Evening star., 1902-01-18

thousand timid men-who brace UP CRATE
fully when these kindly promenoir ac-
Quaintances are forced upon them. Willing
ly they sit at little tables buying ice cream
or Manhattan cocktails for the fair. When
the bouquet girl comes, they willingly be-
stow q four-franc, six-franc, nine-franc or
fifteen-frano bouquet on the friendly crea-
ture who sits making conversation for
them, who pays them the compliment OF
taking interest In them. And when the
bonbon box girl comes, they seldom strGg-
gle with the pleading look that asks, "Oh,
buy me thatr' Bouquet and bonbon box
will be sold back to the vendors within
half an hour. at something more than half
price. g-
The "icelle OF the saucers" is more
tricky. II Is one OF the good customs OF
the promenoir that once you have been
served at your little table It Is yours until
you give 1t up. With each drink the wait
er brings a little saucer with a price mark
ed on 1t, the price Of the drink When you
wish to pay-and go-he counts up the
saucers. Now, the promenoir nymph has
her proper pride. Immediately on entering
the establishment she chooses a little table
with a commanding view, and gives her or
der. It is the correct thing. But remem-
ber, she has already paid q cab fare TO
come. for she could not walk In those
dainty skirts and slippers. She may have
to pay another cab fare home Therefore
when she gets up to stroll about the prom
enoir she will retain the little table by
leaving on it half her drink untssted. La
ter, when the lonely man sits there beside
her, IL will be his right to pay that pre-
vious little saucer. And will you blame one
of her girl friends-or say two OF them
when they see her coming with him, IL they
slip their saucers to her tablei One good
turn deserves another. And IL the waiter
even puts down few extra saucers when
he sees them coming. who VIII blame him
lump. He cannot DO less. Later there VIII
be q small sum TO divide.
At the Public Balls.
Balls like the Moulin Rouge. the Butler
and the Casino even afford q career to
graceful girls who dance well and untiring-
ly. 1t is now twelve years since the FIN
de steele" Quadrille, reviving the traditions
of the long dead "can-can" and the earlier
''chahut." took UP it's home in the first
named establishment 1t was something
new then, and it seems never to grow out
of date. Night after night, as the quadrille
music starts up, the crowds form four deep
around the sets. Nor is II alone to see
risque dancing and exposition of ma
chine-made lace that they stand gaping.
A whole tradition Of chatting, mimic quar-
reling, quaint caiaerS. and pretended inti-
mate conversations Cni-gea these eccentric
Quadrilles, danced always. not on stage.
but the open dance floor In mid-career a
girl viii stop, pull her ga partners sleeve.
point to corner OF Ee c-O%l and say. in
a stage whisper: --Tll3t - ~ orge. there.
See him? or she will - , everything and
step up to one cf thS t-.a- lie with a de-
termined air. All the croMi is wondering
what the matter may Dt. Have you four
francs to spare?" she will whisper desoer-
ately. The pretended qdarrels are about
their beaus. Keep your eyes OFF my Eu-
gene. or 1t will be the worse for your
There are always willing victims for such
chafing-stout old gentlemen who like to
have their hats kicked of. or young men
from provincial towns who blush with pride
when impertinences are addressed to them
The favorfte victim Is, however, always
some iank English tourist, who persists In
seeing Paris night life In q steamer can
and Norfolk Jacket. Aoh. yssi vay-rse
velli tank you. milori" 'tRostbx. iof
you. Angieesh spo-ksni" or words 70 that
effect.
Such girls get anything from 90 francs to
30 francs q month from the establishment
for nightly dancing. the Moulin Rouge
must have two dozen OF them Between
dances they pursue the lonely man for
per afterward, and on Five hundred
other girls pursue eight or nine hundred
other lonely men with ths same practical
ambition They are ell lonely msn-except
when they are tourists and have brought
their wives-and they prefer to BE- pursued
to sitting In q numbered seat end yawnfug
through q play. In the promeno1r you can
move about, smoke, drink, talk, dirt and
exercise the virtue OF charity. THIS IL why
the music halls and casinos are prosperous
while the theaters decline. This y why n
is foresseen that within ten yeaxs half the
theafers OF Paris win have smoking per-
mits. spacious foyers for those who refum
to sit In numbered seats. and q program Of
vaudeville or operetta
STERLING HELLO.