Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-16

ana q DIG orum TO mask the cries OF
victims. IT'S us. And more. All
the wanderers from terrace to terrace
In front of the cafes. More, more:
we're as wide as France. We're hum
dreds OF thousands. And we don't
cut each others threats. The most
rickety old toy peddler has his beat.
We are friends of the police. mostly.
We make gayety. l used to love the
Paris street"
There are such natures, kidders,
beloved Of the crowd, OF nimble wits,
as skating on thin ice.
Il installed the Japanese trap in
1900 for the world fair" the Meg
told me. 1T was only a name. It
could not work. being only a big
gilded box. with stuffed owl ana
other objects on top Of it, supposed
to be connected by electric wires, and
an alarm clock bell inside, which I
would whirr with foot pedal. While
they waited to see the Japanese trap
do something / invited the ladies' to
consult the future by means of the
triposcope.
They put their right foot on the
triposcope and lifted their skirt edge
exactly to the shoe top. (Nowadays
they wouldn't need to. So don't say
It lacked modestyD Then, with a
long-handled pair Of compasses.
scrupulously measured the shoe tops
diameter. while uttering Greek and
Latin EXPLANATIONS. like: "superbosw
Super Superbos! "Admirabilisw
Laxatif" Then put in their hands
a little printed paper which foretold
their future. 1t fooled nobody, What
they paid for was to stand in the
spotlight, to be heroine moment
II business grew dull 1 measured the
mems thoraxic expansion and left.
arm punch-muscle. Four cents each.
/ had to raise the price to 6 cents.
10 cents, 20 cents. They pushed and
Quarrelled.
The speaking dog was the same
idea. He was a stuffed poodle. with a
brides wreath of orange flowers, and
hidden in his mouth valve instru-
ment to make grunting noise when
squeezed. 1 operated it by means
OF a concealed rubber tube ending
in foot pedal
The ladies had q right to ask one
question. Whisper it into the dogs
ear II you are ashamed to ask aloudv
told them. And the dog grunted
once for yes and twice for no.
Do you know" he unused, men
fought with women to ask questions.
and most Of them whispered. It
was against all theory, for women
ought to be believers. Nothing sur
prises us in the profession"
Again he sighed. Something, sure,
was wrong.
1.-The normal crowd is composed Of
''They are the gobeur. who believes
everything; the fumists. who leads
others to buy. and the hostile, who
can't take joke and tries to gum
your game.
mo. the fumista is not a paid cap
to know them. They are Just honest
members OF the crowd, like you or
Jim, but naturally gay and michiev.
GUS, and think 1t fun to egg others ON
to buy. They spend their own good
money to do 1t. Why7 Because they
ENJOY being in the joke while the
others are being trimmed"
How insure against the hostiles?'
Make them go away. Shake q
dusty carpet in their direction, then
soiicitously beg their pardon. al
ways mad watering pot, to sprinkle
the sidewalk solemnly and wet their
shoes Also. you can have your boy
crop sulphide of carbon on their
clothes. 1t does not spot, but stinks.
They move on. to avoid it, All. the
crowd! he sighed. ut is bon enfant.
good Fellow, regular guy, as Ameri-
can soldiers say. The crowd has filed
my hat with gold. 1 have sold every
thing. from Iceland balm to wrist
watches
asked.
Nothing" he answered. II. have
got back found the Paris crowd had
changed; ! do not feel myself in
touch with it. Instead Of being gay. it
Is ferociously struggling for life Four
years OF blood, devastation and stress!
We owe it to the boche. Now there is
a great wave for enjoyment at any
price, but the crowd is hard, suspi.
clous, grasping, and defeats it's own
desires. All is out Of orbit. All seek
to do their neighbour. Factory hands
wear silk stockings. and the poor girls
are afraid to laugh. being too refined.
There should be economy. There isn't.
Three friends of mine put $4,000
francs into new product Of great
value, accepted by the war depart
ment, to make any tissue waterproof.
Yet, with mise-en-scene worthy of a
boulevard theater, they could not sell
ten packages per hour"
will 1t last?" asked,
They're thinking in big figures"
ne unused. Every clerk has the
mania OF greatness. Everybody's
jealous"
will 1T last?" I repeated.