ding　Company；　there　was　a　look　of　a　couple　of　fires
  and　an　eviction　all　over　the　place。
  〃The　tenants　began　to　pack　up　feather　beds；　rub…
  ber　boots；　strings　of　garlic；　hot…water　bags；　porta…
  ble　canoes　and　scuttles　of　coal　to　take　along　for　the
  sake　of　comfort。　　The　sidewalk　looked　like　a　Russian
  camp　in　Oyama's　line　of　mareb。　　There　was　waiting
  and　lamenting　up　and　down　stairs　from　Danny　Geog…
  hegan's　flat　on　the　top　floor　to　the　apartments　of
  Missis　Goldsteinupski　on　the　first。
  〃'For　why；〃　says　Danny；　coming　down　and　raging
  in　his　blue　yarn　socks　to　the　janitor；　'should　I　be
  turned　out　of　me　comfortable　apartments　to　lay　in
  the　dirty　grass　like　a　rabbit？　　'Tis　like　Jerome　to
  stir　up　trouble　wid　small　matters　like　this　instead
  of　　〃
  〃'Whist！'　says　Officer　Reagan　on　the　sidewalk；
  rapping　with　his　club。　　''Tis　not　Jerome。　　'Tis　by
  order　of　the　Polis　Commissioner。　　Turn　out　every
  one　of　yez　and　hike　yerselves　to　the　park。'
  〃Now；　'twas　a　peaceful　and　happy　home　that　all
  of　us　had　in　them　same　Beersheba　Flats。　　The
  O'Dowds　and　the　Steinowitzes　and　the　Callahans　and
  the　Cohens　and　the　Spizzinellis　and　the　McManuses
  and　the　Spiegelmayers　and　the　Joneses　　all　nations
  of　us；　we　lived　like　one　big　family　together。　　And
  when　the　hot　nights　come　along　we　kept　a　line　of
  children　reaching　from　the　front　door　to　Kelly's　on　the
  corner　passing　along　the　cans　of　beer　from　one　to
  another　without　the　trouble　of　running　after　it。　　And
  with　no　more　clothing　on　than　is　provided　for　in　the
  statutes；　sitting　in　all　the　windies；　with　a　cool　growler
  in　every　one；　and　your　feet　out　in　the　air；　and　the
  Rosenstein　girls　singing　on　the　fire…escape　of　the　sixth
  floor；　and　Patsy　Rourke's　flute　going　in　the　eighth；
  and　the　ladies　calling　each　other　synonyms　out　the　win…
  dies；　and　now　and　then　a　breeze　sailing　in　over　Mister
  Depew's　Central　　I　tell　you　the　Beersheba　Flats　was
  a　summer　resort　that　made　the　Catskills　look　like
  a　bole　in　the　ground。　　With　his　person　full　of　beer
  and　his　feet　out　the　windy　and　his　old　woman　frying
  pork　chops　over　a　charcoal　furnace　and　the　children
  dancing　in　cotton　slips　on　the　sidewalk　around　the
  organ…grinder　and　the　rent　paid　for　a　week　　what
  does　a　man　want　better　on　a　hot　night　than　that？
  And　then　comes　this　ruling　of　the　polis　driving　people
  out　o'　their　comfortable　homes　to　sleep　in　parks
  'twas　for　all　the　world　like　a　ukase　of　them　Rus…
  sians　　'twill　be　heard　from　again　at　next　election
  time。
  〃Well；　then；　Officer　Reagan　drives　the　whole　lot
  of　us　to　the　park　and　turns　us　in　by　the　nearest
  gate。　　'Tis　dark　under　the　trees；　and　all　the　children
  sets　up　to　howling　that　they　want　to　go　home。
  〃'Ye'll　pass　the　night　in　this　stretch　of　woods
  and　scenery；'　says　Officer　Reagan。　　''Twill　be　fine
  and　imprisonment　for　insoolting　the　Park　Commis…
  sioner　and　the　Chief　of　the　Weather　Bureau　if　ye　re…
  fuse。　　I'm　in　charge　of　thirty　acres　between　here　and
