The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-11-17


I tried it till 1 knowed dat if l
didn't saw it off on somebody I'd be
dotty, so L passes it on to Duchess,
and she worked it out, but foist she
had de screams, awful. Den she says
dat we would go out and take de air
on de AvenoO, for to restore her
MOVIES, what was punctured, and
needed air. De Avenoo is all right.
Dey is crossing it wit trenches for
de underground, and electrics; dey is
digging holes along side of it what
must be half way to China's open
door, l hears tell of. It's smelly with
mobiles, and chuck full of trucks; de
cops on de corners is doubled; all
kinds of cranks is loose dere, and
no cabby tinks he's lone a good days
wOik till he's sent a citizen to de
hOspital-but it's all right. It's de
Avenooi
Well. we was ~strolling along, pip
ing off de style OF coaches liveries,
and maids hats, and passing out a
nod now and den to frens we sees on
de boxes. or in de front seats of vic
tOrias. and wishing dat we might
never leave de little old island OF
Manhattan till somebody had found
a better place, when L sees our
coachy pulling UP to de curb, and
W IN SAfAAA7 ~ ~ GAo NtN IN -
orders for me I steps TO de curb,
touches me bonnet, and he says for
me to stop into Tanmar's and dig up
his reading glasses, what he's left on
de table where he's fed his face to
lunch.
Dat suits our book like it was
wrote in it by ourselves; for Duchess
knows de head waiter at Tanmar's
what come from de same Assembly
District in France h halls from.
When we gets dere de lunch tables
was all cleared, and dere wasn't no.
body in de shop but walters, setting
tables for dinner. So de boss fetches
Whisker's glasses. and says to Ouch
eSS wouldn't she like a glass of eau
Sucre. IN says sure, but OATS not
ting but sugar and water, so [ says
I'd take a drop of eau Whisky in
mine, so dat de family wouldn't get
too sweet for it's Job.
We'd been having a small chat,
wit now and den something of de
same, when in valtzes a mug and a
gOil from de new French teeater,
for DER early afternoon Inner, what
actor folks takes in de middle of de
afternoon SOS dey won't be too full
for utt'rance when dey get out on
top of de stage for to act. De boss
fetches. EN- over to our table and
knocks EN- down to me and Duchess
and soon de gOil and Duchess is nav
ing de time Of DER lives, yarn1ng IN
DER form Iangwudge, for dey found
out dat dey moved some frens OF
bOte. dat was in dis country, and dey
had stories a mile long for to tell.
I SHE'D all de French [ knows at de
felly, and / must made a hit. for ne
seemed tickled to deaf. we was
gaily-gaily all around de table Wnen
a Ruben drifts in, and makes for our
party. we being de only ones uolns
any business and ne SAYS, Peace be
with you"
DE same to you, Ruben" I says,
"and many of en- I says.
De French folks, looks at Ruben,
and den at me and Duchess Ike uey
was saying "What'ell!" so l winks to
Duchess to push lie game along, n
ask Ruben did he have a toist.
Not for dat vile stuff" he says
pointing at de glass of claret and wa
ter de actress goil was putting away.
She sees de action and gets noivous,
and asks Duchess what was doing, IN
form French, she asks. Duchess
looks scared. and says de Rube was
a Perfect of police, and wanted to
know about de song de goll sings at
de teeater. Il
TT is not much" says de goil, and
Duchess says in English to Ruben
dat it was medicine. de goll took for |
her healt. |
TT stingeth like an adder" says
Ruben.
Duchess.
.'Sing it now?" asks she.
Its de devils best weapon says |
Rube. -, !
He says sing it instantly, to once!"
says Duchess.
P'chee she gets up, and h sings |
a song dat would knock a regiment
of Rubes silly at a mile. inc ne says
Oats pretty slick" he says
you're out on bail, says Duch-
ess to de goil. and Rube says Peace
be wit you" again, hands out a pun
die of tracts to read, and slldeS lot
de door. just a Jump from de ooss,
who was only on to de new
we was entertaining. |
What is dese!' asks de goll, look
ing at one of de tracts. |
'Dey is your permit from the ponce
for to sing your song" says Ouch
ess. who isn't so woise as a Joll1er.
you must carry it in your mana
when you sing tonight, or you'll be
sent to prison for life.
De goil says it was a strange coun-
try, and promises to carry de tracts
on de stage wit her, n dey gives
us ta-ta, and goes deir way.
Den it was dat Duchess tells me
in American what sort of a game she
had put up to de goil, and | says II
was very good for a starter. put coh-
sidering de plant we was in it was
a pity we couldn't woik it for some
thing better for de appetite dan a
joke
Mind your eye. Cheems," says
Duchess, and maybe we will. Some
of you Irish" h says. look like
French, and you is n of en-"
con your way!" I says Some of
you French loo like Irish. Con
Conlan. what acted wit Sary Bern
hardt did"
Anyway" says Duchess, who'd
been keeping her eye out of de vim
dow toward de Avenoo. IF dose nice
little willy-boys who have passed. and
looked in here twenty times, doesn't
mistake us for de couple what has
Just left, dem I'm not a French goil."
Say, she's a French goil all right,
for de main chance has no more luck
getting pass her dan a chop has
when de bull pup has his jaw in