The Washington herald., 1918-09-05


New York, Sept. 4--Down among
the quiet shadows OF the Washing
ton arch there is an old hotel
once the scene of Biltmoreish
gayety-now outstripped by the
procession. The lounging places
are Of horse-hair and sagging from
use. But because IT has not for
gotten that folk still like cloves
and spice. daintily Drowned bis
cults and other culinary yum-yums
it draws a great Sunday evening
dinner crowd.
1t is a Chianti able d'hote minus
the Jazz. 1t has a patronage dis
tinctly New Yorkish. Last years
ladies and heavy men with pouched
eyes from a background for the
newly fashioned flapper with thin
red lips, the young bloods, with
striped shirts of silk and a sprink-
ling of the bobbed haired girls and
their male replicas with the PEN
ciled mustaches.
Out on the sidewalk there is an
ever surging tide of late evening
promenaders regaled by the wheezy
tunes doled out by the bandana
throated hurdy- gurdy man. Inside
1t is a motley jinkle- tumble of the
semi-respectable, night-birds, and
the curious.
Into the place the other evening
when frfvolity was at high pitch
came a little, white faced woman.
She carried a few bouquets. soiled
by an evening Of handling. which
she shyly tried to sell. She was
novice at her work and the glare
of the lights made her blink. Sew
eral befuddled groups where the
table linen was splotched with wine
tossed her odd change.
No one seemed to notice that on
her black faded blouse was a SER
vice pin with three stars-no one
| except an officer OF the national
army, alone at corner table wash
ing down a sandwich with a glass
of milk. He saw the pin and he
! jumped up suddenly and his falling
, chair pistoled the silence.
He did not hesitate. Come" he
said, taking her gently by the arm,
Selling flowers IS no occupation for
| the mother of soldiers. Let me have
them" She gave them over with
look of wonderment.
He went among the crowds and
| collected $40 for her for the flow
ers. then he put her in a taxicab.
| paying the fare himself, and she
! rolled away. leaving the officer at
| the curb with his head barred. He
| stood there until she was around
| the corner and out Of sight, straight
and pale and stern. and in his eyes
was brightness perilously like
| tears.
Coney cuddlers must desist Thc
| flint-hearted police are arresting all
the beach spooi ers they can find
at Coney Island. Even holding hands
is followed by a stiff rebuke-if the
hand-holders fall under the COney
! camera eyes. COaey has already
barred stocSinEless women. and now
the bars are up for spooners.
Only the East Side boys and girls
who flock to the island to demon
strate tender affections know how
hard such a blow really is. II is
about the only place left in New
York for spooning. The narks arc
occupied by canteens and other wal
| activities.
Atop the Fifth Avenue buses the
spooners subject themselves 70 thC
gaze OF the curious It is getting
to be a sad old world. indeed.
Joseph Colletti. of Harlem. snatchet
a few moments from his busy sched.
ule one day this week TO appear ir
the West Farms Police Court, when,
charge OF larceny against him wal
dismissed. AS he was leaving cour
he was handed a summons to ap
pear as a witness in another sui
that day. He told the officer n,
J doubted whether he would have tim,
to go to court again He had a Io
Of furniture to buy. as he was goinG
to be married in the evening anc
the next day he was going to enIIs
in the army.
sign over a theater on the Pos
ton Post road reads. ITO Hell with
the Kaiser and Big Vaudeville Acts