  the　Agyptian　Monument；　and　I　advise　ye　to　give　no
  trouble。　　'Tis　sleeping　on　the　grass　yez　all　have　been
  condemned　to　by　the　authorities。　　Yez'll　be　permitted
  to　leave　in　the　morning；　but　ye　must　retoorn　be　night。
  Me　orders　was　silent　on　the　subject　of　bail；　but　I'11
  find　out　if　'tis　required　and　there'll　be　bondsmen　at
  the　gate。'
  〃There　being　no　lights　except　along　the　automo…
  bile　drives；　us　179　tenants　of　the　Beersheba　Flats
  prepared　to　spend　the　night　as　best　we　could　in　the
  raging　forest。　　Them　that　brought　blankets　and　kin…
  dling　wood　was　best　off。　　They　got　fires　started　and
  wrapped　the　blankets　round　their　heads　and　laid
  down；　cursing；　in　the　grass。　　There　was　nothing　to
  see；　nothing　to　drink；　nothing　to　do。　　In　the　dark　we
  had　no　way　of　telling　friend　or　foe　except　by　feeling
  the　noses　of　'em。　　I　brought　along　me　last　winter
  overcoat；　me　toothbrush；　some　quinine　pills　and　the
  red　quilt　off　the　bed　in　me　flat。　　Three　times　during
  the　night　somebody　rolled　on　me　quilt　and　stuck　his
  knees　against　the　Adam's　apple　of　me。　　And　three
  times　I　judged　his　character　by　running　me　hand　over
  his　face；　and　three　times　I　rose　up　and　kicked　the　in…
  truder　down　the　hill　to　the　gravelly　walk　below。　　And
  then　some　one　with　a　flavor　of　Kelly's　whiskey　snug…
  gled　up　to　me；　and　I　found　his　nose　turned　up　the
  right　way；　and　I　says：　'　Is　that　you；　then；　Patsey？
  and　he　says；　'It　is；　Carney。　　How　long　do　you　think
  it'll　last？'
  〃'　I'm　no　weather…prophet；'　says　I；　'but　if　they
  bring　out　a　strong　anti…Tammany　ticket　next　fall　it
  ought　to　get　us　home　in　time　to　sleep　on　a　bed　once
  or　twice　before　they　line　us　up　at　the　polls。'
  〃A…playing　of　my　flute　into　the　airshaft；　I　says
  Patsey　Rourke；　'and　a…perspiring　in　me　own　windy
  to　the　joyful　noise　of　the　passing　trains　and　the　smell
  of　liver　and　onions　and　a…reading　of　the　latest　mur…
  der　in　the　smoke　of　the　cooking　is　well　enough　for
  me；'　says　he。　　'What　is　this　herding　us　in　grass　for；
  not　to　mention　the　crawling　things　with　legs　that　walk
  up　the　trousers　of　us；　and　the　Jersey　snipes　that
  peck　at　us；　masquerading　under　the　name　and　denom…
  ination　of　mosquitoes。　　What　is　it　all　for　Carney；　and
  the　rint　going　on　just　the　same　over　at　the　flats？'
  〃Tis　the　great　annual　Municipal　Free　Night
  Outing　Lawn　Party；'　says　I；　'given　by　the　polis；
  Hetty　Green　and　the　Drug　Trust。　　During　the　heated
  season　they　hold　a　week　of　it　in　the　principal　parks。
  'Tis　a　scheme　to　reach　that　portion　of　the　people
  that's　not　worth　taking　up　to　North　Beach　for　a
  fish　fry。'
  〃'　I　can't　sleep　on　the　ground；'　says　Patsey；　'wid
  any　benefit。　　I　have　the　hay　fever　and　the　rheuma…
  tism；　and　me　car　is　full　of　ants。'
  〃Well；　the　night　goes　on；　and　the　ex…tenants　of
  the　Flats　groans　and　stumbles　around　in　the　dark；
  trying　to　find　rest　and　recreation　in　the　forest。　　The
  children　is　screaming　with　the　coldness；　and　the　jan…
  itor　makes　hot　tea　for　'em　and　keeps　the　fires　going
