The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-02-18

as a peasant maid might smile at q
crown prince, was ready to accept and
check the ladies' Wraps, while the
small boy in buttons, who was to sort
and store the outer garments of the
gentlemen, was ready with bright eyes
and itching palms.
The party arrived promptly, coming
in a bunch and greeting Broadway va
riously from the firm and hearty hand
clasp of Bob Wallace, to the merry
kiss Of Inez Vasquez Marquee, Span
ish dancer, born In Keokuk, who would
l leave early so that she might dance
late on the bill at the Spring Garden.
There was a fiutter with the entrance
Of Mrs. Gerard, for, as ever, she
brought with her her own maid, while
her footman waited in the corridor,
not for emergencies, but for appear
ances.
Her once pretty but now age-puck.
cred face had been as thoroughly con-
cealed as possible with various expen-
sive substances which are found in
beauty parlors, and her hair was prob
ably the most costly in that part Of
town that night, and this is saying
much. for very costly tresses some
times deck the fair on Broadway.
The restaurant had wrought evil
dences Of its pride In its allegiance to
Broadway's ~favorite delicacy. A g.
gantic floral lobster occupied the CEN
ter Of the table, its antennae extend
ed tovard the host. n of its claws
stretched toward the seat reserved for
Mrs. Gerard, the other somewhat less
fond of the ladies, for 1t yearned hun
grily toward Bob Wallace's place. At
each lady's place were little Holsters,
nicely wrought Of gold, with jeweled
eyes. for each male guest a silver Gig
arctic case had been fashioned into a
disconsolate Holsters shape with
curled-up tail and dropping claws de-
voutly folded or It's breast.
Broadway vas q perfect host, hos
pftable, easy, reader to listen than
declaim, full of. admiration for the
ladies', full Of the perfection Of good
fellowship for his men guests.
At first he found it difficult to put
out of his mind the thought that this
would be the last of all his gorgeous
nights on Broadway. The notion
fought for permanent position in his
head that after these wild hours he
would be as far from Broadway as that
earnest cow-explorer which was cred
tied with having first laid out the
street. The thought continually OBJ
truded that this must be to him a
funeral, not a festal feast. His hand
shook as he raised his glass to the
first toast. ,a, .
Visions of that blued.steel automatic
pistol and that bottle with its crimson
label f1oated momently before his eyes.
All, that steel was not the blue Of
tile diaphanous gown which the pretty
Winter Garden dancer wore across the
table from him; oh, how the red Of
that red label differed from the red Of
the red roses! 1t was not at, all the
red of the red lobster!
In his dining he had reached that
stage where over-stimulated emotion
found an outlet in the bitterest self
condemnation which he yet had man
aged to evolve since the beginning Of
his self-condemnatory days-that is,
since he had been awakened to the
realization Of the disappearance of his
patrimony and the utter hopelessness
Of everything. He looked at the great
decoration In the center of the table
and said gravely, SO that all might
hear, although he was addressing no
one but the lobster:
you may be big, old chap, but I
know a bigger lobster than you ever
WERE"
It happened at that instant that a
pause had come In the excited JOY
BUSINESS about him-one of those brief,
unexpected silences which never fail,
at least once in every dinner-party, to
reveal to everyone some saying which
the sayer wished to have unheard by
the majority. Always it Is something
awkward, ~inadvertent, stupid or un-
wholesome which Is thus made bla-
family the property of everybody's
ears. This night 1t was our young
hosts confidential statement to the
great, red decorative lobster in the
center of his dinner table.
There was a chorus Of inquiry. If
Broadway knew a bigger lobster,
who was he, and where?
BE careful, Broadway! Don't name
any friend of ours! We'd get peevish,
for that is-some-lobster."
who is 1t, Broadway"
Name, Broadway; name!" demand
ed the whole tableful.
Gloomy and dissatisfied with that
life which he loathed to quit, yet felt
that he could not continue, Broadway
rose and bowed. I'm it," he an,
swered. a."
Protests chorused.
What hard-hearted girl has turned