The San Francisco call., 1910-06-05
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around her shoulders. giving her a
little squeeze, as much as to say,
Never mind. don't you care" and
moved away. Whereupon she seemed
comforted, and presently the two girls
rose and moved to table farther off
Poor little foolish moth; 1t hurt to be
made fun of. didn't 1t, even IL you
are nothing but a painted doll?
At the conclusion of the French
womans dance a number who seemed
merely onlookers left and now the
place was given up more to It's regu-
lar habitues
One dark eyed. fine featured little
girl about IS or 10 years old had in
terested me for some time. She had a
man with her and was fairly well
dressed. but she looked sad and un-
happy, out of place.
Did you ever. when you were out
fishing, catch little baby fish. tiny
things about half grown. wriggling on
the hook? 1 have, and the man used
to go fishing with would always take
them off and throw them back into the
water. Another chance for their lives,
chance to grow up. It's not a pretty
simile, suppose, but there was some
thing about some of those girls that
reminded me of those baby fish. They
seemed. somehow, to have been caught
when they were only half grown. not to
have had their fighting chance in the
world. 1t seemed to me that a clean
sportsman would turn them face about
and tell them to start all over again.
We went into another place in, Taylor
street, where another electric sign daZ-
zled the eye There were no steps to
descend here, the door opened directly
off the street AS we went in the noise
was deafening Bing! bang, went the
orchestra. The atmosphere was dense
with smoke and redolent of whisky.
The place was full; it was big, too.
There was more space between the
tables, which were larger than in the
other place. The whole effect was diff
ferent. There was no attempt at quiet
ness or order here. License was evident
at once. Everybody seemed to be talk
ing and laughing at once-those that
were net shouting.
The women were older experienced,
with brazen faces and unpleasant man
ners.
dancing ceased. She looked like a
French woman. Tall, thin, staggering.
handsome in big, dark eyed. haggard
way She sat down at table near tho
center of the room with a blonde. who
had been very pretty but who showed
the traces of wear and tear.
There was a man with them, but
there were SO Ilduy 1lcIl I0Ic lIldl, eA-
cept in unusual cases, they did not in
terest me, being the sort one sees any
where and everywhere. 1t Is the women
who form the lure of these places, and
they are different. Theirs is a life apart.
And in this place. more than in the
other, I seemed to be getting results;
they showed the effects of the terrible
years they had spent.
The French woman I speak of was
talking In loud voice to group
across the room and was brandishing
a chair.
NO" said my escort. "she is not an
CRY or drunk; just in a playfully ugly
mood. that is all. She has got to the
point where she realizes that she is
getting old, that her attractiveness is
on the wane, and it makes her des-
perate."
And what is the end for such as
she?" inquired.
"Carbolic acid, I suppose" he an
swered.
After a while the group she was
talking to left and she quietej down.
A little later a prosperous, rosy
checked man with a white mustache
Joined her table, taking the vacant
chair They didn't behave as people in
polite society do.
Presently she ordered a bottle of
wine in a loud voice, which the waiter
brought and poured out. They did not