Evening star., 1917-03-25
AROUND THE CITY.

Her father was sailor man who
spotted the house all over. with sea
fans. corals and shells-except where
Under the mantel stood a Jap vase big
enough to hold one of the forty thieves.
and in a corner. reared a Siamese some
thing of tarnished gilt set with bits of
looking glass that called itself by a
name that nobody can be expected to
spell. And when the sailor man died
Emmie was an orphan and owned 1t
all. Having also inherited a wander
lust temperament, she was planning
travels of her own when a nice young
ster around the corner took to drop
ping in. He dropped in every evening.
slip In through a side window far
enough to reach the mantel end. which
developed into a regular altar for such
romantic offerings as notes and flow
a soldier, had to go west to kill In
dians, SO a wedding day was planned.
But before 1t came around something
went wrong with loves young dream.
Being Emmie's fault, she naturally ex-
pected him to apologize. and when he
neither called nor left a mantel-token.
she returned the ring. Tho soldier boy
went Off and got killed and that was
the end of that.
Then Emmie decided that to keep her
have to travel as she had first planned.
but before she could start-you know
how things happen-her one brother
died. leaving her his two boys and baby
daughter. So Emmie turned herself
into a mother, and after a while Time
turned her into an old maid. There
wasn't room enough for the foreign
junk with SO many kiddies around SO
the Slamese mystery was sold to man
who collected things, and the other
stuff stored in the attic, where II stay
ed for years, and years and
The first series of three married. and
Emmie served later as maiden aunt to
such tribal increases that after lot
more Of years of helpfulness there was
very little left of her fortune except
the home, and enough income to swear
by-or at But Miss Emmie didn't mind
growing old and skimpy-pursed. And
she could manage, somehow, about the
loneliness. The thing that everlasting
ly hurt was the blistering memory Of
how her soldier had left her-like that.
Isn't 1t funny how things turn out?
Last week one of the great-nephews
bought the big vase in the attic. 1t
The great-nephew stood by while Aunt
Emmie polished the dragons and but
terfiies into proper gorgeousness, and
then he made the men turn the thing
upside down and jar II gently TO snake
out the dust
Along with the cobwebs, and a gold
thimble which Miss Emmie had lost in
her girl days and forgot, and sprinkle
Of shriveled things that had once been
rose leaves, came a letter-the letter.
ago by a soldier on his way to be
killed with Custer. And it was received
last Monday afternoon. 1t must have
meant everything-and more-to Miss
Enmie. But all she had to say was:
He didn't reach in far enough, and
it slipped from the mantel into the
vase"
Luck? Maybe So Then again
Several men in front of the House
Office building were commenting on the
torn-up tracks. where laborer was
dotting the dusk with red lanterns.
They must have been jolly-souled
statesmen. for as a woman passed the
one who looked as if he was head of a
committee was insisting with exuber-
Sure. it looks like a roof garden.
There are your colored lights and
your f1ags@
Where's the good old summer timer
"And our summer girls?"
And our music and soft drlnks!
Say. boys. don't jump so hard on my
beautiful imagination. 1t does look
like roof garden: now. doesn't it?"
II sure did. The grace of twilight
seemed TO soothe the mangled street:
red lanterns cleaned like fake nature
g1owworms, and many little green and
scarlet flags suggested decorations.
And for finish there was a tinkle of
the first pianette from down at the
other corner-a gay tinkle that was
raetime.
The passing woman must also have
been gifted with "a beautiful imagina-
tion, for as she threaded the torn-up
maze beyond the Avenue track she said
to herself:
1T sure does look like a roof garden
especially if you have never seen
one"
Candies made fresh every day"
The electric sign blazes before a big
store with an imposing glass front and
while countless passersby may have
wondered at the necessity of explaining
to the public that candies made every
day We're fresh" it is probable that the
only criticism on record was made by a
couple of shabby men who paused the
other twilight to exchange unfavorable
impressions:
Must have a lot of money to waste
it on five unnecessary letters
''Sure-got it to burnt"