The Washington herald., 1920-07-02

communion with nature ali MS
life, wrote a poem and took II TO
an editor.
II was a living pastoral. full
of the genuine breath or the
fields, the song Of birds. and the
pleasant chatter of trickling
streams.
When the poet called again to
see about IL. with hopes of a
beefsteak dinner in his heart, II
was handed back to him with the
comment:
Too artificial"
Several of US met over spag-
hetti and Dutchess County chianti
and swallowed indignation with
the slippery forkfuls.
And there we dug a pit for the
editor. With us was Conant,
welI-arrived writer of fiction-a
man who had trod on asphalt all
his life, \ and who had never
looked upon bucolic scenes ex-
cept with sensations of disgust
from the windows of express
trains.
Conant wrote a poem and called
il The Doe and the Brook" 1t
was a fine specimen OF the kind
of work you would expect from
a poet who had strayed with
Amaryllis only as far as the
florists windows. and whose sole
archaeological discussion had been
carried on with a waiter. Conant
signed this poem. and we sent it
to the same editor.
But this has very little to do
with the story.
Just as the editor was reading
the first line of the poem, on the
next morning, a being stumbled
of the West Shore ferryboat, and
loped slowly up Forty-second
street,
The invader was a young man
with light blue eyes. a hanging
lip and hair the exact color of
the little orphans (afterward dis
covered, to be the earl's daugh-
teri in one of Mr.. Blaney's plays.
His trousers were corduroy, his
coat short sleeved, with buttons
In the middle of his back. One
bootleg was outside the cordu-
roys. You looked expectantly'
though in vain. at his straw hat
for ear holes, it's shape inaugural
ing the suspicion that il had been
ravaged from a former equine
possessor. In his hand was
valise-description of it is an i'm
possible task; a Boston man
would not have carried his lunch
a. ~ ~ n
- And above one ear, in his hair.
was a wisp of hay-the rustic's
letter of credit, his badge of in
nocence. the last clinging touch
of the Garden of Eden lingering
to shame the Eold-brick men.
Knowingly, smilingly. the city
crowds passed him by. They saw
the raw stranger stand in the
gutter and stretch his neck at
the tall buildings. At this they
ceased to smile. and even to look
at him. 1t had been done so
often. A few glanced at the
antique valise to see what Coney
attraction" or brand of chewing
gum he might be thus Dining
into his memory. But for the
most part he was ignored. Even
the newsboys looked bored when
he scampered like a circus clown
out of the way of cabs and street
cars.
At Eighth avenue stood "Bunco
Harry" with his dyed mustache
and shiny, good-natured eyes.
Harry was too good an artist not
to be panied at tho sight of an
actor OVERRIDING his part. He
edged up to the countryman who
had stopped to open his mouth
at a jewelry store window. and
shook his head.
Too thick. pal" he said. crit
ically-"too thick by a couple of
inches. / don't know what your
lay is; but you've got the prop
critics on too thick. That hay.
now-why. they don't even allow
that on Proctor's circuit any
more"
Il don't understand you. mis-
ter" said the green one. I'm
not lookin' for any circus. I've
Just run down from Ulster Coun-
ty to look at the town, being that
the hayin's over with. Gosh! but
it's a whopper. l thought POugh-
keepsie was some punkins: but
this here town is 1--WE times as
big"
-Oh. WELL" said 'Bunco Harry
raising his eyebrows, Il didn't
mean to butt in. You don't have
ntf0hf
tone down a little, so I tried to
put you wise. Wish you success
at your graft, whatever it is.
Come and have a drink. anyhow.
Il wouldn't mind having a glass
of lager beer" acknowledged the
other.
They went to a cafe frequented
by men with smooth faces and
shitty eyes. and sat at their
drinks.
I'm glad l come across you.
you like to play a game or two
OF seven-up? I've got the keerds. "
He fshed them out of Noah s
valise-a rare, inimitable deck.
greasy with bacon suppers and
grimy with the soil of cornfields.
Bunco Harry" laughed loud
and briefly.
Not for me. sport" he said,
hrmly. Il don't go against that
makeup of yours for a cent But
] still say you've overdone it.
The Reubs haven't dressed like
that since 10. 1 doubt II you
could work Brooklyn for a key
winding watch with that lay
out"
"Oh, you, needn't think 1 amt
got the money" boasted Hay
locks. He drew forth a tightly
rolled mass of bills as large as a
teacup, and laid II on the table.
Got that for my share of