Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-31
MAN IN THE BATH
SHOCKS SP|NSTERS
WOMEN RETREAT IN FEAR AT
STRANGE SOUND
Studio Tenants Are Appalled, by Bass
Voice Issuing from Roon-Proves
to Be Lady Contralto
Singer
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald
NEW YORK, Jan. 30.-NeXt after the
Martha Washington hotel, possibly the
Van Dyck studios, at Fifty-sixth street
and Eighth avenue, are the most dis
Greet and decorous institution in New
York city. The studios are full of ar
tistlc talent. That is why they are
called studios The musical perhaps
predominates, but all branches of art
are represented, and all the day long
may be heard the click of the typewriter
pounding out prose and poetry, the
swish of the paint brush over the help
less canvas, the plaint of punished
pianos and the smothered shrieks of
incipient prima donnas being drowned
in raging high Cs.
In the Van Dyck collection is a
young woman on the second floor who
sings in a rich and mellihuous con-
tralto, but just now she is not singing
but talking bass, thanks to a cold. On
the same floor two maidens Of uncer-
tain age jointly occupy a studio. They
are so nervously refined and sensitive
that they hang an apron over the face
of the clock when they seek their
downy couches. The other morning the
contralto went down the hall to take
her tepid tub. The Van Dyck baths are
| large and several persons may be laun-
dered in them simultaneously, So to
speak. There are bath rooms for wo-
men, also for gentlemen-and they are
| separate.
| While the contralto was laving lux
uriantly in the limpid liquid she was
humming several notes to herself with
closed lips. At this very moment the
two sensitive spinsters appeared trip
pingly before the bathroom door, bear
/ 4 4. -.
est matitudinal sponge.
oh, Horrors! Man!
In guileless innocence they opened
the door and entered. But they stop
ped, tip tilted on the pale pink toes, ere
they had taken second step and gone
too far. Horrors, what was 1t they
heard? The voice OF the hoarse con-
tralto, but it sounded not so to their
tender ears. Appalled,, they gave one
startled glance toward the Slated door
of the bath compartment and fled.
With a common impulse they ran to
the elevator.
"There's man in the women's bath
room,' they chorused to the elevator
man.
"a what?" he exclaimed, in shocked
tones.
"a man in the women's bathroom"
they repeated as slowly and distinctly
as the nervous strain would allow.
(Which one?" he asked, as if that
made any difference.
1.-THE women's bathroom on this floor
this floor" they explained.
How do you know?" he inquired
next.
1--WE heard him in there"
"When?"
"Just a minute ago."
"Who is he?'
urJe.-. a. ,,o I.~o.,,o tba,, both
screamed. "How do we know"
Evidently he couldn't answer the
question, so he rubbed his head and
told them to go see the superintendent.
The superintendent is a chivalrous man
and he was thoroughly indignant. He
has sandy hair, but 1t glowed fiery red
at their story he was that fierce.
Remain here" he said firmly, as he
waved his hand toward the side of the
office where the safe and the burglar
alarm are. "and 1 will see who the
| bastard is"
The Plot Thickens
| He strobe along the hall to the bath
room door. He blushed as he laid his
hand upon the knob. The women might
be mistaken. He opened the door and
as he stepped across the threshold he
heard the honk, honk of a heavy voice
emanating from a bath compartment
marked by bow of sky blue ribbon
on the latch.
What are you doing in there?" he
called out sharply.
The honk honk instantly ceased and
all was still.
What are yon doing in there?
say" he repeated.
"Id like to know what you are do
ing, whoever you are, in the women's
bathroom" came the voice hoarsely
! from the compartment.
Some women have just reported that
there is a man in the womens bath
ROOM"
"Well you're the only man in the
womens bathroom that I know any
J thing about" came the voice, now un-
mlstakably feminine, 'and il you don't
get out I'll report you to the superin-
tendent, and help
But the superintendent didn't wait
to know what the superintendent would
do to him. He blushed and hurried
| back to the office.
did you get him?" asked the sensi-
tive spinsters in eager excitement.
There is no man there" he said
with frigid formality
"How do you know?"
| "How do / know? How do / know"
he cried helplessly. "Oh, l don't know
how / know Go there yourselves" and
he waved them off frantically
| They went after awhile and the
superintendent fell into a chair.
"By heckl" he exclaimed, when he
knew they were out of hearing, why
in thunder don't some women get mar
ried, SOS they'll accumulate a little
! everyday working sense 2"