The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-11-27

(Copyright. 1908. by Robert Howard
Russell.)
How old is Willy Widdy?" l asks
Duchess.
oh" says she. Madam Harding
is old enough. and she is young
enough."
She's in luck, den" / says. But
l wasn't asking you to tell me rid
dies. Talk American. |
Says.
"A woman's age is de same in IN
langwudge," Duchess says. wise like
"Wily Wildly. as o call Madam
Harding, is of de age when a woman
does not let her sentinents-what
you say?-her emotions. run away
wit her good sense and when her
good sense do not interfere wit her
having de enjoyment of her emotion.
Is it not?"
If you ask d goii, and special a
French gOil, what street is between
IT~hOity-thOid street and Thoity-fft
streets she Will want to talk about it
Ifoist, to I'M out what you want to
know-and den Won't tell you
straight. OATS de reason women
don't like TO sweep 4 room, but want
ito go into politics.
Sometimes, when I pipes off Willy
WILDLY, when she just in from a
walk on de Av-noo, and her hats on
straight, her gloves TONED down n
de wrists. her veil furled. and all
things right Wit her, | thinks she is
about eighteen years old. But dere
are odders. Odder times. If she
has been having a pretty good din
ner, and a game of bridge, and is
shy a few hours of de time she
fought to be in bed TOR her beauty
lsleep-well, she looks more dan
eighteen. Some more.
Tell me for fair" l says to
Duchess, is Wildly older dan you,
Ior Younger"
Duchess only makes a face at me;
but was it because WILDLY was older
Tor younger. she never lets on.
l was wondering. because WILDLY
WAS to play a part in the vaudeville
iShoW we was getting up at our house
Miss Fannie isn't going out to de
iteeaterS desc days, and Mr.. Paul does
Jail de stunts dere is for to amuse her
lat home: which de same is TO de
good for me and Duchess. for it
brings mugs to de house. hat tips.
Listen a minute; OATS de only good
Ting dat l Yer hear of dat is Eng
fish. de tipping of house s%oivants. II
anybody asks YOU why / wouldn't go
lin for high society if | was a SWeII.
tell EN- dat de tips is too rich for
me blood. a couple of years g we
Ionly laid for tips at house parties
week ends. Now it's AL de time,
ICity or country makes no difference;
|bote is to de good for de house
lsoiVants on tips. I'll W me own
restaurant, yet, if dis keeps on a few
years.
Well. Mr.. Paul. he asks a lot OF
mugs, what can do a toin as we'll as
lde profeSh, for to come to de vaude
willie. and some what thinks dey could
lido a toin-but dey wakes up. De
best of all was de lads what sung de
college songs. Say dey was de limit
flor fair. Mr.. Paul tells me dat dey
Twas Glee Club boys when dey went
Ito college, and dey was gleeful al
fright, too. when dey adjoins to dc
billiard room for refreshments, ano
I pulled de cOrks for EN-. Singing
lgives a thoist all right, if any one
asks you.
But I was going to tell you: WILDLY
Twas to sing a caffy shanty. OATS
French for a demi tasse song. Wher
duchess hears dis she has a fit.
Mon Dieu," she says Madam
Harding has de French accent like
Ia loot ache! One may buy a new
bonnet in her kind of French, but
lone may not sing de songs of Paris
lTabble dote French IS good enough
Ito order soup in; but de songs Of
Paris is writ in anodder kind OF
lFrench from bills Of fare"
Duchess vas raw because she sings
ldose songs like a lady out on top OF
de stage, herself, and don't tink any
Ihody is next to de game.
.I c,r-nca cows r "1of Won u-nn
der Mr.. Paul doesn't invite you tc
lsing de song. A vaudeville by sol
wants would be a merry-go-round fol
lfair!"
what it is?" says Duchess get
Ting her back up-an her shoulders
I"What it is? You have a part to dc
lin de performance. Why not me?'
But / had to sing a Bowery song
,lDats different"
We has rehoisals at de house for {
week. and de way de bottles wen
was good for trade. sure,
Every time Duchess hears Will.
WILDLY sing her caffy shanty she ha'
a new kind of a fit. Dey was bac
for her. dose fits, for she a to have
Iem under cover: | was afraid de,
would strike in, and poison her. Blu
jshe never let en- show, for Widd.
tips beautiful. A little ting lik,
lnlIlllS IL III IOn | DOuutE DuCIeS
when a tip is in sight. She'd TAX
chances in a fight wit a rattlesnak'
and give de snake de fOist bite
for a good tip. OATS right.
But Whiskers, Say, you should
see him. Every time Wildly rehoiset
her song he says: Bravo, bravo
BIS. bis" and Encore. encore," til
Knew dat song so we'll I could sin,
lit meself. And me own Frencl
needs a little tinkering. here an
deere, to fetch it up TO Parish stand
ard. Duchess says so, anyway; blu
she's dotty on dat proposition.
Well. after a while Duchess quit
making any cracks TO me abou
lWiddy's French. and gets busy doini
Ia linking part. | knows dere j
lsOmeting doing. When dat goil ism
Saying anything. / don't have to Civ
two gueSSes to know she is up t
some game. I can only folly all he
IcOives when h is mad about some
Ting. When she isn't, she's bad
IShe gets busy wit some dinky close
too: and before de night of de vau
ldeville she was SO good I knows sh