New-York tribune., 1906-05-13

Plnckney dom the honorS all round and
the hrSt thing knew we a nice little family
party, chuckln repartee across the pink candle
shades, and behavin' like star boarders that
had paid in advance.
1t was Sadie, though, that had the center of
the stage, and I'll be staggered if she didn't
jump in to make her bluff good She let out
everything that she shouldn't have told,
from how she used to wait table at her
mothers clearinghouse, to the way she'd
got the frozen face ever since she came to
town.
" But what am | expected to do?" says She
" I've got no Hetty Green grip on my bank
book. There's a whole binful of the 'Drowsy
Drop dollars, and I'm willing to throw EN-
on the bonfire Just as liberal as the next one,
only want place around the ring. There's
no fun in playing lone hand, is there? I've
been trying to find out what's wrong with me,
anyway"
My dear girl" says Mrs. Twombley-Crane,
there's nothing wrong with you at all.
You re simply delicious. Isn't She now,
And Freddie Just grinned Say some men
IS born wise " Professor McCabe and | are
exchanging views on the coming lightweight
contest, says he. Don't mind us, my
dear"
Perhaps that's what we were gassin' about,
or why is a hen. You can search me. | was
that ratified with Sadies nerve display that
didn't follow anything else real close
But when it was all over, and I'd been
handed me- | couldn't figure out whether
she'd made a bull 's-eye or rung in a false
alarm.
One thing l did notice, as we sails out, and
that was the stout Pettigrew person who'd
passed Sadie the picked pigs foot the
avenue that afternoon. She was sitting op-
POsite a skimpy little runt with a bald head,
at a table up near the door where the walters
juggled soup over her feathers every time they
passed. Her eyes were glued on Sadie we
came up. and by the spread of the burrows
around her mouth l see she was tryin' to crack
a smile.
Now" thinks I, heres where she collects
chilbains and feels the mercury drop"
But say, would YOU look for it in a dream
book? What does Sadie do but pass her out
the glad hand and coo away, like pouter
pigeon on a corniCe about being tiCkled to see
her again. Oh, they get me dizzy, women
dol
That want marker though, to the reverse
English carom Sadie takes after we'd got into
a cab and started for her hotel Was there a
Jolly for me, or a Thank you, Shorty, I've
had the time of my life?" Nothin' like it.
She Just slumped into her corner and switched
on the boo-hOos like a girl that's been kept
after school
Enjoy yourself, Sadie" says I. "OnyI
remember that this IS a hanson, not a street
sprinkler.
That didn't fetch her. so after awhile tries
her again " What went wrong?" saws l.
WAS she stringin you, or was it the way
wore my face that queered the show"
u It's all right Shorty" says she between
weeps. And nothing's wrong, nothing at all
Mrs. What 's-Her-Name's asked me to stay a
week with her at their Newport place, and old
Mrs Pettigrew will turn green before morning
thinking of me, and I've shaken the hoodoo at
last. But it all came so much in a lump that
| just had to turn on the sprayer. You know
how feel, don't you, Shortly"
Sure, says l, just well if you'd sent
me picture postal of the place you boarded
last"
But say, | turned the trick didn't |? I
didn't know what was comm out of the box
of course; and maybe | was some iolted at
THROWN three skies to a pair, but there they
lay
No, l amt gOin' into the boostin' line as a
reg'lar thing; but l guess if any amateur in
the business gets a rose nailed on him, ought
to be the gent. Not?