Judsonia weekly advance., 1919-11-27
Is - TIE
AlIfC COW PUNCHER
n MsSSsS58sgE IT, By Robert J!C Stead
N "@eaaggzAgSsgsAS Quhorof
y rs <aSsS%MI& Kitchener. and otker poems
~ V.& Say% y ushzsnsby E~la.t~, a~-~rr -~.----

they were living, palpitating human
beings, almost within hand-reach, GER
tainly within eye-reach. Dave found
himself regarding the young woman
Immediately before him; all In white
she was, with some scintillating mate
rial that sparkled in the glare of the
spotlight; then suddenly she was in
orange, and pink, and purple, and
mauve, and back again in white. And
although she performed the various
steps with grsiling abandon there was
in her dress and manner modesty
which fascinated the boy with q sub
tlety which a more reckless appear
ance would have at once defeated.
And then Dave looked in her face.
1t was pretty face, Notwithstanding
its grease paint, and it smiled right
tween his shoulders as though 1t would
drive all the air from his lungs. She
smiled at him-for him Now they
were away again; there were gyra-
lions about the stage.
Then there was a sudden break
away in the dance, and the girl dis
appeared behind a forest. Dave sup
posed she had gone to rest; dancing
like that must be hard on the wind.
He found little to interest him now In
what was going on on the stage. 1t
seemed rather foolish. He wished the
girl behind the forest would come
down and rest there. Then she could
see the show herself. Then she corld
see
But there was whir from the for
est, and the girl reappeared, this time
all in red, right before him And then
she looked down and smiled again at
him. And he smiled back. And then
he looked at Coward and saw him
smiling too. And then he felt very
distressing uncertainty, which brought
the color slowly to his face. He re-
solved to say nothing, but watch. And
his observations convinced him that
the smiles had been for Coward, not
for him. And then he lost interest in
the play.
They hustled into their overcoats to
the playing of the national anthem.
Hurry" said Coward. Lets get
out quick Amt she some dame?
There-through the side exit-the
stage door is that way. She promised
to have her chum with her. They'll
be waiting if we don't hurry"
Coward steered him to the stage
entrance, where q little group was al
ready congregated. In a moment the
girl appeared, handsomely dressed in
furs. With her was another girl, also
from the chorus, but Dave could not
recall her part. He was suddenly
aware of being introduced.
''This is my friend Belton," Con-
ward was saying.
Dave was about to correct him when
Coward managed to whisper:
whist! Your stage name. Mines
Edward. Don't forget"
Coward took the first girl by the
arm, and Dave found himself follow
ing rapidly with the other. They cut
through certain side streets, up O. stair
way, and into dark hall A door
opened. Coward pressed a button,
and they found themselves in small
but comfortably furnished room-evi-
IDENTIFY bachelor apartments.
The girls threw off their wraps and
sauntered about the place, while Con-
ward started gas CRATE and put some
water to boil.
Sorry I've nothing for you to eat"
he said, "but I've some good medicine
for the thirst"
"Eating's poor business when there's
thirst to be quenched." said one of
the girls with a yawn. "And, believe
me, I've a long one."
The glasses were filed and raised
"Ho!' said Coward.
| Here's looking!" said one of the
girls.
Dave hestated, but the other girl
clinked her glass against his. Here's
looking at YOU" she said, and she mp
peared to lay special emphasis on the
last two words. Certainly her eyes
were on Dawes as she raised her glass
to her lips. And under the spell of
those eyes he raised his glass and
drained 1t.
Other glasses were filled and
| drained. The three were chattering
away, but Dave was but vaguely con-
scious of their talk and could weave
no connected meaning into it. His
head was buzzing with a pleasant,
dreamy sensation. A very grateful
warmth surrounded him, and with 1t
came disposition to go to sleep. He
probably would have gone to sleep had
his eye not fallen on a picture on the
wall. 1t was picture of girl point
ing her finger at him. No girl
could point her finger at him. He
| arose and mada q lunoa acroSs tho