Evening star., 1919-05-04
THE LUCK OF THE

Along his route on, one OF the
streets which cut Broadway, there
was q restaurant famed for it's quiet
and remoteness from the towns gilt
ter. William knew something about
1T. He had passed it dozen Of times,
other mems wives and other wives
husbands patronized this restaurant.
so 1t was said.
William was perhaps within ten
feet of the restaurant when he paused.
Through the painted screened win
dows came the strange surging melo-
dies Of a Magyar rhapsody. William
loved music: even the thin pinkapank
of the hurdy- gurdies held charm for
him. AS he listened to this wild gyp-
sy music 1t seemed as though his
senses had been gathered up and
swept into the gypsy hills them
selves through the forests, on the
forewines Of n storm. to be caught
by the tempest itself and sWirled,
buffeted. smothered, finally to be let
down gently into the succeeding
calm: all as elusive as the shadows
which tumble over the pebbled floor
OF a brook.
Gee! but that was great" he mur-
INJURED leaning against the lamp
post. He hoped there might be more
of it.
Suddenly the upper door opened
and a young woman came hurriedly
down the steps. The moment she
reached the sidewalk she started off
at a brisk run. Her hat obscured her
features. william got whiff of Law
ender as she whsked by. Had hubby
turned up? he wondered. cynicaly.
AS a rule William always walked
on. He never meddled with an affair
he knew nothing about, being New
Yorker. Tonight, however he was in
a mischievous mood. He'd see what
the game was.
A man in evening dress came out.
looked east and west, and ran down
to the sidewalk. He did not pursue
the young woman, for the very rea-
son that William stood in his way.
Nothing doing, bo," he said. quiet
ly. when young lady hits into
the home plate"
who the devil are you" Get out
of my way
Beat it. ] don't like your accent.
Handsome Is"
will you stand aside? Or. is this
a hold-up?"
yeah, it's a kind Of a hold-up.
But what are you doing off your beat?
What's the matter with old 42d street
stuff? Amt they young enough
'Why, damn your impotence
Sir Hurlbert, unsay them cruel
woids." Suddenly the banter left
Williams voice. Listen to me That
young girl was running away from
you; ] don't need any inside informa-
tion to get that. It's a hunch. Now.
there's just two things on the card.
Either you sashay back to your
bucket OF suds or you take the fiat
of my lily white on your 'kazoozle. Are
you wise?'
Had the stranger spoken gruffiy
that the young woman under discus
sion was his wife, William would have
side-stepped the issue and gone on.
But the hesitance, the indecsion,
Were enough to convince William that
this was an old story.
well, boz"
The man shrugged. turned abrupt
ly, and re-entered the restaurant
"A good hunch,' said William, ey-
ing the door speculatiVely. "Well, Bill,
let's waltz"
And waltz he did. Not that lie was
afraid, but these upper Broadway
swells had a way OF convincing the
police that the hoi pollOi (Which in
cluded William) were eternally in the
wrong no matter what the argument
might be, and he appreciated the
weakness of his case The girl had
disappeared, and it was up TO him to
follow her example.
His "haw -haw." suddenly broke the
silence in the deserted street A seven
dollar meerschaun1 and Il trip around
the world.
And ten pink nails. lsobel. The
luck OF the Irish"