Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-02

EI NJ table and terms o
VIZ MI x. It is unsafe Il
hang around thos,
men: one invariably becomes inocuiated
Have you ever stopped to think" sale
the statistician with enthusiasm, "of thu
things that can be done with a quarter7'
why a quarter?' asked the Observer
"Oh," replied the statistician, you car
take any coin you want. only suggest
ed q quarter because 1t Is Of a good. COM
Portable size; not too large and not TOT
small"
ITO resume"
Man, arouse your imagination. Think
Of the different things for which a quar-
ter may go. Think of the unending
stream pouring across the counters OF
shops in Washington at all hours Of the
day and night Here is the rich man
spending quarter for some cocktail
!. which he particularly likes. Not far
from him is the poor woman specializing
on the respective nourishing properties of
beef shank and liver. There is more ro-
nance in the story Of quarter than ever
yet has been printed
"a
Well. it wouldn't hurt to look into the
matter, anyhow. A quarter might fur
nish some room for speculation. Thus
does the insanity of logicians affiict us.
The Observer started forth and went into
shop where they apparently dealt in
doubtful futures. Outside, in a dilapi-
dated case, were several weary-looking
canes The grimy windows displayed a
variety OF goods-here a f1y-bitten box
OF marbles, to the left a gnawed set of
chessmen.
The proprietor of the place was in keen
ing with his goods. He was a shabby
httie man who had an air of perpetual
apology. He Had a trick of shrugring
ons s wbn and lifting his elbows as
everything here is not what it should be
put that is the fault of fate, not nv
sen. with more trade I could afford a
coat Of paint :"
me observer wandered around the shop
OF oakum. mislabeled tobacco. He after
wdro gave 1t to a colored man. and ever
since tnat time the colored man. passing
lhe observer, has choked in his determi-
nauon 70 De respectful and not voice his
rIeMs on the subject of practical jokes
however, that has nothing to do with
AFTER the Observer and the shabby little
proprietor had conversed on the subiec.
OF the weather and the condition of the
wheat crop. the former artfully turned
the subject from plows to finance. What
ne SAID was: Il suppose lot of quarters
come In here. This is finesse.
The little dealer looked dazed for
moment.
But We were talking about plows,- he
protested, weakly
Not me- replied the Observer, firmly.
was talking about quarters See a lot
of 'em here?'
Not as many as I'd like to-, replied
the little dealer. sadly. you see. INV
trades drifting away from me. / try to
hold 1t. but the younger boys are getting
INTO speciaitieS. A general store run on a
small scale has to hustle these days"
speaking of quarters" continued the
little shopkeeper. reminds me of an in
cident. You We're talking about quarters.
You see that vacant space up on my wall:
the place where the dust Is not so thick?
That Is my story. 1t was on a cold night
last winter. Where that vacant place is
once hung mandolin. It was a man
dolin that my daughter played before she
died. l kept it there because it kept me
company, and was so broken and frayed
that nobody would buy it. On this cold
night shabby youth, maybe fifteen
years old, came into my store as 1 was
about to close up. He pointed to the
old mandolin.
Buy that mandolin he queried and
was amused
My Lad. you can't play that mando-
lin said.
u don't want to play it, he replied.
I want it for a Christmas present, for
another
but 1 continued, you could not
make a sound with 1t. No one could. 1
keep it out of sentiment 1t Is cracked
and warped
His disappointment was so intense
that l questioned him again as he was
about to leave the store.
Who Is this mandolin for?' asked.
My sister, he replied.
And what would you pay for it?'
IT thought 1t might make some little
tune. and because it was broken you
would sell it cheap he said. Then he
burst out: "A quarter
II smiled. His ignorance of musical in
struments was appalling. Evidently he
assumed that a mandolin and a mouth
organ were of the same price.
Return in a few days advised him.
when he returned the old mandolin
had been slightly improved. 1t could at
least sing once more. No paint had been
and glued. and restrung until it was at
least q mandolin and not the ghost of
one He saw at once that it had been
altered. He turned to go.
".I cannot buy 1t now he said.
Il watched him and saw what was in
his mind. He could not go to his sister
with a present he had begged.
This cost nothing l said. I did this
myself. OF course Il you don't wish to
buy it
.'If you did the work yourself and are
willing to sell it, he said, L will buy it
$50 took his quarter and he took the
mandolin And my little daughter that
Christmas day. was happy when She
knew that her dead mandolin had come
to life again and that another child had
not been disappointed"
x y
The little old shopkeeper told the story
Just as 1t has been related-told 1t in a
stilted sort of way as if he was afraid
that he would be misunderstood. He
4 PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE