The San Francisco call., 1910-08-21

ready for their acrobatic turn and
down by the plano there was a woman
and girl about IL and two men. They
were talking and laughing and no one
paid any attention to me as I slipped
into a back seat 1t gave me such a
queer feeling to sit there In that empty
place watching them. 1t was like be-
Ing in another world. They didn't
seem exactly the same as other people
Pretty soon the japanese lay down on
the floor and began twirling a barrel
on the soles OF his feet. while the little
fellow stood waiting, ready TO jump
on it. An awfully tired looking woman
about 35, with dyed yellow hair. went
of into one corner by herself and be-
gan practicing some dance steps. A
fat young Chinese with short hair and
American clothes. his hat on the back
OF his head. chewing gum as il he were
really hungry, came in and went up
to the piano, bending down 20 speak
to the young fellow who was picking
out some notes from the piece in front
of him. AS he stopped. the little girl
lifted her foot and kicked his hat OF
his head Then she began TO giggle
and lodged behind her mother. The
Chinese boy grabbed her and pretend
ed to pull her cap off. but she got her
hands into his hair and held on. All
the time she was laughing, a shrill
mother didn't laugh, I think she was
too tired. but she smiled and watched
thenE She was a slip of a woman with
big eyes, In a white face, and tired
fat hair. She carried a heavy sult
case and followed the little girl
around. smiling at whatever she did
I don't know whether the man trieO
TO kiss her or whether she got tired
fooling. but she gave him a push and
told him to get out Then she went
back to the piano and. leaning over
the pianist, stroked his hair and asked
him to practice her song with her. He
played a few bars and she commenced
through her nose, shrieking the words
until il seemed as If she must make her
own head ache. Presently she began
to dance. l think that was what made
me call her Spikes. that and the way
her hair was done, in tight knobs, a
let down into curls later.
She was a strange looking child. with
nothing young about her at all, except
her long. spindly legs and her hair In
kids. Her face was older than her
mothers and sharp like small hatchet.
Her eyes were blue and cold; sharp.
too, like nailheads. When she danced
her face looked harder than ever. she
went at IL as II II were something she
was going to tear down. She doesn't
love to dance. Perhaps she's a little
too young. But don't believe she ever
will. She's hard inside, hard as her
knobs Of hair. That's why / called
her Spikes. I often see her, with her
Jaws set. dancing there in that little
dark theater, the plano playing outside.
I can see the tired little mother. srnl-
Ing and watching. always watching as
Spikes talks TO the men. taking their
hands, stroking their hair. patting their
faces IL any trouble ever comes 70
Spikes mother. she'll Just snap. She's
too tired, too thin to bend
Perhaps It's because there are so few
people In my life. and nobody can live
all alone, that I've got to feel friends
with those in the pictures. and with
the men and women who've sat next
to me sometimes, and why remember
Spikes and Golden Lily and people I'll
never see again I can bring out the
faces just as IL they were kodak snaps
The old niger. with snowwhite wool
who sat next to me the other night
and kept gasping, Nah Lord amt dat
de mos wonderfullest thingt" and two
gipsies, one such a pretty girl with
great. gold coins braided into her hair,
and red calico skirt. a yellow waisk
and shawl. soft cream with all tht
colors or sunset caught In the loouf
How she laughed at a thin middle agsd
woman leaping about IN a highland
ming. But could go on forever. there
are so many. 7 guess, perhaps. they
wouldn't mean very much to you
They're an awful lot to me- They kee0
me from thinking too much