Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-24
TO-DAY'S INSTALLMENT

l 1 y u =
Go on, | amt lookin for graft
/ tude. There amt none in this world
any more. Taxicabs killed gratitude
same as they killed everything else
any good. Remember what a place
! Broadway used to be? About y
o'clock of fine night-wth the cab
| bies ridin' up and down calm 'Keb.
| sir-keb, sir!' That was sociable,
wasn't it? That was human. Folks
was happy in them days--a Teller and
| a girl, ridin' home-lookin out at the
/ sights"
| Jim was enjoying his happy remi-
niscences-then he pulled himself up
| sharply to the bitter reality of these
unsoCiable days of taXis.
| They don't look at nothin' now-in
a taxi; they dasn't-just that darned
Old clock"
TINS sodden old soul was bitter.
| THAT darned old clock" made
~ graft almost too complicated a
! thing to his feeble intellect.
| Suddenly Dick spoke in a tone Of
genuine feeling He knew Kitty
knew just what she was-knew just
what she had done-and would do,
! perhaps. all through life. Dick LIE
| Roy was a gaudy souled, gaudily
| dressed song and dance artist
Kitty was-well, Kitty! And to Dick
LIE Roy she was-the girl he wanted.
Kitty. What's the use? You're on
dead one, and you're most broke!
| This kids a simp and he's only a
nj lose
| him."
Jim coughed and lit one of "the
piker's" cigars.
Kittys eyes took a far away look.
Never mind" said Miss Kitty May
firmly.
Dick leaned across the table. He
could forget that Jim was there-he
could forget anything but that Kitty
was-tust Kitty.
You can't care for him-a wise
girl like you"
Cant I? It's none Of your bust
ness. anyway said she in a pleas
antly offhand manner.
Jim rose with a flourish, and ad-
dressed the floor
81 can't read without my glasses
Dicks gettin' mushy again. He al
ways was stuck on you?'
Dick turned on him with rising pas
sion
We'll? What about it? l wouldn't
| look TO be headlined on a bill with a
millionaire-but this 'E1amas baby
graft is pretty punk! Mama will buy
baby all the candy baby wants-gur-
gle. gurgle"-he minced with a sneer
| that masqueraded for a laugh-"but
| mama tightens up when it comes to
buying Paris hats for a soubrette."
10
of Kitty's hand All the happy-g go
lucky laughter was gone out of his
smoothly featured young-old face
now.
Kitty shook off his OBTAINING hand
and jumped up angrily.
You look out what you say" she
. snarled.
Dick backed off in honest astonish-
| ment
MY Gawd, Say Kitty what are
you? Oh cut out the bunk, Kitty!
| Quit kiddln' YOURSELF"
BY this time he had recovered his
| poise, and the radiant smile that dis
| closed his strong white teeth.
Kitty spoke with impassioned ear
nestness.
| "Dick, ! wouldn't leave this boy if
| he didn't have car fare-not yet, any
how-not till | get the thing want!"
Dick knew the devious ways of
''soubrettes"-and graft-and black
mail.
Lightly he asked: Are you figur-
| ing you can make this boys father
pay?"
! In the short second before she an
| swered Kitty stood staring back inc
( the past-back into one morning a
month ago. She saw a sobbing girl
/ spurned in her pleading. She heard
! that girl cry: "rll stick-Tm no
/ grafter!" She saw a strong man put
/ ting that girl aside at the moment
/ when he was forced out into the open.
| She saw that girl flung back on her
/ self-saw her fall shaken and tren-
! bling. into a massive chair, while the
man she longed for swung heavy
doors between her life and his-and
was gone, Gone out of her love-but
not out of her life Not yet, Charles
| Nelsonl She heard that girls burn
| ing vow: IF you leave me like this
now-that you. don't have to, I'll get
you. Charlie, don't make me hate you
/ Don't leave me-or I'll get you. FL
get you if it's the last thing l ever
| do"
And Kitty answered in a hard tone,
with far deeper meaning than Dick or
Jim could ever guess:
I'm going to make the boys father
| pay"
| Dick was greatly relieved. Here
was a game he could understand
/ thought he coul.,
/ "Oh! l heard he was broke. hut
/ you'd know, of course. You WOULDN'T
| take any chances. Sorry | said any
thing, Kitty. Your judgment is bound
to be Q. X. I guess every fellow gers
soft once in a while
To BE Continued To morrow