Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-14
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along in the shape of that big floorwalker!
He was without hat, and his eyes looked
fifty ways at once. But you've, got to look
fifty-one If you want to eaten Nance Olden.
1 ran up the stairs of the first flat-house
and rang the bell. And ash sailed up in
the elevator 1 saw the big fioorwalker hurry
past; he'd lost the scent
The boy let me off at the top floor and
after the elevator had gone down 1 walked
up to the roof 1t was fine way up there,
so still and high, with the lights coming
out down in the town. And took out my
neck, wishing 1 could keep It and wishing
that had, at least. a glass to see myself
in it just once, when my eye: caught the
window of the next house.
1t would do for a mirror all right, for the
dark green shade was down. But at sight
of the shade blowing in the wind forgot
all about the collar.
It's this way. Mag, when they press you
too far; and that little rat of a lawyer had
got me most to the wall. 1 looked at the
window, measuring the little climb it would
be for me to get to 1.-THE house next door
was just one story higher than the one
with the roof nearly where stood. And I
made up my mind to get what would let
Tom off easy, or break into Jail myself.
And so didn't care much what 1 might
fall into through that window. And per-
haps because l didn't care, / slipped into
a dark hall. and not thing stirred; not a
footstep creaked. l felt like the Princess
Princess Nancy Olden-come to wake the
Sleeping Beauty; some dude it'd be that
would have curly hair like Tom Dorgan's,
and would wear clothes like my friend Lat
liners, over in Brooklyn. &
Can you see me there. standing on one leg
Ike stork. ready to lie or to fly at the
first sound?
Well, the first sound didn't come Neither
dld the second. In fact, none of 'em came
unless l made 'em myself.
Softly as Molly goes when the baby's lust
dropped Off to sleep, | walked toward an
open door. 1t was parlor smelly with
tobacco, and with lots of papers and books
around. And nary he beauty-nor any
other kind.
l tried the door of a room next to it. A
bed room. But no beauty
Silly! Don't you tumble yet? It was a
bachelors apartment. and the bachelor
beauty was out, and Princess Nancy had
the place all to herself
L suppose l really ought to have left nv
card-or he wouldn't know who had walked
him-but 1 hadn't intended to go calling
when 1 left home. So l thought I'd 1ooI
for one of his as a souvenir-and ANYTHING
else of his l could make use Of
There We're shirts I'd liked for Tom,
dandy colored ones. and suits with checks
in 'em and without. But 1 wanted some
thing easy and small and fiat. made of
crackly printed yellow or green paper. with
numbers on it.
How did l know he had anything like
would think you belonged to the bsbon's
set, you're Simple,
had to turn on the electric light after
pit got SO dark And l don't like light
IN other people S houses when they're not
at home, and neither am l., But there was
nothing in the bed room except some nearI
studs. l got those and then went back to
the parlor.
The desk caught my eye Oh. Mag. it had
the loVellest pictures on it-pictures of swell
ac.iesses ana dancers 1t was mahogany
with lots of little drawers and two curry
SIDE boxes. l pulled open all the drawers
They We're full of papers all right hut thav
We're printed. cut from newspapers. and ali
about theaters --N GA
You can't feed things like this Nance, to
, .nai SHARK OF lawyer" l said to myself
pushing the boX CD the side impatientIy
Why?
Just 'cause-I had pushed that side box
III ~ swung aside on hinges didn't know
was pile of those same crisp. crinkly na,
per things I'd been looking for
- -, ,Go-l10-1Go-21O- 2GO-31O.
IN &c munored and ten dollars. Mag Mon
Olden! 'eii' anu 1>aiice
Glory be!' whispered.
1lory De id l heard behind me.
turned. The bills just leaked out Of
my hand on to the floor -
me pacheior beauty had come home
Nag, and nabbed the poor princess, instead
VI ici catching MIN Mapping
he wasn't a beauty either-s hip stou+
leIioW with a black musta che His hand
on my shoulder held me tight but the look
IN MS eyes behind his glasses held me tight
mid my face. NV N0-> anu
Caught! Nancy OIden. with her hands
dripping, and not lie in her smart mouth
ne PICKED up the bills l had dropped
TTu,r'en tnem and put them in his pocket
Ihen he unlocked a telephone and lifted
the stand from his desk
Hello! Spring 31O0-please Hello.
Ghlef o1f1ce? This is Obermulier, Standard
~ heat tf;o l want an officer to take charge
OF thef I've caught in my apartments
mere at the Bronsonia. Yes, right on the
corner corner Hold him till you come? we'll
He put down the phone 7 nnled the
pearl studs out of my pocket.
said. '"e'e' wv
SO thoughtful of you, seeing that you'd
You intended them for-Him? You didn't
get anything else?'
l shook my head as lay there.
hum! 1t was half a laugh, and half
sheer. 1 hated him for it. as he sat lean
ing back on the back legs of his chair his
thumbs in his arm-holes l felt his eyes
those smart Keen eyes, burning into my
miserable head l thought OF the lawyer
and. the deal he'd give poor rom, and all
at once
You'd have SMILED yourself. Mag Mona
nan There l was-caught The cop'd be
after me IN five minutes With Tom jagged
l lost my nerve.
Ashamed-huh?' he said lightly
l nodded. 1 was ashamed
Pity you didn't get ashamed before you
broke in here"
What the devil was there to be ashamed
The sting in his voice had cured me. I
never was Weeper. l sat up, my face
blazing, and stared at him Had got me TO
hand over to the cop. but he hadn't got me
to sneer at.