The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-02-21
CHAPTER XVI.
The First DaY.

The First Day.
With her umbrella over her shout
der. Rose set sail northwurd again
through the rain, absurdly cheered.
The entrance TO the North End hall
was n pair OF white painted doors
opening from the street level up
on the foot OF n broudish stair
which took you up rather suddenly.
At the head Of the stairway, tilted
back In u kitchen chair beneath n
single gus Jet whose light he was try
Ing TO make suffice for the perusal Of
a green newspaper, sat n man, under
orders, no doubt, to keep intruders
away. The thing TO do was to go
by as II, for such as she, watch
men didn't exist. The rhythmic pound
Ing OF feet and the frayed chords
from a orn-o piano, convinced her
she was In the right place.
Her s%tratagem succeeded. The man
glanced up and, though she felt he
didn't return to his paper again, he
made no attempt to stop her. She
walked steadily ahead to another op"n
door ut the far end of the room,
through which sounds and light came
In.
Rose paused for n steadying breath
before she went through that farther
door, her eyes starry with resolution,
her cheeks, just for the moment, n lit
tie pale.
The room was hot and not well
lighted. In the farther wall of II was
Il p%roscenium arch and n raised stage.
On the stage, right and left, were two
Irregular groups of girls, with II few
men, awkwardly, Rose thought, dis
posed among them. All We're swaying
II little to mark the rhythm of the mu-
sic industriously pounded out by II
swcaty young man ut the piano-a
swarthy, chick young man in his un-
dcrshirt. There were n few mOr
people spruwled In different parts OF
the hall.
1t was all n little vague to her Mt
cused upon II single igure--a compact,
rather slender, figure, and tall, Rose
thought-of II man In n blue serge
suit, who stood AT the exact Center Of
the stage and the extreme edge OF the
fOotlightS. lie was counting aloud
the bars of the music-not beating
time ut all, nor yielding To the rhythm
In any way standing, IN the contrary,
rather tenSely still. That was the
quality about him, indeed. that rivctcd
Roses attention and held her, Ms still
IL he was, in the ~doorway-an eX-
%hllarating sort of intensity that had
communicated itself TO the swaying
groups on the stage.
You could tell from the way he
counted that something was gathering
itself up, getting ready 10 happen.
Three . . Four . . Five
q. . Six Scvcn-Now :"
he shouted on the eighth bar, and with
the word one of the groups trans
formed itself. one OF the men bowed
TO one of the girls and began wultzing
with her; another couple formed, then
another.
Rose watched brcathlessly, hoping
the mnneuver wouldn't go wrong-for
no reason In the world but that the
nan there AT the foOtllghts was so
faulty determined that II shouldn't.
Determination triunphcd. The num-
Der "a concluded to John Galbraith's
evident satisfaction. Every good" he
said. III youll all do exactly what
You did that time from now on, I'll
not complain" Without pause he went
on "Eyerybndy on the stngc-big
glrls-all the big girls" And To the
young man AT the piano, wen do AZ.
tcrnoOn Tea"
There was II momcntury pause then,
filled with subdued chatter, while the
girls and men rculigned themselves for
the new number.
Rose looked them over. The girls
weren't, on IN average, extravaganza!
beautiful, though, with the added
charm of makeup allowed for, there
were, no doubt, many the audiences
would consider so. They were dressed
In pretty much anything that would
allow perfect freedom To their bodies.
especially their arms and legs bath
Ing suits mostly, or MILDLY blouseS and
boomers. Rose noted shis with salts
faction. Her old university gymna-
stun costume would do perfectly. Any
thing, apparently, would do, because.
rs her eye adjusted itself TO details.
she discovered romper suits. pima.