The San Francisco call and post., 1913-12-20
The
Manicure
Lady
BY WILLIAM F. KIRK

xGT JUST finished a new novel which
amt been out long" said the
Manicure Lady. There amt
nothing to 1t except that it is kind Of
raw in spots, like most of the new
stuff that have read lately. Outside
of the raw spots. there amt nothing
to 1t, and 1 would just as soon read
the year book of the department OF
agriculture The more see OF books
like that the more like to read the
old masters like Charles Thackery
and Sir Walter Dickens and Marie
CorellL Them was the days when
good novels was wrote.
TITS been long time since have
read novel," said the Head Barber.
II don't see what makes you read
them"
II read them because I am all the
time hoping to find good one" ex-
planned the Manicure Lady. IF girl
didn't read nothing to improve her
mind, George, all she would know
inside of year would be slang and
the latest stage jokes. I seen some
OF them Jokes In the Sunday paper
under the heading, What Broadway
Is Laughing About and after 1 had
read them was telling mother that
Is Broadway Laughing About?' Just
lot of mush. like the novels was
telling about"
My wife showed me a story about
Japan in one of the magazines last
month";" said the Head Barber "I
don't see how the author got by with
out jail sentence. And then they
say the world is getrng better"
Il got a notion to write a novel
myself" said the Manicure Lady. IT
heroine Of my novel would be girl
In this manicure game. I wouldn't
write no novel unless I knew all
about what I was writing, and IL
there is any angle to this game that
haven't saw, the scene must be laid
In some foreign country.
You couldn't write no novel," de-
clared the Head Barber
Maybe in your limited judgment I
couldn't write nothing" snapped the
Manicure Lady. but I have just took
the notion into my head that could
write one. and am going to try.
This is the plot: A manicure lady
like me. only far more beautiful and
frIcf fun
in barber shop. and young gent
that owns big estate in the country
comes in to have his nails did and
falls in love with her. He treats her
just like princess. and asks her to
marry him, and she marries him and
they go to live on his estate. The
ladies that go IN his social circle is
all more higher educated than this
bride. and they give her the freeze
every time they get a chance. The
girl stands 1t for a while. and then
she can't stand it no more. and runs
away all by herself. The young gent
| sells his estate and spends all the
| money trying to find her. and just as
he says Never mind, dearest, my
money IL gone but my heart beats
just as kind and true as 1t ever did,
Then she gets another Job as mani
cure girl and she supports him and
her both"
That made It kind OF soft for him."
said the Head Barber.
That's the only part OF the novel
that can't get to suit me-" said the
Manicure Lady. IT suppose / ought
to have him fall heir to a fortune,
because a gent sitting around Satur-
day afternoon waiting for his wife
to come home with Is bucks amt
| what you could call q hero"
"But you amt got her tangled up
in no love affair" said the Head
Barber.
mo. George" declared the Mani
cure Lady. "and she amt going to
| be. not II I write the novel"
Then how do you expect 1t to
sellY' asked the Head Barber.
IT thought 1t might sell better than
the other late novels" explained the
Manicure Lady, ION account OF 1t be-
| ing so different"