replied the small col
ored brother Does YOU all want some
peanuts
| No
Il was afraid not said the small col
ored brother. despondently. Nobody
seems to want peanuts-yet
Why not?
Why not?" repeated the $. c. B.. pity
ingly. Why. because de season aint
! opened
| Talk about fetiches! Talk about hide
bound slaves of convention.
| There is body of people on EARTH
not even the British conservative party
and the house of lords that can touch
the American fan.
! When the rnagnates sound the gong and
the President of the United States throws
a base ball somewhere near the appre-
hensive catcher who is waiting to receive
it the fans will flock forth like sheep.
| Maybe it is city pride; maybe it is the
| curiosity of fans to see whether the Presi-
dent will manage to hit the umpire when
| he throws out the ball You can work
! this out to suit yourself.
| Mark you. the crowd was parhetically
! apathetc that has been used before,
/ but it is good stuff. so we might as well
/ try il again. In the ball park during
I the game the cheers were like the maudlin
! groans of idiots; and the hand clappings
| reminded you of an English audience at
| cricket game when it knows that tea
| time is approaching. But look what hap
! pened outside,
| The afternoon being pleasant the OBJ
server strolled down 9TH street. meditat-
| ing upon the strange mental condition of
freeborn men which makes them always
the slaves to a set of rules laid down
by some one else.
Why, the Observer said to himself
can't men come to think for them
selves? Why can't they enjoy base ball
when there is good seat awaiting them
| in the grandstand? Why do they avoid
the theater except when there is an over
flow house and they have to catch occa-
| stonal glimpses of the play by sIapping
at the feathered headpiece of the fat
lady standing in front of them?
Why must they always seek the most
crowded restaurant, the most crowded
street? And why must they slavishly
cheer the winner while they furtively
kick at the man who is stretched on the
ground? Why
Poetic medftations and philosophic
thoughts never last long. Something al
ways comes along and gums the game.
In front of the Observer was a fair sized
and deeply interested crowd. From the
| center of this crowd came sounds indi-
| eating distress and anger coupled with a
burning desire on the part of some body
to do bodily harm to somebody else
: The Observer worked his way through
the crowd and h+bp1I tup frepziad ,,,.,,
Their collars We're torn: their hair was
| rufiied. One mans nose looked like ar
American beauty rose in full bloom and
the other mans left eye had all the sub
tie touches of the modest violet which
bushes unseen, yet has dark and lower
| ing appearance.
You" shrieked the first gentleman.
who was restrained by man in white
, apron, are liar
, The second mans reply was childlishly
simple IN 1ts dlrectness lie aimed blow
at the first mans American beauty nose.
and if that blow had ever landed the
second man would have been accorded
under American League rules a three
base hit He missed narrowly but being
a determined man. he prepared 10 try
again
Jim" his two friends urged him ..cu,
out this rough stuff, Cops will get us ii.
| a minute"
But. roared Jim, he said Bob Groom,
is a quitteri''
Il did howled the first man, franti-
caily trying to release his good right arm
from the restraining hold of the man
with the apron. and what's more no
yumdoozled. gangswaddled, dimpgurslel
blumkety-bloof blank can make me take
it back. He's thrown more games than
any man in the American League"
| The second man earnestly tried to re-
lease his right arm. Finding this futile
he resorted to flank movement and
| kicked the first man the shins II was
a good. hearty Kick, too-no foolishness
I about it.
The first man bayed murderously.
Bob Groom thundered the second
man. aiming another kick was the