Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06

Il EAEsN that WINDOW leCS
in too much draft
down with the
flu, first thing you know-well? I see,
by good authority, that upward of
10000 newspapers are stolen daily from
the Self-service boxes that have been
installed over town on the Eonor-SyStem
plan. And as each fellow who prigs a
paper is a thief, that let's us Ill on the
fact that this city is swarming over with
petty pilferers. Nice advertisement Tor
those of us who are trying to interest
the country in helping get the vote.
"A newspaper is the only cheap
priced product left us, so I figure 1t out
that man who will sell his decency by
stealing one, instead of dropping cents
in slot--or cents, at most. is fell
low who falls into every temptation that
comes his way, without waiting Tor
satan to set the trap.
ut is the lure of wanting something
for nothing-and since there is no dan
ger of being caught, no thought OF
Bible or law or personal respect pre-
vents the little swipe. Consequence is:
Ten thousand thieves around us and
with us-on streets, in cars and cafes
and hotels and homes-maybe going to
church on Sundays and to the movies
all week. Well see you want to get to
work-Happy New Year"
Which left the astonished woman free
to peg it down, verbatiEl-which is all
there is to say about it, eXcept-that:
A rogue is a rogue, of course, but
there are grades: Robin Hood, who
f1lched from the rich to feed the poor
was in one class and Noah Claypole,
who worked the "kinchen lay of steal
ing pennies from little children sent on
errandS to the corner store by their
mothers, belonged to that sphere de-
scribed by Dante as one OF the lowest
circles in that region that all of us
know about, but which nice ladies do
not name.
The box-burglar seems to be his near
neighbor, though, naturally, newSpa-
per is by no means of the helpleSSness
of a little child. BY no means, Sir.
And likewise, Ma'am!
Especially, as the newspaper, itself,
supplies bait for the pilferer. And the
worlds greatest pleas is: Lead us not
into temptation"
After ALL the story may not be true.
Sometimes story is the other thing.
X x \ 4
CHE had piano legs and body like
~ tuba combination that would
have been less conspicuous had she
kept to ankle skirts, but
You know how it is when you come
into unexpected money: You simply
must buy new clothes to fit new con-
ditions, and the suit department clerk,
knowing her business, fits you out III
the latest. Hence the piano legs and
body like tub.
And having bought Christmas
wreaths, strung on an arm like so many
bracelets; a bunch of flaming holly to
accent her portlineSs, along with a
sprawling spray of red wax chrysanthe-
NUNS that nature knows nothing about.
she had to pause to mass her buying
into closer contact so that she could
buy some more. While she was about 1t,
along came friend carrying a basket
of marketing that revealed frizzle OF
celery tips and the hook end OF a
ham.
MY land, Sue what you doing with
all that stuff? Buying the market out?"
The tub lady chuckled with the un-
abashed frankness Of a child.
Amt I a show? But I tell you,
Mag, I just couldn't help myself. It's |
been so many years since I could afford |
to spend a cent except for food, and |
not always enough Of that, that just |
turned in and bought, regardless-to |
pay up for all the Christmas times I
couldn't get wreath for the window, |
just famishin' for a little Christmas |
and could only get bacon and four |
potatoes, stopped down and picked |
up some crowsfoot that folks had been |
Walkin' on-and it looked real sweet |
on the table, too"
"'BlesS her heart'-but say. old girl, |
where did the money come from-huh?"
The tubby one laughed out-like a
boy:
George sold some wild, good.for- moth |
ing land that belonged to his father,
who half starved on it tryin' to farm |
of money, and we agreed to squander |
$40 apiece, just for joy. Amt it |
grand?"
Sure is news-wiSh it was me! But |
say, what you THROWN it away on |
greens for that you'll have to sweep |,
up the day after New Year? You ought |
to accelerated by gettin' yourself |
somethin' useful-not foolishness like |
that"
But Mag was mistaken. If you have |
had to spend a life of hard work try
ing to make both ends meet-and fall |
ing-and fortune finally gives you your |
hearts delight, there is nothing so
rapturous in the whole calendar OF
pleasures as the doing of something |
foolish-"just for JOY"
X X X
HERE is an entirely new reason why
II f1appers cake their faces with
makeup. 1t isn't vanity 1t is purest
philanthropy. Which sounds like news.
And news is always worth passing on:
A flock of noon-hour Junior High
School pupils had crowded into a drug
store, for lunch-sandwicheS soda, and
the like-though a side counter had its
girl patrons who chartered like robins
in Springtime, over the merits OF this
rouge and that.
One customer, whose only motive In
going to a drug store Is to buy medicine,
was so fascinated by the thrush of
youth and laughter; paint, powder and
the boiling of that thing that youth
eats" that while she waited for ply
Sician'S prescription that called Tor
drug that was already bottled and on
a shelf, but had to be wrapped, she
watched first one batch of youngsters
and then another, until her interest
conferred on one girl, who was pencnlng
her mouth with lipstick until the
paint lay as thick as salve.
It was none of her business, OF course.
but you know how women are-all OF
u.s. We will NEEDLE, with the very best
intentions in the world:
You are a real pretty girl, honey,
and you would be beautiful if you didn't
mar your face with all that stuff. Why
do you do it, as pretty as you are?" /
The girl must have been as good
natured as she was lovely, or perhaps, |
she felt the glow of honest admiration,
for she dubbed out an intimate answer,
without in the least interfering with
the working of the lipstick:
Have to! Why, what do you suppose
this store would do for living if girls
were to stop buying makeup? 1t
couldn't possibly get along, even with |
the lunch counter, and souvenirs and
candy and things"
This may not have been just valua-
ton of the store stock but it ended up