Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-15

riding before
Il or after dark.
We was work.
ing girls, too,
but there wasn't man didn't take off
his hat to us, even if he was bald
headed and it was 20 below zero"
''The way you keep fussing at me,
when ! don't even go to dances like the
other girls I---somctimes | just wish
was dead The way | got to watch
the clock like it was taximeter the
whole time I'm out anywheres. It's the
limit. Even Max Meltzer gimme the
laugh today
"Youd never hear me say watch the
. clock If you'd keep company with
boy like Max Meltzer. straight, clean
boy with honest intentions by girl
lookin' right out of his face. You let
boy like Max Meltzer begin to keep
steady with you and see what ! say.
You don't see no yellow streak in his
face: he's as white as the goods he
sells"
"I know. ! know. You think now
because he's going to be made buyer
for the white goods in September he
the whole show. Gee Nowadays that
amt so muchy much for fellow to
be-"
''No. think that the kind Of fellows
that fresh Mamie Grant gets you ac-
uuaintcd with are muchy much. m
strong for the old rat eyed sports like
Jerry Beck. that amt got a honest
thought in his head. ] bet he. gives you
the creeps. too. only you re the kind OF
girl. God help you, that's SO crazy
for luxury you could forget the devil
had horns if he hid 'em under auto
mobile cap
'Sure am l amt seen nothing but
slaying and drudging and pinching all
my life, while other girls are struttlng
the avenue in their furs and sleeping
mornings as long as they want under
eiderdown quilts. Sure. when man
like Jerry Beck comes along with
carriage check instead of subway
ticket I can thaw up TO him like
water ice. and ] amt ashamed of 1t,
neither.
They turned into a narrow aisle Of
street lined with unbrokcn rows OF
steep. narrow faced houses. Miss Wort,
withdrew her arm sharply and plunged
ahead. her lips wry aud on the verge
OF trembling
"Whcn n girl gets twenty, like you,
ct amt none Of my putin no more.
Only I hone to God YOUR mother up
there is witness that if ever n woman
shaved to kcep girl straight and done
her duty by her it was me, That man
amt got no good intentions BY
'Oh. ain you-.ain't you; mean,
thinking thing, amt you? What kind
of n girl do you think l am? If he
didn't have the right intentions by me
do you think
ooh. I guess he'll marry you if he
can't get you no other way. That kind
always do il they cant help themselves.
A divorced old guy like him, with a
couple Of kids and his mean little eyes
knows he's got to pay up if he wants
young girl like you. Oh. I Ouch
oh-oh -
only an ash can you bumped into. Its
the drops he puts in your eyes makes
EN- so bad tonight. | guess. Go on,
take my arm, Dee Dee. Here we are
home Iemme lead you upstairs. It's
nothing but tho drops, Dee Dee.
They turned in and up and through
foggy length of long hallway. Spring
o second fight of stairs a slavey sat
hack on her heels and twisted dribble
of gray water from her cloth into her
bucket. At the last and third landing
an empty coal scuttle stood just outside
door as if nosine for entrance.
Watch out, Dee Dee, the scuttle.
I.emmc go in first Gee! It's cold in
doors and warm out, amt it? Wait
till / light up. There ~
IIPDllHc bIOUt. fdU see.
An immemorial federation of land
ladies has combined against Hestia to
preserve the musty traditions of the
furnished room. Love in cottage is
fostered by subdivision promoters and
practiced by commuters on a five hun
dred down, monthly payment basis.
Marble halls have been celebrated in
song, but the furnished room we have
with us always at three cents per agate
line.
You with your feet on your library
: fender. stupefied with contentment and
your soles scorching, your heart is not
black: it is only fat. How can it. know
the lean formality of the furnished
room? Your little stenographer, who
must wear a smile and futed collars on
eight dollars n week, knows it; the book
agent at your door. who earns eighteen
cents on each Life of Lincoln" knows
it. Chambermaids know it when they
knock thrice and only the faint and
nauseous fumes of escaping gas answer
them through the plugged keyholr. Cor
oners know it.
\, Sadie Barnet and Edith Wortc knew
it. too, aud put out hand here and
there to allay it. A comforting spread
of gay chintz covered the sag in their
white iron bed photograph or two
stuck upright between the dresser mir
ror and its frame, and tackled full flare
i against the wall was japanese fan,
autographed many times over with the
I gay personnel of the Titanic Stores an
nual picnic.
"Gee Dee Dee, six twenty already !,
When / amt home for supper you got
two desserts coming to you.
81 don't want no supper.
"Aw, now, Dee Dee !"
Miss Worte dropped her dark cape
from her shoulders, hung it with her
hat on a door peg, and sat heavily on
the edge of the bed.
God. my feet.
Soak 'em.
Miss Barnet peeled off her shirt
waist. Her bosom, strong and fiat as a
boys, rose white from her cheaply
dainty under bodice; at her shoulders
the flesh began to deepen, and her arms
were round and full of curves.
"Here, Dee Dee, I'm so nervous
when | hurry You sew in this ruche !;
YOU got time before the supper bell.
See. right along the edge like that"
Miss Worte aimed for the eye of the
needle, moistening the end of the thread
with her tongue and her futtering lin-
gers close to her eyes.
"God IL just amt got the eyes no
more. l can't see, Sadie; cant find
the needle.
sadie Barnet paused in the net cf
brushing out the cloud Of her dark