Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-27
Saturday, Short StoEy
Lost on Dress Parade
BY o. HENRY
Illustrated With a Drawing by
Dom j. LAWN, the Famous
American Artist.
Copyrighted by Doubleday, Page & Co.

| One iron was heatlnS on a SIndil Gas
! stove; the other was being pushed
! vigorously back and foorth to make
! the desira BILE crease that would be
| seen later on extending in straight
/ lines from Mr. Chambers patent
leather shoes to the edge of his low
cut vest. So much of the hero's toilet
| may be intrusted in our confidence.
Our next view of him shall be as he
descendss the steps of his lodging
house Immediately clothed; calm,
| assured, handsome-in appearance
| the typical New York young clubman
setting out, slightly bored, to inaugu-
rate the pleasures of the evening.
Chambers honorarium was SIS per
| week. He was employed by an arch
itect He was twenty-five; considered
architecture to be truly an art; and
honestly believed-though he would
not have dared to admit it in New
York-that the Flatiron Building was
inferior in design to the great cathed-
raj in Milan.
Out of each weeks earnings Chand-
Ter set aside ST. At the end of each
ten weeks with the extra capital thus
accumulated, he purchased one gentle
mans evening from the bargain
counter of stingy old Father Time.
He arrayed himself in the regalia of
millionaires and presidents he took
himself to the quarter where life is
brightest and showiest, and there
dined with taste and luxury. With
ten dollars a man may, for a few
hours, play the wealthy idler to per-
fection. The sum is ample for we'll
considered meal, a bottle bearing a
hi Is,IA
SMOKE cab fare and the ordinary
etceteras.
This one delectable evening culled
from each dull seventy was to Chan
dler a source of renascent bliss. To
the society bud comes but one debut;
1t stands alone sweet in her memory
when her hair has whitened; but to
Chandler each ten weeks brought a
joy as keen, as thrilling, as new as
the first had been. To sit among bon
viyants under palms in the swirl of
concealed music, to look upon the
habitues of such a paradise, and to
be looked upon by them-what is a
girls first dance and short-sleeved
tu1le compared with this?
Up Broadway Chandler moved with
the vespertime dress parade For this
evening he was an exhibit as well as
a gazer. For the next sixty-nine
evenings he would be dining in chew
lot and worsted at dubious table
d'hOtes. at whirlwind lunch counters,
on sandwiches in his hall bedroom.
He was willing to do that, for he was
a true son of the great city Of razzle-
dazzle, and to him one evening in the
limelight made up for many dark
ones.
Chandler protracted his walk until
II t.,AN fHn
great glittering primrose way, for the
evening was yet young, and when one
is of the beau monde only one day in
seventy one loves to protract the
pleasure Eyes bright, sinister, curl
Gus, admiring. provocative, alluring
were bent upon him, for his garb and
air proclaimed him a devotee to the
hour of pleasure.
At a certain corner he came to a
standstill, proposing to himself the
question of turning back toward the
snowy and fashionable restaurant in
which he usually dined on the eve
ningS of his especial luxury. Just
then a girl scudded lightly around the
corner, slipped on patch of icy snow
and fell plump upon the sidewalk.
Chandler assisted her to her feet
with instant and solicitous courtesy
The girl hobbled to the wall of the
building, leaned against it and
thanked him demurely
Il think my ankle is strained" she
said. 1T twisted when | fell"
Does it pain you much?" inquired
Chandler.
only when 1 rest my weight upon
1t. I think | will be able to walk in
minute or two"
''If I can be of any further service"
suggested the young man, Il will call
cab, Or 81.
but heartily. II am sure you need not
trouble yourself any further. 1t was
so awkward of me. And my shoe
heels are horribly common-sense,
can't blame them at all.
Chandler looked at the girl and
found her swiftly drawing his inter-
est, She was pretty in a refined way;
and her eye was both merry and kind.
She was inexpensively clothed in
plain black dress that suggested a
sort of uniform such as shop girls
wear. Her glossy dark-broWn nalr
showed its coils beneath cheap hat
of black straw. whose only ornament
was velvet ribbon and bow.
A sudden idea came into the head
of the young architect. He would ask
this girl to dine with him. Here was
the element that his splendid but sol
itarv periolic feasts had lacked. His
hrief season of elegant luxury would
he doubly enjoyable if he could add to
II a lady's society. This girl was a
lady. he was sure-her manner and
speech settled that, And in spite OF
her extremely plain attire he felt
that he would be pleased to SIT at
table with her.
These thoughts passed swiftly
through his mind, and he decided to
ask her. 1t was breach of etiquette,
of course, but oftentimes wage-earn-
ing girls waived formalities in mat
tiers of this kind. They were gener-
ally shrewd judges of men and
thought better of their own Judgment
than they did of useless conventions
His ten dollars, discreetly expended.
would enable the two to dine very
well. indeed. The dinner would, no
doubt. be a wonderful experience
thrown into the dull routine of the
girls life, and her lively appreciation
Of If would add to his own triumph
and pleasure. e
II think" he said to her with frank
gravity. that your foot needs long
er rest than you suppose. Now l am
going to suggest a way in which you
can give it that and at the same time
do me a favor I was on my way to
dine all by my lonely self when you
came tumbling around the corner.
You come with me and we'll have a
cozy dinner and a pleasant talk to-
gether, and by that time your game
ankle will carry you home very nice
", I am sure"
The girl looked quickly up into
Chandler's clear, pleasant counte-
nance. Her eyes twinkled once very
brightly, and then she smiled inge-
niously.
"But we don't know each other
IL wouldn't be right, would it?' she
said. doubtfully
"Theres is nothing wrong about il, ,