New-York tribune., 1919-01-27

ruled the midnight throng. But Omar's
haunt was shut to US.
No ladies admitted without escort"
apologlzed the cloakroom girl.
'Friend of Commissioners Helps
"Goodness graciousl" cried the COM
missioner. Don't you see our gray
hairs, child? We only want to watch
the dancing little while"
Then she whispered mischievouslv.
II they only knew who | wasi"
Secrecy, however, was the watchword
Of the evening. The big "P. d." had
long since been removed from the front
OF the autombile; we had all been
warned to address her as "Mrs.
O'Grady" lest some too-hearing waiter
UP or the management. We had turned
our backs and scuttled down into our
furs at the approach of policeman
who might recognize his first woman
chief-"not that the pictures the news
papers printed look anything like me-"
the commissioner parenthesized
"A Deputy Police Commissioner is not
TO be thwartcd, however, by anything
ilko the lack of a mere man.
III get somebody at once" she an
nounced, and she did just that thing.
Never mind who he was. Well call
except when the walters are listening:
then he must be plain che"
Too Early to "See Anything'
Omar, however, scarcely justified all
the excitement preliminary to the open
ing of his haunts. The Commissioners
sharp eye passed over the couples
decorously dancing and tina parties de-
c0rously sUpplng. No hint Of the for
bldden "shimmy" here The "Commis
sloner's friend" explained while we
toyed with unwanted sandwiches that
1t was too carly "to see anything"
Ona then, to the Garden, where the
air was rosy instead of dark purplish,
and the dancers wore more tinsel and
fewer clothes
Poor little butterflies" sighed the
Commissioner, Here for few hours,
wonder what becomes of them when
they are old. SO young and pretty
now! See, they haven't hard faces. l
suppose most of them are good girls,
and yet-imagine how you would
feel if they were your daughters!"
She pretended to speak to a friend
IN distant corner, and strolled down
the narrow aisles, between the crowded
tables. scrutinizing the women guests.
"Good Old Days" Too Tame
"Why do people come to these
places 2" she demanded on her return.
why can't they be happy in their
homes the way we used to? A little
group of friends singing around the
piano, or playing games by the fire
hight, used to be enough for the Ameri-
can people.
The present generation seems to de-
pend on these exotic places. | know
perfectly good girls who tell me they
simply have to dance once or twice
every week. They don't stay at home
with their parents. They tell me thew
just dance, and have little drink. and
then they come home, and is's all right.
don't doubt it is.
lone thing is sure, though We shall
nave an enormously difficult problem
when prohibition becomes effective. The
young 1olks are going to spend more
ana more tlme at the movies and at tho
dance halls. 1t will be up to the women
OF New YORK to give them added pro-
lectlon. we must not tolerate bad
moves, nor improper dance halls"
CloSing time found the commission
er's little party at the Strand Roof
where the number of extremely young
LOOKING girls was greater, but where
even she could not detect anv who
were undoubtedly under are ''0
Women Outlast Men
There was young girl lingering n
Clover Club at the table nearest ours
but across the aisle was fresh-fnced
young soldier and girl whose com