South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-10-01

is all cut and dried. I'll wager that
fellow who calls 'em of is a sort Of
agent who furnished these people for
the night That right2" turning 70
the waiter. who was now serving
their planked steak.
Yes, sir. that's right He brings
down a whole bunch OF 'em every
Thursday night"
But he pays them, doesn't hep"
asked Helen. They get something
besides what's thrown at them?"
Il don't know, ma'am. Some Of
EN- gets a lot Of money on the plat
form A girl here last week got a So
bill. It's just owing to the crowd
'em. Would you like some chill
sauce with your steak, sir -
Then came a girl who played on a
harmonica, and who. like the singers.
plainly faxed the amateur. After
this the manager announced a recess
Of 10 minutes The bored-looking
musicians left their instruments and
retired 10 a table back OF the plat
form, where one Of the walters
brought them some beer.
The place was filling up now. Two
tables had just been put together for
a party Of eight. The hum OF voices,
laughter and cigaret smoke-it was a
typical New York restaurant scene.
The intermission over. the must
clans left their empty beer glasses and
came back TO their instruments.
Again the manager mounted the
stage.
He announced a Miss Tessie Will
Jams" as some song bird.
The diners were now in a more gen
erous mood, for as Miss Tessie" sang.
her black skirt was pelted with small
coins. Suddenly a dollar bill fell at
her feet, and she sang more Justify
than ever She was younger than any
of the others, and would have been
pretty had it not been for the hideous
black dress, which evidently all anna
tours" must wear.
Not Shy.
But there was no shyness nor timid-
ity in her manner to suggest that this
was her first appearance, for when
the second dollar bill fell before her
she left the platform and came down
singing among the tables, staring
boldly at the men and shrilling loudly.
She'll want to come here again
next week, all right" laughed the
manager, when he emptied the plate
with the two dollar bills and the
many small coins into her hands. The
girl took it greedily and ran Off
Then q board was placed over the
red-carpeted platform, and Mr..
William Murphy, a clog dancer,
was announced.
claimed Helen. surely he's not go
ing To dance"
For the man who now came up to
shuttle about on the board was white
haired and shabby. and his clog
dancing was most pathetic. The
diners were in no mood for so aged
an entertainer, and Helen saw only
three dimes fall on the platform.
"Oh, dear! Do throw him some
the others. It's too pathetic. Throw
him a quarter.
Warren felt in his pocket. Here's
the quarter-dO your own throwing.
I'm not going to encourage such i'm
becility."
Helen threw the coin with such bad
aim that it fell on the piano, and
at first no one seemed to notice it.
Her heart sank. He would not get it
after all. But a waiter pointed it out
10 the pianist, and it was finally
lodged in the plate at the old mans
feet.
The party of eight, who were drink
ing freely of champagne and who had
been tossing coins at all the other
singers had not thrown this poor old
man a cent.
Why should they? They came
here 10 he entertained" declared
Warren, mot TO have their feelings
narrowed. This is no place for that
old piker. And I'm not so sure that
he's not fake with the rest of them"
Very Hard.
At times Warren could be very
hard. He was not uncharitable. but
he resented any unexpected demand
on his sympathies, while Helen was
always emOtionally sympathetic AL
ready her Imagination was tracing
signs OF refinement I'm this old mans
face. What had brought him To this
Then she thought Of how difficult
il was for an old man to get work
She knew that the bread lines were
made up of just such men 1t was
certainly better To a do a shutting
clog dance for a few cents than to
stand in line for half a loaf of bread
and a cup Of coffee.
His dance finished. the old man now
took the few coins and shufhed off
the platform in a sort of shamefaced
way that made Helen feel that at least
his act was genuine
The next number was a PERT up
pish, tough-looSing youth OF about
i, with a striped shirt, a red necktie
and a sham diamond pin. With his
hands in his pocket he sang in a hor-
rible imitation Of Harry Lauder.
"Oh, he's awful" shuddered Helen,
as he strutted about with a self-satis-
fed leer. while the diners showered
him with coins.
When this youth had departed with
his money. the manager stepped to
the front of the platform with a final
announcement:
Ladies and gentlemen, this ends
the amateur performance for this
evening / thank YOU for your atten-
ton. We hope to see YOU all back
next Thursday night We shall have
an entirely new set of amateurs to
entertain you"
"Ameturs" scoffed Warren. well,
he needn't 10 have announced the new
bunch for next week. Shouldn't think
anybody here would want TO come
again. one dose of this ought 10 be
enough