Evening star., 1917-09-30

SACA lar 18 OuLSrOWlu8 tu1I USA0t
Jacks beanstalk.
If you doubt 1t, go down to the navy
yard and see how the nsighborhood
has been corralled and all bound
around with a wire fencing that even
the beanstalk giant could not climb.
One way of getting to the fence is
to start from the Capitol and follow
the road the British took that time
in history, until you come to some
guards. who will say to you very po-
litely of Sunday:
Sorry. lady. but we can't let you
inside II you want to get to the
water take the path around"
Lady" meant a Prudent Person who
had decided. after reading tho morn
ing's headlines-frst column. first
So she and another woman plain
soul who didn't count - scrambled
across acres-it seemed acres-of
plowed-up clods until they came to the
river.
1t was a silvery river that rippled to
the way-off green country on the other
side and with big ships anchored where
you couldn't get at them because
Jackie doesn't want you peeking
around.
Back on tho lawful street they came
to big. building where many wheels
go round set in a garden filled with
honey flowers and old-fashioned smells
The glass door was sociable-looking.
so the Prudent Person who was hunt
ing up a spring rang the bell They.
also, were nice. polite guards, but they
wouldn't let her in. They, however.
took advantage of the visit to let out
kitten that-to quote inside author
ity-needed the morning air. And after
the women had gone two squares they
was tagging behind. The Prudent Per-
son tried to persuade it to return. The
kitten wouldn't. Then the plain soul
took turn and shooed it off. The kit
the women turned their backs 1t trot-
ted after. Then they walked back a
square and insisted that the kitten
go back to where 1t belonged. The
kitten followed just the same.
Then three boys of the cat-bedeviling
age materialized and the plain soul
whisked it up. took 1t back to the
building. put 1t behind the vestibuled
door and that was all there was to
that But it wouldn't have been II any
thing had gone wrong In that navy
yard that day. with no telling how
many half-cocked Sherlocks to run to
the police with descriptions of two
suspicious women they had seen hang
ing around.
Then the women kept on until they
came to commons gay with blossomy
weeds and a lovely dusty road with
ruts in it. just like deep in the coun-
try. Then they tagged OF in another
direction that brought them back to
the bricks two squares from the fence.
where they met up with a flock OF tur-
keys strutting across the street.
They were strong winged. red-wattled
turkeys that, doubtless. If occasion Of
fered. would do their bit for Washing
ton as ably as those valorous geese did
for old Rome. except that Thanksgiv-
ing Is liable to get here ahead. When
the procession had passed. the women
kept on hunting for spring until they
came to a quiet little street lined with
trees big enough and green enough and
plenty enough to start truly forest
the ones planted by long ago Mayor
Sayles J. Bowen, and which stand today
so many sylvan sentinels to guard the
fact that there was time when we
were not a politically denatured city.
So. neighbors, dear. If you like ships
and turkeys and jungles of bloomy
weeds and a river full Of ripples and
regular country breezes-to say MOTH
ing of the practical value of knowing
where the water lives in case-you
know what the papers said last Sunday
and a kitten that follows like dog
just start from the Capitol and follow
the road the British took until you como