Evening star., 1920-01-11
THE CASE OF A PINK RED
ND then. when things threaten to
get duh, there's always Pinck-

dropped on the wrong side OF
the moon durin' dark quarter I'll bet
he'd manage to start something. So
here the other forenoon when he breezes
into the physical culture studio with
that cut-up sparkle in his eyes / begin
to look for. quick action.
II say, Shorty" says he, ''who do you
suppose l ran across on 5th avenue a
moment ago?"
"Ah who am that I could guess a
conundrum like that?' says l. spill
it,"
Our old friend T. Baskin Wood"
says he.
what! Wood Basket. the pink red!''
says l.
''oniy he's no longer a red of any
shade says he: 'in fact. he's rather
colorless. opinions as well as complex
ion.''
Then it amt Woody" says I. ''Tha,
face tint of his might easy fade out,
as he didn't have much to lose: but
them notions of his about what the
masses ought to do to the classes was
altogether too vivid to be washed out
50 soon"
'But 1t has been more than a year
and a half since we've seen him." in
sists Pinckney. Il didn't realize II
had been 30 long myself until he told
me. And do you know. Shorty. some
thing mysterious must have happened
to the chap Never saw such a change"
Maybe the prohibition drought
caught him with an empty cellar"
says l.
M Iiokn i
ought to know Woody wasn't that kind.
And come to think OF it. he wasn't oh.
he might 60 through the motions. but
IL you watched him close you'd see him
drown finger OF Scotch with half
bottle OF ginger ale and make 1t last
through an evenin'.
More or less of q highbrow. Woody
was: wrote pieces for the parlor bolshe-
vik weeklies, read queer books and
could explain by the hour where him
and Debs or Spargo took different
tracks. Pinckney used to tow him up
to the studio and get him goin' just for
the fun OF hearin' us debate. Course.
I'd tell him straight how he had squirrels
in the attic. and he'd try to show me
where. as one OF the common people.
wasn't runnin' true to form when / be-
Neved all read in the capitalistfc press
Accordin' to him, ought to wear rec
necktie and Join some group OF workers
Like you. eh?" I'd say. "A hot
worker, you are! Why. all O'Clock
whistle means to you ia n signal to turn
over for another nap"
At which Woody would insist tha
while he might have been born a socia
parasite he took no pride In being on
and was out TO change the system. Oh
he was earnest enough about whateve
It was he thought he believed. He'd sc
real stirred up talking about the ex
plotted masses. the wage slaves. soulles
corDorations, etc. And the way he''
enthuse over tho honest toiler almos
made you want to grab pick and
dinner pail and hike for the neares
ditch. But noticed that Woody didn'
work up any palm callouses himself. A
he worked was his Jaw.
Then when the big war broke loos
and we got into It he seemed to take
mighty hard. He'd sit around gloom!
shakin' his head and mutterin' hars
things about the government. He don
admit being a pacifist. but he claims "
f,ad no business mixin' In this sad mes
He was sorry for our poor boys, sorr
for tho Belgians. sorry for the Ferncl
even sorry for the Germans. About II
only people that looked good to him ws
the Russians. Especially after they qu
and started this soviet business.
was strong for that, Woody was.
Tho ruddy dawn Of new ciy'iiz'
tion.' I remember his callin' It.
Looks ruddy. all right. II all We hei
10 so." says I.
It was about then that Woody begt
pullin' wires to get sent across WI
some safe and sane outfit of bombproo
ers. He'd duclked the drafts on accou
of being under weight and havin wei
eyes, but the next thing we heard he
broken into the Red Cross. got a JOB
some kind Of field commissioner. al
was about to start for Petrograd.
Look out you don't get to trottii
with Trotsky. Woody" was my part
word to him.
81 should feel much honored II
could" says he. and OF hs goes
Then he drops out Of sight The "
IN wound up after a fashion. the DO
come strasgiin' home. the peace conve
tiou scrap drags on. but stiii no sign
wcoAv In fact. ia most forgot