Evening star., 1918-06-09


was the first time she had ever re-
ceived this tribute and it was over
whefming. And he said in his most
sugary tones:
: You certny slipped one over on
me. Me mob is buzzin' yet. But I
like a girls got some fight in her.
And you're light as fedder, too. Gee.
you're a pipe to lift. Dey's a lot O.
tips can give you dat'll help some.
Supposin' you and me was to have
for de eats after all de work you
done"
Silver was prepared to dislike Mr..
hrug. but before such gallantry who
would not relent? And how tactful it
was of him to mention food. She was
heroine enough to refuse his "Ah.
come ahp,' once, twice, thrice, but
that was her limit.
So she went with him to a restau
rant little less clean and little
more expensive than the dairy lunches
that had marked her highest social
arrival heretofore. Mr. Krug. as host,
maJestically went down the line
oysters, soup, steak, fried potatoes
and pie. He urged Silver to join him
In pitcher of beer. but she would not
be persuaded. There had been too
much beer in her environs. She had
carried too many pals of it up too
many stairs
But oysters-these were almost her
hrst. and they were as large as small
hot-water bags. Each one of them
was a problem. But she solved them
all. She solved the soup, together
with two slices of bread that she
broke up in it, following Mr.. Krug's
example. She ate the steak with the
eager fangs of a young animal, and
hurried the potatoes down in single
nie. OF the pie she left not a crumb,
and she drained two cups of coffee.
Even Mr.. krug admired her tri-
umph. He said:
I "Girlie. you're the goods when it
comes to the knife-and fork dance.
De! pey wont make no hash out of what
She WINGED little at this and
flashed back:
'1f you don't like my style you
amt gotta pay for it. got the price
of the check right here"
the sTuE b.1rgs1 Eas ;S s but youfe
see you wallop a plate. Dat other
broad dat.s leavin' de show used to
turn up her nose at everything 1
oh" said Silver. cannily. you
think you're trainin' me to take her
Well, you better change cars: we
don't use them kind of transfers on
this line"
She said it with such an ominous
glare that Krus was thrown into a
panic. He was still young enough
to think that he knew womankind.
But Silver was not yet a woman. She
was famished child.
What she had learned of love in
the streets and in her fam history
had not emphasized its attractions;
She was not ready for love. and still
had child's disgust for it's symp-
toms. Whatever the future might
develop her into. Silver had no fur
ther interests now than food. sue
cess and sleep. She had had the first.
she was desperately ready for the
third.
She shook off Krug's further hos
pitality and went home alone. Her
heavy feet could hardly lift her un-
usual weight up the long stairs. Her
wrestling OFF her shoes and folding up
her pitiful finery. Her soul was
asleep before her lean hands had
finished drawing the quilt about her
thin and ropy little throat.
The journey to New Jersey was the
beginning of an era of travel. New
Jersey, in the eyes of Silver. had al
ways been a foreign country. She
gave herself last good breakfast in
New York, that she might have pleas
ant memories of America.
From the station at Paterson she
heavy suit cases to a boarding house
that was accounted the worst even in
Paterson. After an hour in the thea
ter to test the tackle and rehearse
the music cues. the swallows few
boarding-housewar for an early
luncheon.
The others, who had known better
days. though not always. made dis
NAL faces at the food served by Mrs.
Ablowitz. They called it "somepin'
fierce" But Silver was fiercer still,
and she first f1attered and then
alarmed Mrs. Ablowitz by her vo-
racity. A rate for the week had been
agreed on. and Silver determined to
eat till she was enjoined.
That week was the birth of a new
Silver. She had food, food, food
three foods a day. and a smack of
supper at fascinating lunch wagon
after the evenings work was over.
call work-to dress in pink tights
and feathers and a wig of dangling
curls. to use powder freely. set a
rose of rouge in each cheek, incarna-
dine and enlarge the wan lips. and
blacken the eyelashes desperately!
And then to sing songs and dance.
and finally to flash into the air on un-
seen wires. to beat the wings in
ecstasy. to curvet and caracole. to
hover about the heads of the ad-
miring people and know the beatitude
of birds, And, strangest of all. to
be paid for this-to be paid $12 a
week for it. with feathers and rail-
road fares thrown in!
At her first matinee Silver forgot
most of her words. and the rest stuck
in her parched throat. She could not
keep step with the dancers. and when
she was hoisted into the air she lost
her balance and hung head down