Evening star., 1924-01-13
Heard and Seen

| He was riding along lonely road
in Maryland
| The night was dark, and eerie
sounds drifted over the hills as his
car sped along.
| What a fine night for a old-up.'
he thought to himself.
| AS he came to crossroads a
figure stepped out.
'Give me a lift, stranger" cried
the man. .. =
The ear owner halted The man
didn't poke a gun in his face nor call
upon him to stand and deliver 1t
was pretty dark, but the stranger
Hooked decent enough
Get right in," he said, while the
man climbed. into the seat beside him.
As he started up, the thought came
to him that it was a risky thing to
do. He surveyed the man covertly.
Yes, he looked all right.
When they had gone perhaps an
eighth of a mile, however, suspicion
again got the best of the car owner.
Before he left home his wife had told
| him to beware of incorporating men
along the roadside
With his left hand he slyly felt for
his watch.
His heart Ieaped into. his mouth
His watch was gone,
Quick as a fash, he decided what
. to do.
| He brought his car to a grinding
halt.
! Give me that watch he snapped
sticking his right hand into his
pocket threateningly, and holding out
his left
Without a word the stranger pro-
idnced a watch and handed it TO the
| car owner.
Now get out of this car" thunder
ed the automobiles.
The stranger, still without a word,
climbed out hastily, and rapidly ran
Glad enough to get off so easy"
breathed the triumphant rider, pat
| ting his watch pocket. Gosh. |
igot out of that lucky, He sure did
sneak that watch pretty, though"
Severa! hours later he got to his
front door.
Man tried to steal my watch. but
! got it back again. he told his better
"Why, YOU left Your watch at
home" replied his wife. ''.
The Senate Office b6lding reminds
lone of that quatrain of old Omar
about going. out at the same door
where in one went.
The only difference is that in the
Senate Office building one never goes
out the same door he came in. He is
lucky If he finds any door. at all.
This is probably the most puzzling
building in Washington to find ones
way around In. The mazes of an
Itiquity must have been easy in COM
parison.
To the unwary visitor il resolves
itself into a sort of labyrinth. from
which he with difficulty eXtricates
himself, after calling in the services
or an elevator man and one or two
guards.
II the visitor manages to find the
particular Office he is seeking. with
out recourse to an inmate, he pats
himself on the back.
II he is able to find his way to any
exit alone he brags about it to his
friends.
To date, no one has been discovered
who can go into the north door, for
instance, wander around the building
for time, and then unerringly re-
trace his steps to the <selfsame north
door.
If you enter by the north door you
will find yourself at the south en-
trance, after wandering UP and down
corridors; If entrance was made at
will land at the north end.
!. ::
Many Washingtonians are fixing
up their yards and sowing grass seed
already, taking. advantage of the
springlike weather called. winter
1t has been many long year since
there has been such an open. winter
here. The recent cold snap lasted
but few days, followed by a heavy
frost. after which April weather pre-
vailed.
The ground softened up so, after
the last frost bad melted under II
! warm sun, that ii was possible 10
| dig up and turn over back yards.
sow grass seed, if one desired, and
, get them all ready for the real
spring.
| These early planters may lose lot
| of perfectly good seed, II couple of
months Of real winter weather should
Intervene, but the experiment is
CHARLES L. TRACEwELL.