The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-01-03
7TNhe Dancer
Il at the
t abarilr1
BY Mary Roberts Rlnehart
Illustrated by r. A. Johnstons
Copyrighted. 1918, by the News
paper Enterprise Association

ing. She was a tall girl. 1.-THE and
supple. and she danced 20 a clam "
OF little bells--bells around her
waist. bells concealed that ttnklei
MS she swayod. and protested
shrilly when she lcaped. Her son.
suous dancing pleased the crowd
as she ceased. smiling. With a fash
OF dark eyes and white teeth, a
tipsy officer In uniform presented
her with glass OF champagne.
The Wild Hungarian music riot
ed. The musicians. In red coats.
with swarthy faces. played furi-
ously. With the near approach or
midnight freaEy seized the crowd.
The merriment OF the carnival was
giving place TO something less In
nocent A man IN a lose drank
from woman's slipper.
Behind the bar. AZ the top OF the
steps leading from the boxes 20 he
main floor. an English oarmaid
was sharpening A lead p~ncu.
A thin young American girl In q
dancing dress stood beside her,
leaning both elbows on he bar
and surveying the scene Nitt frank
curiosity.
Look at the diamond collar on
that woman over there with the
bandeaui" she said. Seems 10 me
diamond collars are taking the
Mace OF necklaces this winter"
I'm glad you spoke 81 that,
lilly" The barmaif yawned and
stuck her pencil in her hair. TIL
have some OF my stuff made over.
Tiliy'S eyes had gone back again
10 the woman with the bandean.
81 wonder" she reflected. how
Id look with black velvet collar
like that and paste buckle on IL.
I'm so Internally thin"
TfIly said Internally" There ~
strong reason to believe that she
would have said "damnably" had II
occurred to her. The world had
not been kind to Tilly In her ~
years. and. although she was still
sound and fine. there were
scratch on her social veneer.
Stranded In Europe By the failure
Of a rowing company. In which she
had belonged to the chorus. THY
had refused with loathing the
means many OF the girls had
( chosen TO get back. and had drin-
ed into the cabarets az the best
OF bad job.
For three months now she had
been a part OF the night life OF the
city. a dancer at the Tabarin. Ia
miliar figure TO FOUNDERS. an enig-
ma to the other girls OF the eaoa-
ret. For lilly showed a curious
willingness TO 1--we on her 40
kronen a week salary. hitherto
unknown tendency to mind her
own business and an aloofness that
was helped by her ignorance OF the
language.
Tonight. on this Silvesterabend,
Tflly's eyes, as she stared over the
jewellers, were somewhat clouded.
For her contract at the Tabarin ex-
plred tina. night. and she had every
reason TO believe that II would not
be renewed.
Tilly's innocence was not igno-
rance. She knew why she was TO
be dismissed. Her graceful dane
ing, totally lacking In fire or sen
suality, made no appeal TO the sau-
a.ed habitues OF the Bal Tabarin;
her aloofness irritated them. A
man one night had held lilly tight
and tried to kiss her. whereat Tilly
had bitten hts hand until Il bled.
Weininger, the proprietor. had
stormed in German, and Tilly.
gathering something OF HIS mean
ing. and desperately alone. had
done her best. She had shortened
her shabby skirts and. even after
battle royal, consented 20
dance In her bare feet The result
was curious. incongruous-Tilly,
dressed like bacchante. danced
her virginia. little dance with
shamed. downcast eyes. n travesty
Of bacchanaIia, a child repeating
passion by rote
And now Tilly was at her last
ditch. Before long. at dawn prob
ably, Weininger would dismiss her
not pay her off. for Tilly had
drawn her salary ahead. being Civ
en- TO the aforesaid riotous living
and having at Christmas. the week
before, presented TO the children
of the PORTER at her pension. tbs
only Christmas they had received
The barmaid was large and very
blond. Tonight. with nothing but
champagne on sale. she was moi
busy. having only the walters
checks to look after. She pinned {
pink rose in her bosom, and looked
~ Il IL
Have you seen Welninger?" she
asked He was looking for you.
I'm right here when he wants
me" Tllly's tone was defiant.
Take it from me-" the barmait
said, you do what he wants
You're a long ways from home
kid. You can dance all right. Blu
you've got 10 put some snap int
It tonight II you want to hold you
Job. You dance like Sunday
school"
Che pushed Tilly toward thu
steps with a kindly contempt. Blu
Tilly turned. speaking over he
thin shoulder:
10 the devil" she said, and ad
Ndnce0 0eHchtsly on Hef Dare tOel
10 the top Of the half dozen stair
leading down to. the floor. And
lingering there. her Indifferent
eyes fell on the loge across am
met those Of one Of the men. IL
was watching her, and now h
smiled. Tilly smiled back at hin
with flash Of Amusement in he
Irish eyes.
What pretty little dancerl'
said the woman in the box. "sh'
looks Irish, doesn't she?"
American, think; I'll tell yot
in a moment"
The young man who had amilet
at lilly bent over and Belecte,
some flowers from the mass on N,
table. From across, Tilly Watche,
him aOberly. First he held up