The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-11-07
Married Life The Second Year

only one vacant in the place.
| Here, wait moment!" called Dali
ton imperiously, as the waiter rushed
off. Bring US four Madrid cock
tails-right away! Yes, dry. guess
that's right--isn't it," Looking
around the table, inquiringly cit
anything nsre-l ::sted to give that
order before the waiter got away. But
perhaps Mrs. Curtis doesn't care for
cocktails % remembering the other
evening, and turning to Helen apollo
getically.
''The Best You Have"
"Oh, yes; that's all right" smiled
Helen, graciously. For she had re-
solved to accept whatever the others
did. She need not drink it, but she
could not be constantly protesting at
every order.
The food was not bad, although
Helen was suspicious as to just how
clean things were. Everybody in
stinctively wiped their silver with
their napkins. And Mr.. Dalton, who
served the soup from big steaming
bowl placed before him, calmly wiped
out each soup late before filing it.
Take those away" he demanded as
the waiter placed a pint bottle of
the traditional red ink" beside each
plate, land bring US some good
Chianti-the best you have. And,
here-hold on a minute! Bring us
some of those bread sticks, too! With
the air of man determined to be
we'll served.
"Not bad SOUP commented War
rem.
wait till the spaghetti comes on
that's their drawing card here. Best
In town, | th;nk-that is, if you lils
garlic. You do-don't you, Mrs. Cur
tbs Z" turning anxiously to Helen.
She assured him that she did. al
though there was nothing she dis
liked so much
Here . young woman in a black
spangled gown and with , bit of
court plaster placed effectively on
her zalnted cheek. mounted the r,aat-
form beside the piano and with grim
ances, sang a popular song. The
chief quality of her voice was loud
ness. and it wrapped hopefully with
the clatter Of the dishes and the gem
eral din.
Asong She Loved.
Then a shallow. pimple-taced dissi-
pated-looking youth in q rumpled
dress suit sang ''The Rosary" Helen
shuddered. She loved that song. but
to hear it sung by that man in that
way gave her sense Of revulsion.
Suddenly she realized that he was
looking directly at her and singing
with an admiring leer. She dropped
her eyes. furiously indignant and with
q feeling OF physical repulsion. And
rtgidly she held her gaze to her plate
until the song was over.
just then there was a lull in tho
music, and from the next table this
bit OF conversation came to them very
clearly.
II can't see why anybody wants to
drink that red ink It was = eirl's
voice.
"oh, that's a disinfectant they
serve with the dinner to kill the
germs" answered the man with her.
say, old man, that's not bad" said
Dalton turning around and address,
ing the man who made the comment.
"Oh, it's not original" he laughed
back. Tive heard that before"
Helen was constantly being sur-
prised at the lack of convention. the
easy formality Of it all. People COM
mented back and forth from table to
table with the greatest unconcern.
She tried to enjoy it, to enter into
the spirit Of things as Warren had
told her she must-but she found il
very hard. Where was the charm of
it all? What did people find in il
to call Bohemian" an to SO eagerly
seek? Eating a poorly served din
ner in badly ventilated room while
they listened to atrocious music. And
yet the place was hacked. and they
said it was this way every night.
But at least it was over, and they
were whirring back in the Dalt>a's
big easy car, with the fur rugs tucked
about them.
Helen shifted the fresh, cold air
gratefully.
"Oh, this seems so good after that
close, overheated place." she could not
help Int cay.
81 am afraid Mrs. Curtis is not a
good Bohemian laughed Mrs. Dali
ton.
"Then we'll make her one" declared
Mr.. Dalton, as the car stopped before
the door. "We're going to have a
lot of these little jaunts together. eh,
Curtis? ?"
"To be sure we are asserted War
rem heartily, as he helped Helen out
And Helen could only smile a faint
assent as she answered their merry
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