Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-20

ana issue from the Grand Central l..
Mr.. Holiday called the porter and
told him for the good of his soul
that fifty years ago travelling had not
been the easy matter that it was to-
day. This off his mind. he dismissed
the porter by beginning to read. He
still Wore his OVercoat and high silk
hat. These he would not remove until
time had proved that the temperature
of his car was properly regulated.
lie became restless after u while and
hurried TO the forward compartment
of the MishaWaka to see if all his
trunks had been put on. He counted
them over several times. and each
time he came to the black trunk he
shifted and wrinkled up his nose in
dignantly. The black trunk was filled
with the most ridiculous and eXpen-
Sive rubbish that he had ever been
called upon to purchase. When his
married daughters and his wife had
learned. by ''prying," that he was GO
ing to New York on business. they had
gathered about him with lists as long
as his arm. and they had badgered
him and pestered him until he had
flown into a passion and snatched the
lists and thrown them on the floor.
But at that the ladies had looked such
Indignant. hearthrokCn daggerS 1T him
that he had felt obliged to relent.
He now @lared and shifted at the
black trunk, and called for the porter.
DO YOU know what's in that
trunk" he said in a pettish. indignant
voice Its full Of Christmas presents
for my grandchildren. It's got croco-
dies in il and lions and Billy POssums
and mustcboXes and dolls and yachts
and stcam-cnSines ana spiders and
monkeys and dolls furniture and
china. 1t cost me seven hundred and
forty-two dollars and nine cents to fill
that trunk. Do YOU know where l
wish it was?"
The porter did not know.
Il wish it was in Jericho said Mr..
Holiday.
He fingered the brass knob of the
door that led forward to the regular
coaches, turned ii presently, and closed
it behind him.
His progress through the train re
sembled that Of Il mongoose turned
loose in new quarters. Nothing es
capped his prying scrutiny or love of
petty information. If he came TO a
smoking compartment, he would
thrust aside the curtain and peer in
II it contained not more than three
persons, he would then enter seat
himself, and proceed to ask them per
Sonal questions. 1t was curious that
people SO seldom resented being queS-
toned by Mr.. Holiday; perhaps his
evident sincerity in seeking for infOr
nation accounted for this; perhaps
the fact that he was famous. and that
nearly everybody in the country knew
him by sight. Perhaps it is impossible
for d little gentleman OF So very
Smartly dressed, with Il carnat ton in
his; huttUnhUle. to be impertinent
And then he took such immense and
childish 1ilpg Slrrp tho gpSzt.nrS
he got, and sometimes wrote them
down in his note book, with comments.
as:
Got into conversation with a lady
with fiat face. She gave me her age
as ~. l should have said nearer 90.
Man Of 80 tells me has had wart on
nose for % years; has had it removed
by electrolysiS twice. but it persists.
Tell him that l have never had
wart"
Etc, Etc
During his peregrinat tons he came
to closed door which tempted him
strangely. 1t was probably the door of
= private Stateroorn: it might be the
door of a dust closet. He meditated
with his finger upon. the knob. I'll
Just open it slowly" he thought and
If ] make q mistake III say l thought
1t was a smoking compartment"
= :: =
a 5 THE door opened q smell Of
roses came out. Huddled into the
seat that rides forward WAS Il beautiful
girl. very much diSheveIled and Weep
Ing bitterly, with her head upon one
of those coarse white pillows which
the Pullman Company provides. Her
roses lay upon the seat opposite. She
was so Self-centered in her misery that
she was not aware that the door had
been opened, head thrust in and
withdrawn, and the door closed. But
she was sure that still small voice
had suddenly spoken in her mind, and
said: Brace up Presently she
stopped crying, as became one who
had been made the subject of q mani
feStation. and began to put her hair
in order a the narrow mirror between
the two windows. Meanwhile though
Mr.. Holiday was making himself
scarce, as the saying is. he was con
Sumed with interest to know why
the beautiful girl was weeping. And
he meant to find out
But in the meantime another case
provoked his interest 4 handsome
woman of 80 occupied section in
car q. She was dressed in close fitting
black. with touch Of white at her
throat and wrists
Without any awkward preliminaries,
Nj. Holiday bent over and said:
I've been wondering ma am. if you
are dressed in black for your father
o. Your husband"
She looked up. recognized the IA
nous eccentric. and smiled.
Il wear black" she said. when he
had seated himself, mot because I
am in mourning for anybody. but be
cause it's becoming to me. You see.
i have very lightcolored hair
Does all that hair grow on your
head?' Mr.. Holiday asked, simply
md without offense.
Every bit of it she said.
Il have n splendid head of hair.
TO" he commented But there's a
,-"uns man in the car back of this
(holl be % years of age in February.
end he's got more dandruff than hair.
Where are YOU goinS?"
cleveland"
Us that your home"
'No. I'm "a bird of passage"
What is your Nance
81 am Miss Hampton" she said, and
she hoped that he might have heard of
her. But he hadn't. And she eX-
planned herself. I'm to play at the
Euclid Theater Christmas night"
''An actor?" he said
We'll" she admitted, some say so,
and some won't hear of it,
"How much money do you earn"
Two hundred dollars week.
Mr.. Holiday wrote that in his note
book.
:: :: :; ::
IN THE smoking compartment Of
the next car forward sat very
Young man. He looked at once sulky
and frightened He wasn't smoking.
but was drumming on the window sill
with his fingernailS. He had n gar
onl ,r,c