Evening star., 1917-09-23
AROUND The CITY,.

misanthropic party. who had such . I
time finding his honest man.
But the lemon woman who dipped at
her something cold and sour" felt no
misgivings. She could tell, without be-
ing prophet. that the boy will recover
from his rash of cynicism as soon as he
gets the eggsheli nipped offn his nose
20 quote the darlineest black nanny
that ever lived-or died.
The Providence that takes care OF
children and fools. per adage. must also
keep an eye on ladies with worried
minds.
One especial lady was SO pre-occupied
with the inward anxiety that furrowed
her forehead into trench lines that she
snailed across the Avenue as IL for tho
express reason OF getting herself run
down. An automobile that looked cap
able of performing the job sent out an
advance toot The lady needed not. like
that other lady. only younger, in the
ballad The horn snorted a longer and
more clamorously insistent warning
The lady dawdled as il the Avenue
were that place you call a howery
mead. After a third sounding the chauf-
feur. who had already slowed up. curry
ed around the tortoise lady and whizzed
on-and that was all there was to that
except:
Two men on a curb took in the Incl
dent. and when it was over the ono
with the pipe remarked to the one with
the cigarette:
Most automobilists are as careful as
that man. but il is the occasional idiot
of a joy rider who gets into the papers
and hurts the standing OF the others.
You never see careful chauffeur in
print
Idiots have their uses'-the cigarette
man made his comment with the cheer
full philosophy of one who takes life
easy.
Idiots figure up as the dramatic ex-
ceptions to the monotonously safe and
sane rule. Good people seldom make
interesting copy. 1t is the exception
you must look to for headlines.
And while they talked the worry
minded lady touched the bricks just as
black machine had slowed W.
to keep from moving her down.
She was a hearty old woman who.
! somehow, suggested country roads. And
she halted another woman with q re-
quest as to how she was to get to an
address printed on a scrap Of The
Star. The woman considered the loca-
ton:
This is way over in Georgetown. You
take the + street car"
Car? Me? why. 1 don't own a car
ticket to my name! I'm huntin' up an
office-c -cleanin' job
No job should be lost for the sake OF
two measly tickets So the woman
shelled out.
1t just so happened-you know how
things come in bunches-the woman
was held up again by another old wo-
man two blocks down. She wanted the
lady please to give her a nickel for the
car ticket "a man just give her. and
which wasn't no good to buy somethtn'
to eat with.
If you have ever had speaking ao-
quaintance with poverty you can never
-never-pass her by without noticing.
| So lady" gave up coin; told the wom-
an to keep her ticket, and-that was
all there was to that-except-and
here's where the plot comes in-the
| woman was walking to save carfare.
| A man on crutches was one Of a filo
| of people waiting to board car. The
| woman ahead of him moved aside with
the lauda BILE intention of giving him q
! better chance at a seat, but he waved
! her back.
| Much obliged to you, madam, but I
| am all right. 1 have been going on
| sticks for SO many years that 1 would
| forget I wasn't born with them II only
kind folks would let me-"
| The rebuke was neither so wide a.
| Mercutio's church door nor so deep az
his well. but it was enough to make
that woman hustle into that car and
nab a seat-and sit down.
MAMIE LANCASTER.