Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-09-17
The Dance of SaIome

NEW YORK, Sept, 16.-The three
men were recOunting SalOmc eXper-
fences.
In bet neither one OF you fellows
would dare to take your moneyed aunt
70 a Salome squirmfest," said the man
who began it. "Particularly II you
were the lovely little sunlocks with
the coiniferous aunt. as l was and am
with this aunt I'm talking about.
The other day she dropped INTO
town alone from the place up the
State where she lives. Came here to
do some shopping. She's an indepen-
dent little old person and likes to do
her travelling alone; hates to have
fussy young people attaching thehi-
selves to her and tagging along after
her on her little trips because they al
ways try to give her the impression
that she isn't able to take care or
herself.
She nut up at the old-fashionef
downtown hotel where shes beeh
registering on her trips hSre Tor the
last forty-Odd years After she's got
all through her shopping business. tax
ing two days at it she got me on lhe
phone and ordered me to take her out
to dinner sOmewhere-and that was
the first knew the old lady was III
town.
Just an additional word about the
old lady. so you'll understand. sac
always lived in town up the State.
She has never been hundred niles
out of New York State. although she
has all the money necessary even lor
globe trotting. II she cared for that
sort of thing. which she doesn't.
Her late husband was melancholy
person of the deacon persuasion:
she's religious. q member OF several
foreign and home missionary societies.
charitable to a degree in her bossy
sort of way impatient of what she
rs,ls the wickedness Of cities. espec-
ially of New York city-in brief. pei
feet specimen of the landlccked. siia'!
town woman who lives in previous
generation and cant abid' what she
terms the shiftless, no-account doinss
OF the present era.
Didn't Know What He Was UP Against
I'm sketching in the siHe lights
this wav so that you'll understand ana
appreciate my darling in taking TINS
amt of mine to a SalOmr dance.
might as we'll own up. however. that
I didn't know was taking her to any
such thing.
After we'd dined suggested
show. preferably one of the ROOFS. lof
she doesn't object to tn" theater when
she's in New York picked out ROOF
show at random, without KNOWING
that the Salome thing was the feature
of the bill
1T was only when l went up against
the mob of ticket spectators and had
IT, come across with an excessive
amount OF money for couple CT seats
that I toppled to what all the big 70 10
around the place meant. Then
caught sight Of the blaze OF lights on
the theater well announcing the Sd
lome business and l believe my knees
became a bit wabbly at that moment
There ! was, ! reflected. with my
urudish old aunt on my ARMAND me
the fair-haired boy with her-deilner.
ate!y. perversely, Intentionally, ana
wickedly leading her up against the
sinful Salome. Yes. the beads began
to bedew my forehead on our way up
to the roof, and l wondered how ! d
possibly be able to square myself WIN
nv aunt after the Salome thing haa
happened. ,o,
well, my aunt, who sometimes has
peevish streaks, was in D9au'liu'
state of amiability. and she quite en-
loved the acts up to the Salome al
fair.
Then she glanced at her program
through her iron-rinfmed specs to see
what was next on the bill, and her Old
ewes caught sight CT that word in DIE
letters. "Salome.'
".Ohv I heard her breathe. and
p,ancine at her out OF the corner OF
INV ewes, I saw her lined face take on
q certain expression Of rigid1sy WIN
which I've been familiar since my
boyhood.
.. "Riaht then begun to mutter apoio
gies. but II was too late. The curtain
alre adv was on its way up. Ny apoio
Ietic talk would have been along the
general line that I hadn't known any
thing about the Salome business wher
I'd picked ont that roof and so on, bu'
II is extremely doubtful IL I'd have go'
axav with II even II the rising OF the
curtain hadn't stopped me before Ia
fairly begun.
She frightened in her Seat.
We'll, l could positively feel inc
GOOD old lady Tightening in her seat as
the Salomc dance progressed. Wher
she raised her opera glasses to hel
ewes and stared and stared at inc
writing Saiome person ! felt that sh'
simpIy wanted to be sure that she was
right in her suspicious as to what tn'
dancing woman had on-or didn't nave
on-in order to hand II out TO me AZ
the harder after It was all over
We'll. the dance wound up with tn'
big furry. at the conclusion OF wAicf
after scampcring all around the stage
Salcme tumbled down in heap. arr
thereby gives the audicnc" most g
era, view OF her stationary charmst
and then. when the curtain staric'