Evening star., 1922-12-31

sion, in a small. neat, solid and very
private house. His age was uncer-
tain. His appearance was arid. His
garb was plain and black. His ex-
preston was unfriendly. His busi-
ness was making money and his
pleasure keeping the money when
made. AS to his neighbors. he asked
nothing and gave nothing. Behind
his back, and not always very far be-
hind 1t, he was called the meanest
man in our square.
Only for Terry the Cop, MacLachan.
tho little red doctor and Cyrus the
Gaunt, did he have a curt, silent nod.
and for the Bonnie Lassie an awk-
ward bow. The rest of US might as
we'll not have existed. Naturally,
there were few who had a good word
for him. OF these Terry the Cop was
one.
Anyway. he has a grand pair of
hands," Terry has been heard to aver.
On the strength of this opinion. the
Bonnie Lassie, who needed a really
superior pair of hands for a sculp-
ture which she was then employed
upon, made a point of catching Miles
Morse in the park and compelling
him to shake hands with her. to his
resentful embarrassment. Subse-
quently she took our guardian of the
peace to task.
Il don't know what you could have
been thinking Of. Terry" she do
clared. His hands are knuckly out
side and puffy inside"
t. 81
said Terry graphically.
Not clearly comprehending what
standing In court Mr.. Morse's hands
would give him. tho Bonnie Lassie
dropped the subject. On her own
account, however, she had a sus-
picion of redeeming qualities In the
meanest man.
NOW it happened that the high
/ y gods of council who unoff1cially
rule our square held conference not
long thereafter upon a project ad-
vanced by the little red doctor for a
local legal aid organization, with an
office and an attendant. Money was
needed, and money Is one of our
rarest phenomena.
1t was the Bonnie Lassie who sug-
sested that the meanest man IN our
square be approached for a contri-
button.
We'll, my dearest" said Cyrus the
Gaunt, with that condescending sur
render which IS one of his few faults
as husband, suppose you tackle
him for q contribution
II will.'' said the Bonnie Lassie.
''1'll go now
She went. Presently she returned.
1t was not the return Of victress.
How muck?" asked the little red
doctor.
The Bonnie Lass!e throw out empty
and eloquent hands.
".And what did he say?' inquired
Cyrus the Gaunt.
'1Ie indicated that he'd SEQ mo In
hades first
Then I'll 60 over and knock his
head off," declared her husband, red
dening. i've always wanted to do 1t,
anyway"
Nothing Of the sort, goose! I
didn't say he said It I said he indi-
cated 1t. 1t was his manner. Ver-
bally. he was polite enough. Said he
didn't believe in charity"
Cyrus the Gaunt snorted.
Gave his reasons. too. He said he
doesn't believe in charity because it
makes the recipient think too Ill of
himself. which Is bad. and the giver
think too well Of himself, which is
worse"
Something IN that" grudsed the
little red doctor.
isn't there? I tried to explain the
usefulness of the legal aid society,
hut he said that people who got into
court were fools, and people who
hired lawyers to lie for them were
.inaves. Then" the Bonnie Lassie
llmpled-"he caught me shifting at
his musty old house, and asked me
what was the matter, and I asked him
il he had ever been busted and aired,
and he said that he was afraid he'd
have to get housekeeper, and II I'd
get him one-the right kind Of a one
an old. respectable, honest woman.
who'd do all the work while ne was
away. so that he'd never have to see
her. he'd contribute to our fund
The Bonnie Lassie paused for effect
ten dollars"
When the assembled council had
finished expressing its various emo-
tions the speaker continued:
I've got a month to do 1t in. So
L made him make out the check and
hold it, unsigned"
What's the idea, LassieT' asked
9IacLachan the Tailor.
Tho leak-in- -the-dike principle"
she explained profoundly. "The ten
dollars is just the first trickle. II we
ever get him started, heaven help him
before we let him stop, I'm going to
get that ten dollars If I have to take
the position myself"
DCT she was not driven to that
ID length. 1t is recognized fact
N our square that when the Bonnie
Lassie determines to get anything
done, Providence. with rank favorit-
ISM, invariably steps in and does 1t
for her. This powerful and unfail-
ing ally it was that brought Molly
Dunstan to our square, white-faced,
hot-eyed. and with a gnawing fire of
despair at her heart, plunging blindly
against the onset of furious March
wind, until the lights Of Schoenkind's
drug store guided her to harbor. In
tho absence of Schoenkind. who was
lining late at the Elite restaurant,
young Irvy Levinson was keeping
shop. and as young Irvy is Of cheer
ful. care-free and undiscriminating
disposition, he made no bones of soil.