Evening star., 1914-03-22

You see. the Observer tried it, right here
in this snug little city of ours. too There
is no man living who tried harder. And
but let us detail the lesson.
The editor stated that he wanted to
know something about the 'McSiXey."
The McSixey," observed the Observer
must have something to do with st.
Patrick's day. 1 suppose that THE Nc
Sixey is chief of the tribe, eh?'
'-The McSixey,'' said the editor, with
dignity, lis an Argentine dance. Maybe
You pronounce it 'macks-eeks Humph!
Or perhaps you say 'max-ease. Any
way, You go learn it,
Then he wrote it out. 1t is spelled thus,
s "m-a-X-i-X-e''
Why should learn it?" asked the OBJ
server, plaintively.
Because 1 haven't the time" replied
You're an Internal sidestepper." retort-
ed the Observer, hotly. "or you'd go learn
it yourself
viii you go?" asked the editor, pa
tiently, 'or will il be necessary to let
George, the elevator boy, do it, and It
a little real thought and intelligence into
it?"
The Observer went out to locate the
studio within a stones throw of the
White House, where the editor, with
cruel carefulness, had made arrange
nents for the lessons in the modern
dances.
There was something gruesome about
the every corner of the place. T begin
with, the Observer had had dim visions of
being ushered into nice, pleasant dane
ing hall. where lovely girl would grasp
him about what he calls his waist, lead
him on to the floor and coo in his ear the
variations of 'the McSixey. Possibly
little affaire de coeur-who can tell-might
come Of
But did the Observer reach the nice,
pleasant dancing hall2 He did NOT!
An attendant took him into gym
nasum
II was a rough looking gymnasium, too
There were seven hundred pound dumb
bells in the corner--that is, you under
stand, sever which weighed 100 pounds
each-and two patient men We're going
through that most senseless of all oper
ations. trying to chin themselves when
they already had double chins. In the
distance could be heard the strident notes
of a graphophone as ii cried:
AT the devils ball. at the devils ball.
Dancing with the devil. Oh. you little devil,
Dancing
As If in answer to a prayerful appeal
the devil appeared At least, it was
his ball. so maybe he deserves that sobri-
quet He and his wife run the place. He
rs well set up, brisk. and an accom-
plished dancer of the "McSixey," and
the tango and the Castle walk, which
latter conJortion is named after Mr.. md
Mrs. Vernon Castle of New York, we
believe. and not because it runs to ruins.
The instructor was clad in sleeveless
Jersey and pair of duck trousers. He
walked up to the Observer. In his eye
was an expression of cold dsapproba-
tion-the kind of expression that eminent
surgeons assume when they find they
have left their implements inside of an
-tT,p.uljcifiS D1firDT Said he.
You are too fat
Il didn't come here TO hear myself
criticised replied the Observer in a
mild, conciliatory way. Il want to learn
the McSiNey.'
The instructors mouth opened until the
Observer could count his ribs
The Ma-wh-what?' he gasped.
The Observer proudly produced the slip
of paper which the Sunday editor had
handed him and displayed the cryptic
'ln-a-x-i-x-e."
Apparently, the instructor was ap-
peased-
oh. - he said. you mean the ma -chee-
Chez.
.Um-huh." agreed the Observer, feeling
a sort of sinking around his waistline
Drawing Off with his right hand the irr
Observers chest.
Your muscles are not in a proper state
Of control. he sta ted, while the Observer
was trying TO straighten out his ribs.
-t-eAOii YOU uU tildl dSdDl,
sdlped the Observer. Tn no punching
bag
In order To dance the ma-chee-c!I,.e -
proceeded the instructor. the muscles
must answer the nerve ceuters perfectly,
The whole body must be attuned. Else
how can We expect the perfect rhythm2''
He aimed another blow at the Obsery-
ers che.t, which the Observer dexterous-
ly Sidestepped. The instructor seemed
disappointed at having missed And he
had right to be as it reduced his bat
ting average to go per cent
Get into some gym clothes" he or
dered harshly.
II 1t We're not necessary, in the interests
of truth. to detail the method bv which
the AHglo-Saxon learns to tango, the
Observer would draw d kindly curtain
over the ensuing week.
FIRST he was compelled to slump
around on lot of fool bars-not the
bars which are interesting-but the hor-
izontal kind which Were invented nv
some fool in order that other fools
might work themselves to death without
getting any money for il. Th,. instructor
reduced his cigarette supply. Also h..
ordered the cocktails cut out
After the first four days the instructor
decided that daily boxing would be in
cludcd i'll the program.
And here ii was that the Observer
made another mistake. He decided to