Evening star., 1926-10-03

vague II If she had been on her way
TO play tennis with a boy friend who
was perfectly grand.
-
a TRAMP was given work by the
owner of little place on the
edge of town
He was a somewhat sI1rlv tramD
though he did his work with sucl
capable industry that his employer
was glad to have him around Wher
he was through with the days labor
he would wash out at the pump in the
! back garden. though the owner. in
recognition Of his obvious refinement
| Of manner. had put him in a bedroom
with bowl and basin. After supper
he would sit out on the back porch
and smoke a pipe. never so much as
going 10 the post office store that was
q biz down the rcd. Then he would
60 20 bed And 40 1t al! over next
day.
The owner. thankful for such help
around the garden and garage. want
ed to make permanent terms. but the
! man seemed reluctant When. how
ever. the lady of the house bubbled
! over with thanks for the mending of
: n straw chair equal to new. the grim
! ness seemed to soften in his face. and
the two felt that perhaps. he would
stay.
One evening. for a change. cOm-
pany Of young folks came for tea. and
/ later a girl was prevailed on to play
the piano. Having quite little knack
! for jazz. she banged out fox trots and
! things for the others to dance by. and
| il was only by chance that the host,
! going out to be sure he had locked the
garage. found his tramp standing
! against the fence at the farthest end
OF his possessions. Naturally. he
wanted TO know why the chap didn' I
keep his seat on the back porch. SO
that he could hear the music. The
chan answered that he couldn't stand
that sort Of playing.
Well, she Is going to give MS some,
thing high-erade now. and vou will
/ enjoy t. Come along back. The wife
will pass around cream and cake
/ pretty soon, and you won't want to
( miss il.
| The girls idea Of high grade music
was a Chopin waltz that she couldn't
manage. but the rest of the party was
sitting around politely, knowing it
would have TO he over pretty soon,
! when
In rushed the tramp. and. regard
| less of everything. lifted the perform
er from the stool and sat down and
! began to play. 1t was the Chopin
waltz-and it might have been the
! great composer himself who was
visioning for that roomful Of people
the shrine of moonlight on grass, with
! fairy dancers swaying in the poetry
Of motion.
When he was through. the tramp
| got up and went out. And when the
| host and hostess. near dumb with sur
| ut
must be done with servant who was
also q genius. had given gusty ex
planation of how the man came 10 he
around and then. AT clamorous In
sistence of the guests. went out 70
ask him to come back and play some
more. they could not find him. He had
gone. And. unlike the cat Of poesy---
He has not come back.
! A WOMAN from the prairies trailed
"A behind her party-a dozen or
two tagged out tourists, whose
badges proclaimed them to be from
that section of the West. a bus that
trundled along a cement path was
occupied by couple of near-ancient
ladies, but the others were supposed
to be enjoying walk in Potomac
Park-which isn't SO idyllic as you
might suppose after siege Of public
| buildings and museum or two, hut,
anyhow
The woman trailed behind. slow
enough in her steps to watch Gar-
dener rake mp piles Of gay little
leaves that didn't know they were
dead-watchins squirrels scampet
around as if they owned the place
the broad silver-Nellow of the Po-
tomac. and such trees and trees and
trees. as the prairie never heard tel
Of And presently she came across
a woman who was painting. her
small canvas glowing with fresh =
dabbed paints.
II never saw anybody do anything
like that before"-the tourist said
it, probably by way of excusins her
curiosity. at looks more like play
than work-Td call 1t play"
1T is work. all right answered
"Why, | always thought YOU bought
them out Of a store-that's what ]
! do. Must make YOU happy. doesn't it
$50 much easier than housework
on =. farm.
! Not so bad. after YOU know how
/ but II took me long time 10 learn.
and even as II is. YOU can't always
! sell your stuff.
"Oh. but think it would he lovely
not like cooking and milking cows
we have a separator-Some don't,
YOU know"
The artist. good atured little
being who must have sensed the
child like ignorance of the tourist
woman who had reached near mid