The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-13
EVENING STORY
His Specimen.
BY LINCOLN ROTHBLUN

The frock coat and somber tie of
black silk ineffectively COPIED with the
clear eyes and too-well-formed lips
and the wilderness of the collar sharp
ly contrasted with the black hair
which persisted in curling about the
ears and along the nape of the neck.
.'Good morning. Duncan" was the
smiling greeting ofShis mother, very
maternal sort of woman. what do you
see to smile at in that letter? Enough
for two to smile att"
lie handed it to her and she read
aloud:
Prof. Duncan Parminter, City.
"Recognizing your knowledge and
ability along the lines of this commit
tees activities, you have been selected
to conduct it's inv estigations with par
ticular reference to the public dance
hall evil Mail the result of your find
ings to the morals investigating COM
mittee. Respectfully,
CELIA DOANE."
Celia Doane," Mrs. Parminter re-
peated, Il met her some time ago and
she is a wonder. She is the type of
girl ! should like to see you marry"
The professor raised his hands in
silent protest. The kind of girl his
mother approved was not an infre-
quent topic of discussion between
them. When he gaze the matter any
thought privately he felt that he
leaned toward celibacy.
We'll, you must marry some time,
Duncan" she reiterated. and this in
Vestisation business may help you to
appreciate a girl like Celia Doane. Go
this very evening to the Palace hall
and see conditions there"
The professor reached for his hat,
and as Mrs. Parminter raised herself
on tip-toe to kiss him, he hurriedly
gave her gentle peck on the lips
n he oh
even if she did not understand that
her son was grown up. But as he
strobe the path she did not see the
tall, developed man, but a tiny lad of
four. toddlins to her for assistance.
The professor acknowledged accept
ance of the commission, and accord
ingly that evening, it had scarcely
turned o'clock, when he approached
the entrance to the Palace Hall. FLAIR
| ingly resplenoent in a maze of multi
colored electric lights. Diffidently he
attempted to push the bar of the turn
stilf. but its resistance directed his
gaze to the admission announcement
and his hand went to his hip pocket
From wallet he produced a ten-dol-
lar bill and rendered the paper to the
apparition behind the glass window
She looked her scorn.
Expect me to break a ten-spot for
a dime %
The professor retrieved the Offend
in its place he felt the turnstile give
way. The whole thing reminded him
of-those gum vending machines one
sees in railroad stationS-the coin of
proper denomination having been de-
posted, the mechanism worked.
He entered the hall. He was alone
Was not this the right place? Down
the aisle he noticed an attendant, her
Jaws working rhythmically on gum
which to sustain the truth of it's ad-
va iSir no 1n Low
ner1t. still cast forth its scented sweet
ness The professor wished he had
the temerity to speak. He would in
| Quire If this perhaps were a dull night.
Sure you don't mean to stand there
! and tell me you've never been to this
| here place before, do yuh? Nav, the
crowd don't get together till nearly
| TO-"
| The professor felt himself properly
rebuffed for his ignorance of so well
| known a custom and passed hurried1y
on in a direct line for a chair he had
/ espied in a far corner. He did not
| know how long he had remained in
! this semi-conscious secluSion when the
music, with tremendous bang from
| the drummer. suddenly set into mo-
| ton innumerable couples on the
floors center. 1t was a good crowd
| Girls, mostly eighteen to twenty-five,
were in evidence, their Inexpensive
! waists and ill-fitting skirts by no
slightly younger, from requesting
them to dance. Here and there the
professor noticed a couple employing
| the fashionable, if somewhat question
able. stranglehold, but aItho he was
| there for that express purpose, he
could not yet see any evidence of mis-
conduct. Perhaps, he thought, public
dance halls were not always evil.
The professor felt her coming to-
ward him and arose to escape. But
l M q tod Ii
vance, and thrusting her arm thru
his with good-natured comaraderie,
Struggled up close to him.
Hello, Cutey; music's swell to-
night, amt it?'
| AS he tried to determine how he
could most automatically correct her
imperfect English, he found himself
on the other side of the ropes with
the girl. To him a roped-in place al
ways suggested prize-fighting. The
about dancing and within a few mo-
ments the girl knew he didn't. She
had no hesitancy in telling him so.
Il guess you amt had so much
practice in dancin'. Let's sit out
| And with a sure step she guided him
safely thru the maze of dancers and
| deposited him in his corner. "You
look better'n you can dance" and
with the parting thrust she was gone
The professor regretted her hasty de-
parlure. he wanted 10 learn the name
of the soporific perfume she exuded
and he did want to tell her that her
/ petticoat showed.
The professor suddenly remem-
bered. In all such reports mention
must be made of the attitude of the
girls and men toward each other, and
he would investigate one particular
| individual, as specimen. There was
| a. girl who did not seem so-er-
brazen. He would investigate her
and summoned courage to approach
mo, 1 don't care to dance
The professor was very sorry
| WOULD she care to sit out? And as
he led her to his secret corner he Sc
cretly complimented himself on his
rare judgment in so neatly managing
his Investigate ton and in selecting sc
interesting and attra ctive a "speci-
men" He would imagine her as q
bug ready for dissection, as in his bio
| prtt n 1o 81