  with　the　signboards　that　point　to　the　Tavern　and　the
  Casino。　　The　tenants　try　to　lay　down　on　the　grass　by
  families　in　the　dark；　but　you're　lucky　if　you　can　sleep
  next　to　a　man　from　the　same　floor　or　believing　in
  the　same　religion。　　Now　and　then　a　Murpby；　acci…
  dental；　rolls　over　on　the　grass　of　a　Rosenstein；　or
  a　Cohen　tries　to　crawl　under　the　O'Grady　bush；　and
  then　there's　a　feeling　of　noses　and　somebody　is　rolled
  down　the　hill　to　the　driveway　and　stays　there。　　There
  is　some　hair…pulling　among　the　women　folks；　and
  everybody　spanks　the　nearest　howling　kid　to　him　by
  the　sense　of　feeling　only；　regardless　of　its　parentage
  and　ownership。　　'Tis　hard　to　keep　up　the　social　dis…
  tinctions　in　the　dark　that　flourish　by　daylight　in　the
  Beersheba　Flats。　　Mrs。　Rafferty；　that　despises　the
  asphalt　that　a　Dago　treads　on；　wakes　up　in　the　morn…
  ing　with　her　feet　in　the　bosom　of　Antonio　Spizzinelli。
  And　Mike　O'Dowd；　that　always　threw　peddlers　down…
  stairs　as　fast　as　he　came　upon　'em；　has　to　unwind　old
  Isaacstein's　whiskers　from　around　his　neck；　and　wake
  up　the　whole　gang　at　daylight。　　But　here　and　there
  some　few　got　acquainted　and　overlooked　the　discom…
  forts　of　the　elements。　　There　was　five　engagements　to
  be　married　announced　at　the　flats　the　next　morning。
  About　midnight　I　gets　up　and　wrings　the　dew　out
  of　my　hair；　and　goes　to　the　side　of　the　driveway
  and　sits　down。　　At　one　side　of　the　park　I　could　see
  the　lights　in　the　streets　and　houses；　and　I　was　thinking
  how　happy　them　folks　was　who　could　chase　the　duck
  and　smoke　their　pipes　at　their　windows；　and　keep　cool
  and　pleasant　like　nature　intended　for　'em　to。
  Just　then　an　automobile　stops　by　me；　and　a　fine…
  looking；　well…dressed　man　steps　out。
  'Me　man；'　says　he；　'can　you　tell　me　why　all　these
  people　are　lying　around　on　the　grass　in　the　park？
  I　thought　it　was　against　the　rules。'
  〃''Twas　an　ordinance；'　says　I；　'just　passed　by
  the　Polis　Department　and　ratified　by　the　Turf　Cut…
  ters'　Association；　providing　that　all　persons　not　car…
  rying　a　license　number　on　their　rear　axles　shall　keep
  in　the　public　parks　until　further　notice。　　Fortu…
  nately；　the　orders　comes　this　year　during　a　spell　of
  fine　weather；　and　the　mortality；　except　on　the　borders
  of　the　lake　and　along　the　automobile　drives；　will　not
  be　any　greater　than　usual。'
  〃'Who　are　these　people　on　the　side　of　the　bill？'
  asks　the　man。
  〃'Sure；'　says　I；　'none　others　than　the　tenants　of
  the　Beersheba　Flats　　a　fine　home　for　any　man；
  especially　on　hot　nights。　　May　daylight　come　soon！'
  〃'They　come　here　be　night；'　says　be；　'and　breathe
  in　the　pure　air　and　the　fragrance　of　the　flowers　and
  trees。　　They　do　that；'　says　be；　'coming　every　night
  from　the　burning　beat　of　dwellings　of　brick　and　stone。'
  〃'And　wood；'　says　I。　'And　marble　and　plaster
  and　iron。'
  〃'The　matter　will　be　attended　to　at　once；'　says　the
  man；　putting　up　his　book。
  〃'Are　ye　the　Park　Commissioner？'　I　asks。
  〃'I