The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-03-08
"Tll report you." they yelled. "for
Insulting Il lady"

Insulting Il lady"
Elo:sc ta"ncl sick. She pushed gu
Of TIE cH"i:ci crowd. past the tw'
cnlac.st2!. M-perturbab,e Old China
r...cl Lcll.ni their i:tt.c trin!ict coultc
and fed to the balcony overlooking TIL
pain street of the Chinese quarter.
1t was horribly low. She shudderet
at the thought Of where she was ant
under what protection as she gaZet
down from the lantern hung balloon.
into the street crowded with Chinese
IN their native dress-their pig faces
long les and long nailed fingers hold
ing paper bags filled with vegetables.
"Eloise!"
She jumped at the sound of hel
name and a mans step on the balloon!
and pressed back against the wall %
the house. staring with wild eyes a;
the man before her.
"NVhat are you doing here?" he de
manded. "Why. you have never beer
out like this: What does it mean?"
She gathered fer forces suddenly fol
retaliation.
"What If l haven't?. she said, some
what breathlessly. II am old enough
to do as l choose-and-it is not in thu
least your affair what I dow
She pushed past him into the incense
laden interior to have the conductor
present her with a package Of joss
sticks and a slip Of paper covered with
Chinese characters. .,
"a fortune" he said calamity. "Ask
your Chinese laundryman to read II
for you"
II haven't a Chinese laundryman,'
she exclaimed passionately, land ]
never will have onew
She ran almost blindly down the
stairs and into the street, trusting to
her instinct for locality to guide her to
the nearest subway station. The orr
entails fell back in wild establishment
at sight Of her fleeing figure, and a few
fat old fellows said unintelligible
things to her which caused a roar OF
laughter.
Her cheeks were burning, her breath
was coming in gasps, as she came into
the little square marking the II time
wickedest place in New York. All at
once she felt that she was being fol
lowed. Quick. light footballs We're
coming behind her. were keeping pace
with hers, and terror clutched her
heart. A few drunken men sprawled
on the park benches. To return was
impossible. She could never find the
"r~ubberneck" party. There was moth
ing to do but keep on as best she
could.
She emerged from the park ready tc
drop with exhaustion and was obliged
to slow down to get her breath. TIC
her relief she found the steps had
stopped, and no n was in sight. She
went on and on through the better
streets of the wholesale district and al
last saw the twinlsling lights of sur
face cars ahead. She reached for hel
purse. 1t vas gone!
She stopped stock still on a corner
frozen with horror. Alone at II o'clocl
at night on a deserted street, with NJ
money and home miles away! The ills
Of her guarded, pampered life showed
uDpGIlilOSl Ill lulS ullCLAlA1d. "A 1872 IA
vorcd girl would have known what tt
do. She stood there dazed, helpless
till the sound Of rapidly approaching
footsteps startled her into action. She
sprang forward.
"Eloise!' a mans voice echoed her
name commandingly among the sky
scrapers. -. -
She collapsed all in a heap OH the
curbstone. :
"You-you-lovable girl" he said,
looking down at her limp person strug;
Cling for breath.
"Oh, George" she painted. IT didn't
know it was you!"
He sat down on the curb beside her.
II thought you did," he said. -:
"And there wasn't any real danger"'
she asked, wide eyed. "Oh. what a
simpleton"
"None at all except from the ogre
me-" he laughed shortly.
"Oh. George, you are simply fine"
"You didn't think so last week this
time" he said relentlessly.
But you didn't insist" she pouted'
"A girl likes to be convinced"
"Oh, you-you-1 will say it-foolisfl
girl" he said. with adoring eyes.