Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-16
HoUU Poor But Ingenious
n1onir1i, Tired of Work
Day Ii, a StOeatshop, In,
Street in the World" a

OtTeet IN the WOfLd,
- ROADWAY, the wise. has been fooled by East
x Side girl, the daughter Of poor shoemaker. The
49, Great White Way, that boasts that It can never
be taken In has been held up to ridcue by nineteen
year-old sweatshop worker.
The highway Of amusement known throughout this
country and the he wise Of Streets
has been duped outwitted, laughed to by prod
uct Of the tenement districts.
Maria Desmonini, whose fathers shoemaking shop
is in basement of of the fire escapedraped dwell
ing places OF the many at No. BIO East Fourteenth
street. has been Toasted and toasted and BEEN though
for brief time, belle Of Broadway.
The wise ones" of the wise street" wondering
how it ever happened. Maria Desmonni, albeit In the
Tombs laughs. She thinks Broadway is as gulble as
any other part Of Manhattan. More gullible indeed,
than her own earnest-eyed East Side
II got tired working ten hours day and giving all
the money to my mother. So ran away and made
them believe was rich woman, the owner OF conee
plantation In Brazil. And they believed It for two
months. the FOOLS" she says, and laughs. -
pretty girl with deepset, shrewd black eyes, little
too close together, an engaging smile ana enVlaoie
6uency Of speech is Maria Desmonin She is TALL with
m ability to wear her clothes well" She has 1.-THE,
swinging grace, an exotic earnestness OF manner.
wealth OF gesture. As Ruth Downes, the she gave
herself, she something new. In Its never ending
quest of novelty Broadway discovered her
For two months she lived at fine hotels exclusive
boarding houses She had the best rooms and the best
places at table. Every who met her was charmed
estingo those who had never visited the South Amer
lean country Her romance was so sad ana 30 sreaIy
and smiles, the tale OF how her proud, tyrannical
mother had tried to marry her to California multi
millionaire whom the daughter did not love, and how
her pure proud SOUL revolving at such slavery che had
taken drawing palace car and crossed the CONT
nent In the fastest train that runs between san Fran
cisco and New York.
"Mamma dear foolish woman. Is so proud. She
would not let marry a millionaire There are
several of them whom might have loved He must
have many millions. Dear mamma, know she Is weep
ing her eyes out. She is such pcture-always wears
rustng black silks and high gold comb blazing with
Jewels, and a priceless lace mantilla handsome
but so proud of her blue blood and our great
fortune"
The Cross-C Continental Journey
Really Ride Cross-Town
When Maria's mother the East Side shoemakers
wife made her appearance in court she wore shawl
over her head. Ruefuly the witnesses who had been
listening to Mara stories gazed that threadbare
gray shawl When the crosscontnent Journey resolved
Itself into ride a Fourteenth street crosstown
car with transfer up Madison avenue, the wise men
and women of Broadway could have wept In sheer
chagrin. -,
She learned 1t from little red pocket dictionary she
always carried. The dictionary cost fifteen cents.
spanish is easy you know Italian. It Is so like It,
explained Maria, with her mischievOus laugh.
81 have plenty OF money. work for occupation. not
offices of theatrical managers One after another
engaged her to pose naughty beauty. She will be
stunning in the pctures-at last we have found rival
of Anita Stewart" said the screen magnates to their
office stats. ~
The protector Of a musical comedy engaged her for
She was to play the part OF Brazilian beauty, and
in yellow satin frock and with many diamonds. was
to the 1t IL danced on It's native so the
Then came the news that bowled Broad
way that left gasping the street that Is proud of its
setpossession that boasts that it be sur
prised-"Ruth Downes," she Of the swinging, Spanish
walk, of the stories OF romance that held mingled
favor of the old and new, was arrestedI common
place officer to her lodgings broke in upon tale
Of an alnight bah at the hacienda Of Millionaire cousin
hand, but whom she repulsed because she loved him
not The rude, ordinary policeman answered her rich.
in and LAWN hand
olive shoulder, said. ''Come onl"
what for?" Ruth Downes lowered above him as an
offended queen, resentng the afront Of barbarian
"Its an emissary of your mothers come to take you
home" suggested fellow boarder.
"NSot your life! I'm pinching her because want
them clothes end Jewery she took from the woman at
No 248 West Fortyfourth street." said the rude com
mon detective.
"She Was That Queenlike She Had
Me Going" Said the Detective.
"Tn have you dismissed from the force, you dread
full personl Take your fingers on my gown Your very
touch will soil It'll" The detective aferward said she
was that queenlike she had going. almost begged
her pardon and said there must be some mistake"
He might well have done So for when she waa
taken into court she denied Indignantly the theft
that the magistrate discharged her. Miss "Downes,
her eyes flashing left the courtroom, moved from the
boarding house where she had been subjected TO such
unwarrantable afront and resumed her reign as the
novelty of Broadway
the company Of admiring friends, some OF them
actors, some managers, some angels" OF amusement
respect Always they enchanted by her stories
OF life Brazilian conee plantation and OF the Jour
neyings Of rich planters and their families to San Fran
cisco and to Paris True, she made some remarkabl.
statements about those cities, but her admirng and
ustfu audiences always ascrbed these sngularitie'
20 her lack Of knowledge OF the English language
They merely smiled at her fascinating broken speech
always accompanied by her dazzling smile.
Then again interruption Once more was Ruth
Downes arrested This because a dress suit con
tanning some Of articles of clothing she said
have stolen found In her room.
one i u0V0l