Evening star., 1918-02-10
AROUND THE CITY

you are one or thems al thAt you 4ft
able to see Of the strap hanger In front
Of you Is his coat-and, naturally, you
notice that same.
One coat, for one instance. held m
Army commission. It's cum brntds
curled in four strands over olive cloth
and its buttons
| The buttons told the story Of q COM
fort kit provided with assorted threads
And the man in the coat had used
them. OF the ten brownfsh horn disks
two had been reinforced with yellow,
four with gray. two with black and
the others with contrasting colors.
Military tactics may have been disre-
garded as to uniformness. but as job
Of safe sewing the tacking was Just all
right. Those buttons had been sewed
on to stay. And they looked the part.
The man doubtless owns some loving
woman who would shrek II she saw
those buttons-but, after all, when
soldier Is on his way to Union station
to take train for New York to take
ship for France what does q color.
more or less, amount to on his Army
coat - providing it doesn't include
| blood red.
A*
Two men who had come together on
the street were renewing old times
with a dramatic spontaneousness which
caught the interest Of a couple waiting
for a car. When the outburst of recog-
milton had simmered down to reminis-
cences the one who had lumpy con-
tour and more than his fair share Of
slap on the others spare and droopy
shoulders.
well, Bud, old boy, see you are
still wearing your hair. I parted COM
forgot what it ever looked hke-huh,
huh"
SANDY and inclined to curl" Bud
supplied the Information with seri-
mail an old friend for?'
The two chuckled and exchanged
shoulder slaps.
"Yes. Lem. I'm ahead of you in hair
an that's almost joke. But I see
your teeth are the same old nut crack
ers. How's your muscle? Member how
we used to raise knots on our arms an
then rastle over which had the biggest
lump?"
TOO mushy. Bud. Don't take enough
exercise and eat too much"
Better pay me visit this spring.
i
that fat ofrn you. EN- will be tickled
to death when tell her I saw you.
How about your pretty little wife?"
The fat mans chuckle widened and
deepened with the expansiveness that
goes with jovial contours and double
chins.
ma ought to hear that. She never
travelled on her looks when she was at
her best. but she's a mighty comfort
able woman to grow old with"
Bud accepted the conjugal tribute
with a puzxled look that brought out
every wrinkle on parade.
What you talkin' about? Why. Lem.
Edie used to be the beauty of the whole
county"
The fat and prosperous one straight
ened with the sudden rigidity that
comes from galvanic shock. And into
eam. 1a y, ehusky face
'Edie-my first wife. You are right,
Bud; there never was a prettier girl or
sweeter one than Edie-left me over
forty years ago. Her son has young
here. to see the little chap before he
goes to France-Aviation Corps"
"Old friend"
That was all Bud had to say. but an
other word would have spoiled it.
Then they started OFF on another
tack. and the couple who had finally
accomplished car went Of. leaving
two apparently old men talking to-
~.
they were not old men at all, but Old
boys
Bud and Lem.
She was vigorous woman with thick
gray hair and truly magnificent teeth.
Her figure. straight, strong and self
reliant. was gowned in fur and broad
cloth. and she carried her head with
an assurance that called for bay leaves
rather than an ostrich -plumed toque.
Furthermore. she had just bought a
dress length Of cream brocade fiowered
with plum and silver. The other wom-
an was trying to make up her mind
between dotted foulard and one Of
those hatefully useful checks.
Say. old girl, why don't you get out
OF the navy blue class and buy colors
to match your disposition? OF course,
we have lost our youth in the shuffie,
but that's no reason we should 20 in
mourning for it. Every time my
dressmaker adds an inch to my waist
full color-just to let my body know
that it can't put age lines on my soul
If my belt ever gets the size of the
equator I shall treat myself to some-
rison's first inaugural ball. when I
wore dew-drop tulle and a dear re-
porter wrote me up as a girlishly
lovely Cndine. I always go back to
that special ball. I reckon, because I
met Phil there. Oh. yes. I know what
everybody had to say about the match
but the poor boy paid the price-and
l know how I was spitied-academical-
ly-when his death left me with moth
ing more cheerful ahead than a wolf
with sharp white teeth. But put him
on the scrap heap before we got
through with our tussle, and now I'm
on the sunny side Of easy street, with
a rushing business and money OF the
size we call. big. I'm not working for
bread these days. I'm earning Die.
There's difference. II you must get
blue, make IT French"
I'd like to-. hon, but you see I am
still on the bread line-and besides,
personally. I don't banker for pie
still. honest. I am sick of polka dots
and hair stripes. and If could And
something useful out of the usual
run"
And customer who overheard went
of with the certainty that, for once.
anyhow. the navy blue woman was go
Ing to be hypnotized into buying a
dress to match her disposition.
Wives take notice:
Yonr Father Time has slowed tin
weddings in his attic along with hoops.
shakers and the merry widow of yes
teryeAr. Whether he will ever scatter
his hasbeens in the foreground of the