Evening star., 1921-05-08

through Pug was young, ana He
needed room for action. He came
from Boston with an engineers de-
gree i'm his pocket and the ~hoie
wide world before him. Naturally
New York didn't go very far. fus
had the young American habit oil
Jumping through hoops-every hoop
a new plcasure-without so much as
stubbng his toe.
New York's all right" he te'd
his dad, but there's nothihs "'u'h
to do -, h;s
father said, do it. Then come zach
10 me and well talk over the business
of life" ,a
Pug pranced out into the bls Clty
leaking for action. He got IL. lou
soc. he had an ineXhaustible tnirSt
for life-not life ss most men thinh
i, is. but life as rug Wanlea 10 i.,e
H. If he encountered new eHio'ioh,
he took it apart and examined the
wbeeIs If some one puzzled h1m-a
hum. a waiter. a philosopher. or q
M-onan--he always sattshed ms cur.
ssity. 1t wasn't enough TO % rue n.hn 10
thought of it, to begin with; VINO
huiIt il. and who ran it. He was as
Yxhaustless as terrier. II was
never too much trouble to nnn out
fhe most hidden springs OF N''ai''''
the very sources of energy.
.Your son has 81. titus dance
some one told Pues dad.
mot at all, the old man ansWeeu a,
With smile: he has the punch. JUST
now his style IS crampeo;1 III nnan
has exhausted New York l shaii open
the door into the wide Werid ano
show him out-there ism; room for
him here" ,.,
:, Then you will lose him.
y,I-C.S father shook his head and
looked across the top of his ma
bocsry desk. through the plates'ass
windows OF his expensive doWnto"h
Office. beyond the crowding towers
and pinnacIes of the city to the open
harhor. There was shadow OF
wistfuI longing in his ewes. I'd RAIN
or lose him" he said. than put him
in chains God save us. Most OF us
believe that Youth has to be disc,-
plined. It's the mean envy OF m,naie
age and sen.lty. When were tired
disiIlusioned. stale as nat cham-
sters. Lecture EN-. Advise 'em! Curb
'em, Show 'em the straight and
narrow path before they have learn
ed to walk at all No sir. nave ex-
nlained the elementary moraiities 70
Pug. He can distinguish the sound.
same music of thou shalt not in the
bleating Of the market nlace. / am
not afraid of him. st. Fitus' dance:
Lord bless ma-he hasn't room to
swing his arms
smile that kindled smiles wherever
he went Glum faces broke into re-
sDonsive grins as he swung down
5th avenue or galloped along Broad,
way. He left trail OF good
humor behind him as an impetuous
young comet snaps a whip of sparks
across a dark sky. He was glad to
he alive because he did not believe
in failure any more than he believed
in fairies. because every one liked
full of a number OF things. He tao
kIed New York with the glse of an
undefeated htweight-paving the
ring and scrapping good-naturedly
tried to hurt him. he trimmed him up.
sat on mis- chest. and t.ckled him un-
til he cried for help.
There are lots Of things to learn.
he told his dad one morning at break
fast. New York has more up its
sleeve than I imagined"
But PuG's dad scarcely glanced up
rom the editorial page OF the
Times. He shrugged his shoulders.
slightly. gave the paner an erbar-
FdSSeu SNd NJ. duu SdIu. i~t
know when you've had enough"
Pug laughed TT takes an awful
lot" he answered. "to tire me out"
Nr. Fairchild pu' the Times down
and stared over his glasses at Pug.
What he saw reassured him-Pug's
spontaneous smile. his sleek cap OF
smooth brown hair. his serious eyes.
They looked at each other gravely
for moment. Pug had one-stepped
through the parental door very early
dull
headache behind his serious eyes.
But his hands were steady and his
smile was as joyous as ever. He
waited. with an unsteady feeling
around his heart, while his fathers
eyes rested on him with look that
was both auizical and afectionate.
Then he laughed. striking the an
swering shout in his dad. as ne knew
he would.
pad" he said devoutly. you're a
Yes Pug was doing his best to jump
through all the hoops. He tired New
York out long before he lost his own
breath. He danced on every polished
hardwood floor between Harlem and the
Battery. He knew every head waiter.
every talented mixer Of delectable con-
coctions. every maitre d'hotei in town.
He understood the subtle technique of
reserving tables and tipping restaurant
potentates. He had a nodding acquaint-
anCe WIN DOX-O1icS tyfAHtS, ana ne
knew how to smile his way into theaters.
He had the envisble privilege of taking
certain lovely fOiies out to supper. per-
haps because he never made love TO
them and understood the peculiar patois
of Broadway He had been drunk in a
variety Of WAYS. and had always landed
on his feet He had driven a taxi half
way up the steps OF the Public Library.
He had gambled he had flashed in and
out of dozen studios where hs had
heard good. bad and Indifferent talk he
had listened 10 serious music and had
liked il: he had absorbed American rag.
time through the soles of his feet. and
ne liked that, too. He laughed his way
into New York society. into Greenwich
Village. into smart clubs. You cou!dn {
tire him out: he was never bored He
blew into New York like fresh west
wind. BY the time he had breezed
halfway through his Manhattan educa-
ton he had become a tornado. a syn
onym for zip. pepper. punch-whatever
II is one calls the zest Of youth. He
never stopped for breath except when ne
took q Turkish bath or went actually to
bed.
SsX1-ELL," his dad said. when he
caught sight Of MIN again one
morning at breakfast. there seems
nothing left in the way Of speed ex-
cept a racing car and an aeroplane.
Ill give you both"
Pug laughed. How about the busi-
ness OF life?
Tired out?"
NO. sir. Only"
"OnIy what?'
i've used up New York. think I've
played on all the instruments except
the big bass drum. don't want u
apt or