Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-01-18

somebody they can explain TO aDout
the pain In their left shoulder and how
fast patent leather shoes wear out
when they begin to crack. And you
can't talk about such things to men
you meet In hotels; they're looking for
Just such openings.
$50 I gave up my Job In the hotel
and went with Mrs. Brown. certain
ly seemed to have mash on her.
Shed look at me for half an hour at
time when I was sitting, reading or
looking at the magazines.
Zone time I says to her: DO re-
mind you Of some deceased relative or
friend Of your childhood, Mrs. Brown2
rye noticed you give me a pretty good
optical inspection from time to time
"'You have a face she says, exact
" like dear friend Of mine-the best
friend I ever had. But I like you for
yourself, child, too,' she says.
"And say, man, what do you suppose
she didf Loosened up ike Marcel
wave in the surf at Coney. She took
me to a swell dressmaker and gave her
a Ia carte to fit me out-money no OBJ
ject. They were rush orders, and
madam locked the front door and put
the whole force to work.
"Then we moved to-where do you
think7 No; guess again. That's right
the Hotel Bonton. We had a SIX
room apartment, and it cost 800
day. saw the bill. I began to love
that old lady.
"And then, man, when my dresses
began to come in-oh, won't tell you
about 'em! You couldn't understand.
And I began to call her Aunt Maggie.
You've read about Cinderella, of course.
Well, what Cinderella said when the
prince fitted that 81 A on her foot
was hard luck story compared to the
things I told myself.
'1Then Aunt Maggie says she is going
to give me a coming out banquet In the
Bonton that'll make moving vans Of
all the old Dutch families on Fifth
avenue.
"T've been out before, Aunt Maggie
says I. But I'll come out again. But
you know says I, that this is one Of
the swellest hotels In the city. And
you know-pardon me-that It's hard
TO get bunch Of notables together un-
less you've trained for it.
:" "'Don't fret about that, child says
Aunt Maggie. I don't send out invi-
tations-I issue orders. I'll have fifty
guests here that couldn't be brought
together again at any reception unless
It were given by king or a trust
busting district attorney. They are men,
Of course, and all Of 'em either owe me
money or intend to. Some Of their
wives won't come, but q good many
will
'Well, wish you could have been at
mat banquet The dinner service was
all gold and cut glass. There were
about forty men and eight ladies pres
ent besides Aunt Maggie and I. You'd
never have known the third richest
woman In the world. She had on a
new black silk dress with so much pas
on 1t that 1t sounded exactly
IKE a hatlstorm I heard o6ce when I
was staying all. night with a girl that
lived in top floor studio.
aAnd my dressl Say, man, I can't
waste the. words on you. It was all
hand made lace-where there was any
Of It at all--and 1t cost $500. saw
the bill. The men were all baldheaded
or white 'sidewhiskered, and they kept
up "A running fire Of light repartee
about S-per cents and Bryan and the
cotton crop.
"On the left of me was something
that talked like banker, and on my
right was a young fellow who said be
was a newspaper artist. He was the
only-well, I was going to tell you.
"After the dinner was over Mrs.
Brown and went up to the apart
ment. We had to squeeze our way
through a mob Of reporters all the
way through the halls. That's one Of
the, things money does for you. Say,
do you happen to know q newspaper
artist named Lathrop-a tall man with
nice eyes and an easy way Of talking1
No. ] don't remember what paper be
works on. Well, all right.
. "When we got upstairs Mrs. Brown
for the bill right away. It
came, and It was 5000. saw the blu.
Aunt Maggie tainted I got her on
lounge and opened the -beadwork.
"'Child,' says she when she got back
b the world, what was it-a raise Of
rent or an income taxi
syusta little dinner sayS I. Moth
lng TO worry about hardly drop IN
H. bucketsbop. Sit up and take mo-
tics-a dispossess notice, Il there's no
other hnd.'
..But say, man, do you know what
Amt Maggie dids She got cold festl
ehe hustled me out Of that Hotel Bop-,
ton ct Q the next morning. We went
to . rooming house on the lower west
1idA She rented one room that had
water on the door below, ard ught on
- door above. Aftoe ~ G6f Hbsod