Evening star., 1923-09-30
Heard and Seen

Sir Walter Raleigh has got a lot
of credit through the centuries for
that stunt Of throwing his velvet
cloak down in a pool Of muddy water
SO that Queen Elizabeth might cross
over dry-shod,
Looking at it from the viewpoint
of 1923, it would seem that Sir Wal
ter got more publicity than he de-
served for a. somewhat theatric ges-
ture. He must have had any number
of velvet outfits in his wardrobe. so
it really meant nothing to him.
The gallantry of the action, of
course, is what has kept that anec-
dote intact through the ages. Even
in this street car age. courtesy -four
ishes. This despite the bad manners
of women who refuse to thank man
when he gets up to give them their
seat.
One rainy morning recently mod
ern Sir Walter Raleigh might have
been observed on an open street cal
running downtown from Mount Pleas
ant.
1t was one of those sloppy, drizzly
mornings, when the street car COM
pany particularly delights to run
open cars. Try as the passengers
may to huddie in the center of the
seats, they are bound to get wet.
Let them pull down the blinds on
the far side as much as they please
still the rain seeps in all over every
thing.
| That wet morning Cir Walter got
on, carrying a newspaper. He had
! left his velvet coat behind. This
morning he wore a straw hat, and
carried an umbrella.
He got seated and was reading away
| when a woman got into the seat di-
rectly in front of him. She stood
rather than sat down on the wet seat.
The man was so interested in his
paper that he failed TO see the lady's
When he grasped the situation, how
ever. he was quick to act.
Folding his paper to double thick.
seat, spread down the newspaper and
cried:
The strangest part of this story is
that the lady accepted the newsy
seat with smile.
* *
Now this is no reflection on the
street cleaning department.
lust a curious instance of how long
a little article can exist in the whirl
and turmoil of a busy city street.
Probably you have read the story
tof O. Henry's In which is recounted
the pathetic episode of the old man
mortally i'll, who believed that he
would die when the last leaf, on an
old wall out his window, dropped
away.
| such a master of the short story
might have built similarly enter
tanning story out of the little tin
spoon which lay for weeks on a
An observer happened to notice the
spoon lying there. The next morn.
ing he saw it again. After that IT
became his habit to look for that bit
of tin every morning.
Each day before he got TO the man
hole he would wonder IL the spoon
would still. be there. Sure enough
there 1t would be. One morning II
would be near the center or the iron.
Another time it would be kicked over
near the edge. Once it got over the
rim it was gone.
By actual count. the spoon stayed
there on that manhole for five weeks
Countless feet trod upon it. 1t was
bent and twisted.
Then It was gone.
4:
4 X
AS absurd q sight as ever graced
washington street was furnished last
week by a big, old dog that ran away
with a Teddy bear.
The bear was reposing on a front
step, where it had been left by some
small member of the family.
The dog came along. eyed the beal
with interest, sidled over to it ant
grabbed Ii up in his mouth.
Then, with g. toss Of his head, the
dog sped off down the street. drag
gfiIg the Teddy bear after him. WheI
| last seen he was rounding tho cor
ner and somebody seemed out per
fectly goodyear
/ CHARLES E. TRACEWELLs