Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-19


cans ave come to see and hear some
thing devllish. Let them have Il to the
top Of their bent, but do not brighten them
away"
But you do your level best to conceal
your feelings. for just as you reach the
door the midnight bell strikes and IL is
announced that probably the fun Is just
beginning at Maxim's. The taxi whlrls
you oward the impressive facade OF the
Madeleine and in another moment to the
entrance Of New York's Paris cafe.
The sauirrel-like entrance is more ca
pacious and runs more swiftly than it's
prototypes TO which you are accustomed
in Manhattan. A person might be able to
get away quicker under stress Of cir
cumstance.
But the same dreary atmosphere pre-
walls. Partisan persons on view for Amer
lean tourists who are spending American
money lavishly for mediocre food and ser
vice In a place that to your first glance
looks like a corner Of Rector's on moving
day. To your second glance the same and
to your last retrating gaze-a corrobora-
ton.
Between the second and the last YOU
note the velvet seats mostly placed along
the walls so that no one may lose by
VI fNsANAhAA any VI AAE uNNAlNTN per
petrated. Along the tables that parallel
the walls lines Of champagne bottles, each
Immersed in it's silver pail, break the
monotOny of t%ruffles, v~ol-au-vent. lob
sters, broiled alive, artlchokes and other
dellcacies.
A relocated orchestra under the arch
Of the stairway plays coon songs. the
Merry Widow" waltz. Sole MILO and the
intermezzo, to which. quoting the birth
notices Of Partisan journals, Mascagni
gave the light Of day" There is nothing
omitted from the repertoire to make the
American dollar feel perfectly at home.
The orchestra is programmed as Tziganes.
Paris loves to call everything that wears a
scarlet coat and makes a noise Tziganes.
Why not? Nothing but champagne Is
drunk here, but something must be done
to prevent the patrons from going to sleep.
In addition to the champagne about half
past 1 o'clock a man with a woolly dog and
a banjo does a few tricks and an evil
eyed Half Worldling with a last years
model gown sings songs Of a kind to match
the eyes. A space is cleared for them and
they do not nave their freedom encroached
upon.
A clever-looking college boy speaks to
one of the strollers, and taking up a knife
starts to pat her arm with II. Then second
thought prevails and he desists and instead
orders another bottle of wine. He must do
something to show that he knows he's in
Paris. A girl gets up and dances with
some one who looks like the head waiter.
Your escort says it is.
A small boy dressed like a modern Mer-
curry goes about from table to table. SOM
times Fairs and Frails have to send word
to their gentlemen friends that they have
forgotten to come and pay for the wine.
Then Mercury is very useful.
About 2 o'clock an American woman who
has a grown-up son who is showing her
the sights takes just one drop too many
Of the 'flzzling blubb." The words are
her own, weighted. She isn't to
blame. She has probably recalled the
touching poem, Laugh and the World
Laughs With You, Shore and You're Left
Alone"-parodist unknown.
At any rate she seizes the champagne
bottle by the neck and announces that
America is 1T" that we have found the
North pole and have conquered the secrets
OF the upper air." Everybody wakes up
and applauds, even the champagne, which
goes off suddenly and its contents land In
the wide brim of a Gainesborough picture
capote worn by a blonde who is leaning
that moment in a cooling attitude toward
an American millionare-the one real
article present. American mother with
grown-up son is tremendously sorry and
makes inarticulate apologies, in doing
which she changes the angle of the bottle,
which hasn't, after all, lost it's entire con-
tents, for the rest bathes the heated brow
Of millionaire.
Then blonde lady rises and there is muir
der In her eye. Son TANNER and mil
~lionaire mutters and the momentary flair
is over.
II is too bad. 1t wasn't much Of a scene,
nut a solitaire is a solitaire, even If it be
flawed.