Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-19
CHAPTER VIII.
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 K &&G


 Is: 7: < chaperon you make, Miss
 Monahan! Why, didn't tell I- you the very day we took this flat what chaperon was, and that you'd have to be mine? Imagine Nancy Olden without a chaperon- Shocking!
 E No, 'tisn't late. Sit down, Maggie, there, and let me get the stool and talk to you. Think of us two-Cruelty Sirls, both of us-two mangy kittens deserted by the old cats in a city s alleys, and left moving with cold and hunger and dirt, out in the wet-think of us two in our own flat, Mag. <, say, it makes me proud of us! There are times when 1 look at every stick of furniture we own, and I try to pretend to it all that I'm used to decent roof over my head, and a dining-room, kitchen, parlor, bedroom and bath. Oh, and I forgot the tele- phone the other tenant left here till it's lease is up. But, at other times I stand here in the middle of it and cry out to it, in my heart:
 Look at me, Nancy Olden, a house. holder, rent payer, the head of the family, even if it's only family of two, and the other one Mag! Look at ne, with my name in the directory, 4-paying milk bills and meat bills and tread bills! Look at me with a place Of my own, where nobody's rights greater than my own; where no one has a right but me and Mag; a place where-where there's nothing to hide from the police!" -
 There's the rub, Mag, as Hamlet says-Q went to see itfthe other night, so that I could take off the Ophelia- she used to be a good mimic herself, before she tried to be a leading lady.) It spells you, this sense of safeness that goes with the honesty graft. You lose the quickness of the hunter and the nerve of the hunted And-worse .-you lose your taste for the old risky life. You grow proud and fat, and you love every stick in the dear, quiet little place that's your homegrown own home You love it so that you'd be ashamed to sneak round where it could see you-you who'd always walked upright before it with the step of the mistress; with nothing in the world to be ashamed of; nothing to prevent your staring each honest dish pan in the face.
 ., And, Mag, you try-if you're me gan in stripes and savage sulks still -ail these months-kept away from the world, even the world behind bars, Maggie, don't you wish Tom was ventriloquist or-or an acrobat or but this isn't what l had to tell you. e Do you know what a society enter tainer is, Miss Monahan? No? Well, book at me. Yes, I'm one. Miss Nance 0lden. whose services are worth $50 A night-at least, they were one night.
 Ginger brought me the note that tnade me a society entertainer It wac from Mrs. Paul B. Gates. who ha been charmed by your clever impeT sonations, Miss Olden, and write to know if you have the leisure to enter tain some friends at my house on Thursday of this week"
 Had the leisure-well rather, I showed the note to Gray, just to make her jealous (Oh. yes, she goes on all right in the act with Lord Harold every night Catch her letting me wear those things of hers tvice!D Well. she lust turned up her nose.
 'of course, you won't accept?" she said.
 Of course, I will"
 "Ohl I only thought you'd feel as I should about appearing before lot of snobs, who'll treat you like sery- ant and"
 Who'll do nothing Of the sort. and who'll pay you well for il" put in Obermuller. He had come up and was reading the note I had handed 70 him. AYou just say yes, Nance. he went on. after Gray had bounced of 10 her dressing room. Tt isn't such a hal graft and--and this is just between us two. mind-that little beggar. Tauslz. sas begun his tricks since you turned lis offer down They can make things tcg for me. and if they do. i- won't De so bad for you 10 ga n for this sort pf thiug-unless you 90 over to the Trust"
 zhoo'r my head
 Well. this thing will be n ad. for rou, besides-lf the papers can be got to notice it. They're coy with their notices. eonf0und them. since Tausig 1et them know that big Trust ads. don't irpear in the same papers that boom 1nfi-Trust shows,
 -' "How long arc yoI going 10 stand t, ..-r O."
 Just as iong as I cant help myself; tot a minute Iouzar-
 There ought 10 bs zay-sune gay"
 Yes. there ought. but there isn't Theyve got thfnss down to fine soiat and the fellow they don't fear kzs got to fear than III .Tt goaT number early tonight 90 that yU1 can get of 5y nine Good luck- Ezncs-
 Al nine. then behold Nancy OIiea il Ter white muslin dress. long-sleeved a11 high-aeckeI. and just to her zh1e- tops. with a biz white muslin szsn krOani her Wais-- On. shes no baby. is Na1ce bat she loOks like one iB this rig with her short hair-oT rather lie ! sch0oIgirIs which makes the