The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-15
A PLEASANT JOB
Bruno Leasing Had to Size Up
Suffragettes.
He Discovered He Had Wonder
full Eye for Beauty.
ST. LOUIS FULL OF PEACHES
Quite a Few of Them VIII Flirt
a Little, Too.
Queen-Empress of Peaches
Came From Maryland.
(BY BRUNO LEssING1

tBY BRUNO LESSING.
St. Louis. June 15.|I pinned
a badge on my coat. got INTO
an open taxi, assumed a states
manlike air and started for the con-
vention hall. AS the taxi turned the
corner. just gave one long gasp and
dropped the Statesmanlike business in
hurry On both sides of the street
that leads TO the Coliseum, seated on
camp stools and chairs. close together
stretched two lines of women. all in
white and yellow, holding aloft suf-
rage signs and banners For nearly
ten long blocks-as far as the eye
could see-these lines formed 4 lane
OF remlninity down which each delegate
must pass to get to the convention
Unless he was willing t. rake ten
mile detour to avoid it
Drive slowly" I said to the chauf-
1eur- lie turned around and grinned
at me- explained to him that l was
reaily newspaper man, disguised as
delegate, and that it was my duty
to size up this situation
Some. duty" he commented.
At Headquarters.
In the middle of the line. we came
10 the suffragette headquarters, where
wonderful pageant had been ar
ranged Women in gray were grouped
on one SIDE to represent the states
that had already granted women the
suffrage, while women in black rep
resented those that hadn't On gen
erai principles and at first glance 1
preferred the ones in black-partly
because l like to see women in black
and partly, too, because of the pre-
ponderance of good lockers The ones
in gray seemed somewhat stodter
and l don't think wisely selected as
an advertisement for the effects of
women's suffrage At the top of the
group, representing the Statue of Lib
| erty, stood a buXom lady, not quite
as tall as the original. but almost as
/ broad Every little while she would
| lower her torch in order to scratch
| her elbow.
There wac something fascinating in
this proceeding. and it really deserves
a place in history. The torch of Lib
erty has often been lowered before,
but not for that same reason. They
| made a pretty picture. all of these
| women. grouped on the broad steps OF
a big building, and I half closed my
eyes to take them all in when Mary
land smiled. 1 opened my eyes and
just drew a long breath.
/ Maryland Queen Peach.
Dye see Maryland ?" asked the
chauffeur. eagerly. 1 hadn't the heart
to rebuke him. Yes. 1 saw her, and
somehow or other. all the others seem
ed to fade, and she alone stood there
Cautier might have described her il
he had had Du Maupassant and
Shakespeare to help him out L give
it up. AS a matter of fact there isn't
much satisfaction in describing a
woman, anyway. She's either a peach
in which case that's all you want to
know about her, or she isn't
Maryland was sort of queen-em-
press OF peaches. even though she was
) chewing gum. and Just before the tax
.. drew out of her line of vision. she
pouted her lips as if she were bestow-
!, ing kiss and she laughed.
no oh fott
Did you see that" 1 quickly waved
my arm, and the whole United States
of America saIuted in return. All toe
soon we reached the Coliseum and the
! end of the line.
You were only looking at one side
said the chauffeur. significantly
, Maybe you'd like to size up the 9TH
err
ITO be sure I said. Turn around
! and Wen go back
, Back Down Line.
So, we turned around and wen
down that long feminine lane again
| Maryland seemed quite surprised 10 see
us come back Her big blue eyes open
ed wide and her lips parted as sh,
gazed at US. The next moment h,
burst into merry laughter and her sis
ter states turned to look at her inquir
ingly.
, she's giving US the ha. ha,' saiC
the cha grinning. Nevertheless
it was worth the trip back just to lool
at her. We rode slowly down tn,
line. The new side of the street seem
ed considerably younger than the 9TH
err. with a strong preponderance o
blondes. Every time we came to
particularly attractive specimen q
suffragette 1 hoped that somethin,
. would happen to the cara blowou
at least-but no such luck. When W
reached the beginning of the line, w
: turned and went back.
, This time L made up my mind reso
lutely to count them. A great man
had evidently changed their seats, 70
= 1 missed several that 1 had hoped t
see again. 1 counted bravely up t
ninety-six and then 1 stopped. Ninety
! six was not only a peach but a mos
: | outra geous little flirr. 1 couldn't un
, | derstand how 1 had overlooked her O.
the previous trip She not only smiled
= but she wiEked.
Votes for women" she cried Sh
waved her hand and her sleeve fel
back, revealing a beautifully turne
arm. Then she held her head CO
lQuettishly to one side and smiled an
her teeth shone like ivory in the sun
shine
Back to Maryland.
Can you beat that?' asked tn
chauffeur. We rode past Marylan
again but this time she bestowed upo
US an icy stare. That's always the wa
with women. If you're in a railroa
train riding slowly past a station and
3 pretty girl on the platform happens t
meet your admiring gaze. she almos
always smiles at you. l don't kno,
e why, but she does. But if the trai
suddenly comes to a stop just Watc
> how quickly her face freezes up. Al
= WELL let Maryland frown. No. 90 wa
much prettier. When a man gel
thrown down like that, his mind a.
most instinctively turns to some on
else who is prettier or who at least be
comes prettier on account of the thro-
down It's one of natures sops fC
l wounded vanity.
When we reached the Coliseum til
chauffeur turned to me What DIV