The Washington times., 1919-06-26
Deuced Bad Form, This
Irish Mix-Up; Sir Charles
Gets Tossed Into Street

NEW YORK. June 26.-England and
Ireland. for centuries at odds, clashed
yesterday noon in the lobby Of the
st. Regis Hotel, with an English
knight, two Irish lassies, and some
staIwart Irish porters in the lists.
Sir Charles c. AIIom. a noted yachts
man, figuratively bearing John Bull
standard. met ingloriOus defeat.
No one would have thought until
yesterday that Mabel Clayton, seven
teen, of raven black hair and Irish
blue eyes. and Sheila O'Reilly, fair
haired and sixteen. were other than
the most pacific of persons. But one
would recognize instantly that Sir
Charles is Of a sterner type-indeed,
too severe a man to have been put
TO rOut in view Of Naval Lieut.. Vim
cent Astor and other prominent per
sons by two slips Of girls.
But this is what happened, and the
flight of the crown prince was, so
witnesses aver, as a lethargic crawl
compared to the velocity with which
Sir Charles. with three Irish porters
as motive power, was projected across
the door sill OF the st. Regis, just two
somersaults ahead Of hat and cane.
Soliciting Funds For Erin
Sheila and Mabel are shy little
things. Perhaps that Is a reason why
guests have been lavish in filling the
baskets they have been holding forth
in the hotel lobby for the Irish Vic
tory fund. Their base OF operations
is a table thta may be described as
cute. It's abundance of bunting is!
topped with intertwined colors Of
America and Erin. Across their
waists are diagonal ribbons announc-
ing their mission.
Sir Charles is brisk OF movement,
giant in physique, stentorian in
tone. Yesterday when he entered the
His gray tweeds were immaculate.
His gray mustache added to his dig
nifty.
Cane swattfng zigzag lanes in the
air, Sir Charles strobe toward the
cute little table and the sweet little
girls. He glared. They smiled. Sheila
held forth a basket. Perhaps the gen.
tleman would like to contribute to
the Irish victory fund.
Really and Truly Mad.
A rudy English face turned almost
an apoplectic purple. Words fought
crowded back by a splutter. Two
little girls held their
breath and cuddled close together. Sir
really and truly mad. struck
his cane against the table, swished
a dozen swishes with his fists, and |
whispered in high c: "Eh" And, in !
explanation, the gentleman asked in |
dulcet tones a full octave higher: do ;
you believe in the Irish rebellion
Four chambermaids, who one would |
have guessed had originated in the |
County Cork or the County Killarney. |
gave pause at the courtroom, arms !
akimbo, in pose suggestive OF the
battle OF Chateau-Thierry, and then |
they grinned broad Irish grins, for |
Sheila was heard to reply. 1--WE be- |
ieve in the Irish republic"
One would have judged Sir Charles |
quite rude OF tone when he thrust an /
angry mustache close to the sweet /
faces of the two little girls and de-
handed of them, do you know why |
BUR men fought in France?"
But Sheila wasn't stuck. She had
read the papers. She knew, all right.
And with one hand clutching a book
and the other stationed at her hip,
Sheila replied: Eyes. to make the
world safe for democracy"
Mike, and Jerry, and Pat
The chambermaids, nodding ap-
proving heads, beckoned to three fig
Ires in a far corner of the lobby.
They came forward to join the dozen
persons who had assembled. And they
happened to be Mike Finnegan, Jerry
rounihan, and Patsy Kelly, an Erin
sh trio of porters, without doubt
One could see, as they edged closer
md got the drift, that Mike was hitch
ng his belt and Pat was splitting
IN his fists, and Jerry was narrowing
his eyes to dangerous Sits.
Sir Charles fumed a few more
fumes, and Mabel sent in this upper
ut. And in the fourteen points. it
ays elf-determination for the
mailer nations-and Ireland Is the
biggest OF the small nations, so
here
o. c. Bevin, manager OF the hotel.
to Sir Charles that Madison
square Garden could be hired. But
'ir Charles preferred to deliver his
larangue in the more sumptuous
quarters OF the st. Regis.
He Shes wOrdy Bombs.
You are traitors to America, you
,eopIe," was the mean thing he said
o the two girls. And you are led
" the clergy and CROOKS, who are
dots And I don't forget the Pope,
.ither. You are contemplate crea-
ures"
Now. Sheila and Mabel may be
sweet and soft smiling and all that.
But they're Irish. And Pat and Mike
md Jerry may be only employees.