The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-05-12


voices that issued from every door
] A policeman stopped him and advised
him to go home. Homel Why he
was just beginning 10 enjoy himself
How absurd He did not like the
thought of hame, anyhow. Il was a
duh place. He was by no means sure
that he would ever 30 home. lie
would like TO stay here, forever.
A large electric sign, reading
Dance Hail." caught his attention.
He entered. This was something
different from the other places he had
seen, Many couples were waltZing.
None Of the men wore evening
clothes. Some of them even kept
on their hats while dancing And
what engaging manners the women
had. No frigid formalty for them.
They made the stranger instantly az
! home.
One Of these charming young
women approached Butler. laid a hand
on his arm and looked into his eyes,
smiling.
Don't you want to dance with me?"
she asked
"Dlighted, I'm s-sure," replied But
Ter. He found 1t rather difficult to ar
ticulate clearly which surprised him,
momentarily.
Come on, then" said the girl, as
the orchestra began a new tune,
Where shll I put hat m ov'coat?"
asked Butler. Cant Chic) dance in
oy'coat n hat, m dear madam"
The girl laughed. She saw that But
| Ter was more drunk than he seemed
at first glance. She liked his face
and saw that he was a gentleman
that even liquor could not make him
otherwise, for he had treated her with
entire respect She doubted his abil
| ity to dance, and moreover, she did
not wish to share him with the other
girls She wanted him all to herself
! He was such a nice, clean, wholesome
young fellow, despite his intoxication,
| and he might come to harm. She
wanted him to call her his dear
madam and treat her as if she
were-well, what she used to be- She
met so few men in these places who
were far above the beast-even when
they were sober.
Lets sit out this dance" she sug.
gested, forsaking the jargon of her
surroundings barking back to times,
when she spoke a different tongue.
pm tired. I've danced a good deal.
There's a table over here in the cor
ner, where we can falkland have q
drink You have to buy drinks in
these places, you know
q understan, said Butler with a
comical assumption of wisdom that
made her smile "Un'erstand' per-
f'cly." He signaled to the waiter
"Whatll you have?"
"I'll take a small beer" said the
girl, "and I'm going to order for you
too" She gave his hand a little pat |
May I?' The words sounded strange |
in her own ears. May u"
Butler smiled across the table at
her. Highly honored,' he returned |
with (hic) pleasure. Highly hon
ored, m dear mad'm." He waved his
hand with a gesture of largesse, and
the waiter, expecting an order for
champagne, winked at the girl, ap-
provingly.
She looked him squarely in the eyes.
Bring him a bromo-seltzer," she
said.
Butler made a wry face as he
drained the frothing mixture in his
tall glass "B-r-r-rn he said, and
reached for a handkerchief to wipe
his lips With it came a doubly fold
ed sheet Of paper. 1t was the letter.
which, unwittingly, he had stuffed
into his pocket as he was leaving the
Office Butler looked at it, duly
Whats that?" asked the girl.
Then, quite suddenly Buffers brain
began to clear. The powerful stimu-
liant was dispelling the roseate illu-
siCns of intoxication, and awakened
memory rushed into the void. Every
thing changed before his eyes. The
charming, newly found bohemianism
which had delighted him so became a
scene OF sordid, bestial vice. He was
shocked, startled, utterly unnerved.
1t was as though he had beheld a
beautiful woman turn, suddenly, into
a hag The letter lay before him, in
a little pool Of beer spillings-hop
lessly soiled, desecrated, besmirched.
He picked it up, dripping, and regard
ed it with horror.
MY God!" he said, with a moan of
rpVulsiOn "Oh my God Her LET
teri" Then, for the second time that
day, completely overpowered by emo
ton, Butler bowed his head upon his
arms and shook with great, fearless
5obs.
The girl watched this phenomenon /
but with pain. She
lad seen many men act thus-includ-
ng one in the long ago. |
Leave him alone" she told the |
waiter, who approached, curiously. I
III take care of him. Bring me a
whisky quick"
When he had gone she laid hand, I,
gently, on the bowed head; gently, as
a mother might--this woman of the /,
streets. The waiter brought her
drink, but she did not touch it. For
little while she let Butler sob, un- |
Then she spoke to him,
ioftly, soothingly, as to a child.
Come" she said. Come You are |
)etter now It's all right But you l
mustn't stay here any longer, You 7
must go home, now"