The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-05
(Copyright.)

ttOpNrl8lL-D
IN Central Park was a favorite bench
of mine on the lip of the duck pond
Here I could nurse my vocabulary
and contemplate my sins as journal
ist in the light of the morning after
for l. be il known, like St. Simeon
Stylites. live on a column. Behind the
bench lifted a gentle sweep OF lawn
where swans preeued and smaller water
fowl spTaWled luXuTiOusly in their sun
bath. II was some little way of the
road and the stiffness was embroidered
with an occasional canter of hOCfs and
the song OF a passing motor
one day, as I approached, I found
that my bench was inhabited. Sitting
thereon was a young woman feeding
a gray squirrel She, too, was in gray,
a blue plume curling round her gold
brown hair, her veil lifted. She sat
crosswise, with one foot under her,
while the other. which but touched the
ground was pinChed into small patent
leather shoe with a white fIid upper.
About her clothes was none Of the COM
posed freshness of the morning. They
looked as though they had been ad-
justed by langUid hands, amid yawns
and indifference, possibly without a
mirror. The face framed in the gauze
undulating in the light air was pretty,
but would have been prettier had it
looked less faded and tired. I con-
tented myself with the bench next and
watched the little play-the wilderness
tanned by beauty.
The squirrel. growing bold, laid its
paws against her hand and tugged. She
laughed a little To herself at this aU-
dacity and, half turning her head, said
in answer to my amusement:
Got his nerve with him, hasn't hep
I smiled back, but her glance at me
was already grave and without inter-
est. She gave up the NUT let drop her
hands and sighed The Unsuitable sQuiT-
rel waited expectant; so did I. OF
neither of Us did she take further no
tice, but looked out across the water,
absOrbed-Was it by dreams or trouble?
The park pet, a pampered nature with
bad manners, gave her up, left her
bench and perched on mine, thus recall
ing her from her reverie-
ct must be a lady squirrel" said she,
because she comes TO you, though you
have nothing to give her"
mo" 1 cOntended. It's a gentleman
squirrel, and he comes to me for sym
pathy, because you neglect him."
She touched her forehead with a flut-
tering gesture. as if her mind were
blown about by the wind which stirred
=
ging her shoulders.
Haven't I seen you at Jacl-'s?" she
said, looking at me more intently.
I confessed that my intimacy with
Jacks was measured by one visit.
Il don't often go there myself, but
guess that was the time I saw you. You
blew in with a bunch of men and mixed
up a raw-beef sandwich for them. 1
was dying TO ask for some, said she
why didn't your"
"Tm shy; I'm a chorus giTlr'
Isn't your name Miss Vangie ST
Claire?" / asked. It think I saw your
picture in the paper last Sunday"
"COises on me fatal beauty" She
spoke it with a melOdramatic lettering
Of the head, and the cynical little smile
showed that she was neither fooled nor
fattered.
ITS rather early for a chorus girl to
be Up, isn't it? I understood you only
bIoOmed after shutdown, like the night
primrose"
"Oh. we have our ups and downs like
lesser mortaIs, and this is one of my
downs, although I'm up"
May I say I'm sorry"
She leaned nearer, as though inspect
ing photograph. "Oh, aren't you the
nice thingl Do you always talk that
way? You can sit on my bench if you
want To-"
She did not move or alter her posi-
ton Apparently she was too tired.
sat down near her.
1--WE often wondered what a chorus
girls Gay is like" I declared. 1T would
make a good article, but I don't know
where TO begin"
would you ike to have me show
yOu?"
''Will you?"