The Washington herald., 1918-06-04

New York, June S-Four OF US were
playing dominoes several weeks ago
at the Cafe Lafayette on lower Fifth
avenue. In the party was a play
wright who has led a life OF adven-
ture-up one day and down the next,
but never afraid TO take a Job that
would earn an honest dollar.
He said the most interesting job he
ever held was as a waiter in a night
life cafe in the neighborhood of the
Winter Garden. The cafe while pa
tronized by some very respectable
people is also patronized by the riff
raft of Broadway-cadets. slaves OF
the needle. confidence men and other
types who live by nimble wits.
The proprietor has done stretch
UP the river" but by life OF semi
respectability has managed TO keep
out of the laws clutches for the past
ten years.
while waiting on tables in the
cafe" said the playwright, Il saw the
embodiment of what started out to be
a sordid romance of the underworld.
One night shortly before closing
well-dressed man came into the place
seeking i taste OF Broadway night
life.
His complexion told OF an out-of-
doors life and his closely cropped
mustache and firm chin gave him an
air of forcefulness. A young girl or
the cabarets-one who sang in the TIN
sci chorus-sat down at his table. She
was over-dressed. over-rouged. and
well l guess all liQuored up.
Now and then their conversation
was interrupted by hacking cough
the girl had. Walters in the place
told me she would soon have the
strangers watch. But he left pres
entity and the next night he came
back and met her. evidently 10y ap-
pointment
For week they met every night.
The girl was dressing in better taste
and she left off the rouge. which
made her look like one of those
statues in chalk the Italian vendors
sell in Harlem apartment houses.
Afterward they both stopped coming
TO the place.
"I was in Chicago two years later
and / saw them in the Lobby of one
of the best hotels. She had hlled
out She had color. From the clerk
The girl was dressing in better taste
mining man from Arizona. The girl
with him, he said. was his wife.
And the clerk confided She Is
! regular western girl. She hates
the city. Why. she will not even
eat in the cafe. Hates music
cabarets and crowds. They always
dine in their apartment"
There are in New York just a
few left of an old time aristocracy
who cling to their shabby old car
riages and delapidated looking
, footmen. Every afternoon they
can be seen being driven slowly up
Fifth avenue looking with bored
resignation on the newer rich. Most
of these relics of an earlier day
were persons whose names hlied
the society columns. Their fortunes
slipped away by clinging to prop
erty on the deserted section of low
er Broadway. They have seen Fltth
avenue invaded by tradesmen-fne
old homes converted into corset
shops, perfumery parlors and tea
places. To them it is as tragic as
would be the destruction of the art
treasures of Venice by the modern
vandals of the air. The GROWING
blow came within the past week
when a five and ten cent store
opened on Fifth avenue directly
across from the Public Library. In
fact it was bit of shock to All
New Workers who have watched
the fading glory. of the avenue.
There is patriotic group. Of
young men at the Museum of Ma
tural History. They should have a
special monument to their patriot
| ism after the war. The annual re-
port of the museum shows that the
/ entire scientific and administrative
staff of the museum, from presi-
dent down, is engaged in war SER
vice, all having volunteered.