The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-11
THE TOUGH GIRL.
BY EDITH SESSIONS UPPER.

copyright, 1906, by American Press Assoc.a,
toni
The tough girl drew back from the 10
by 12 looking glass and surveyed herself
with triumphant grin.
"Say, I'm out of sight today" sho
stated. "Dem new toys is pretty slick"
She was a CHASTITY object, though she
did not know it. Tho tough girl was
serio comic singer and dancer in Coney
Island concert saloon.
Sho was on duty from II i'll tho morn
ing until midnight, ready at moment S
call or snarl from the creature called by
courtesy tho stage manager to 'tdo her
turn" sing in n shrill, cracked falsetto
voice verses with touch of maudlin senti
mont or to lift tho flutod folds of her taw-
dry skirts and execute poor imitation of
some famous high kicker.
Tho tough girl YVES daughter of tho
slums. She had been reared in misery and
nurtured in sin. Her childhood was ono
of cuffs and blows and her youth night
marc.
l am not making any excuses for my
tough girl. am only setting her forth
plainly and uncompromisingly as she
really existcd-a product of the awful con-
VI tuO Slulll lllC Ol u SrcuD CITY.
The tough girl, having something she
called voice and nimblo feet, became u
serio comic artist, but she was not earning
enough to keep her body and what little
soul she possessed together.
Had sho soul?
Vol, that is u question. Most people
would say "No." But / believe that i'll
every hearts desert, however parchcd and
arid, there is always one little patch Of
green.
And SO let us atlmit that our tough girl
had SOUL though she didn't recognize
that fact herself. Only in curious, dumb
fashion She sometimes realized that sho
was q different being from tho fine, dainty
ladies who drank champagne on the broad
piaZzas of tho big hotels, from the pretty
girls who splashcd and lloundcrcd in tho
surf, and especially did tho truth that tho
whole world was not made up of tough
girls come homo to her when she saw tho
happy, CHEEKY faced wife of some young
mechanic carrying bouncing baby in her
arms whilo u small boy or girl chung to
her skirts and yelled in transports OF dc.
light at tho big elephant or the accommo-
dating COW of Concy Island.
But any little attack of depression the
tough girl was won't to drown in schoon
er OF stale beer or pony of vile brandy, il
happily she could afford the latter luxury.
After such libations she returned 10 her
Kicking and screcchins with renewed
vigor.
Tho tough girl had managed in some oc-
cult fashion to get what she was pleased
TO dcnominato "now toys" These con
sisted of cheap green tights and accordion
skirt of the same hue with bodice, low
enough TO reveal her consumptivc chest
and long, skinny arms. When she had
donned these gauds and frippcrics and
stood to admire herself before going on To
turn iiipilnp, she was an awful sight.
But she smiled ut tho counterfeit pre-
sentiment of her charms, and that hidcous
grin revealed the loss OF three front teeth.
They had been knocked out during vari-
Gus little MISUNDERSTANDING with the
tough girls "fcllcr" himself II bruiser of
no mean reputation.
The loss of these teeth tho tough Girl
considered u serious drawback to her sue.
cess as an artist. Sho had tried TO save
money enough TO replace them but tho
1lesh was weak and when il camo to Il
choice between teeth and beer tho latter
commodity usually got the better of tho
former.
Como, get along, slim shanls. u
growlcd her gentlomanly manager. dc
your turn and step blnnkety blank Eyel,
now"
In another moment tho tough girl wa,
fluttering her green skirt over the foot
lights and adiurinS her beloved to meet
her when the waters ripplcd and tho moon
beams shone.
1t was just mt the close of tho first vors,
that tho tough girl happened to glance il
one of the stuffy little boxes.
Her eyes met those of Mrs Manhattan
Mrs. Manhattan was II student of hu
man nature and u curiosity seeker. Sh,
had money and leisure. Sho employed he
time in going about searching for move
adventures. She was fond of seeing lif
in all its phases Had sho boon n poo
woman, sho would have made a capita
bohemian. AS it was she was merely ,
connoisseur of rare and ugly human brio
a-brac.
Mrs. Manhattan was doing Coney Islam,
that day with friend, whom wo will cal
tho other woman. She had been bored t,
death all the morning by the people on th
hotel piaZzas
why, these creatures are the Same 20,