The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-09-17
Digging Up Elmer
A SHORT STORY By SEWELL FORD

NO" breaks in Gladys decided.
!"You may not be hitting on all six
just now, Dearie, but you're rather
risky old boy and you'll stand watch
ing. OF course, what you and the
Professor have framed up may be per-
fectly all right, but if l go along
won't need to ask Ouija to be sure.
Will I, old dear?" And she pats him
playful on the shoulder.
Surprisin'. amt it, how sometimes
you can sketch the complete status
quo of of a couple, just by hearin' 'em
swap a little off-hand repartee?
hadn't known much of this Ridley
Hatch party before, except that he was
vice-president of the whisk-broom
trust, or some useful combine like
that, anyway, he was a minor plute,
with an income runnin' into six figures
since the war profits had begun rollin'
in, and he'd gone groggy in the knees
trying to spend it the way he thought
a perfect gent ought to scatter it
around.
But now l get the rest of the pic
ture. Not that l could tell just how
long ago it was since he discovered
Gladys on the Casino roof or the Win
ter Garden chorus. Maybe their little
romance was six or eight years old.
He hadn't picked out broiler exactly.
If you ask me I'd say it was Gladys
who did the pickin', and that mainl}
she had her eye on his check book.
Anyhow, here they were, millin'
around under the white lights every
night with thousands of other couples
more or less like 'em, tryin' to buy
good time, no matter what the cost.
Which is why so many head walters
can afford to retire and own hotels
of their own and the cabarets can
still soak on So cover charge and
get away with it.
| Anyhow, it's clear that Gladys had
good line on her Dearie and that
while Ridley Hatch might be the big
noise in some circles he wasn't the
whole show when when he opened the
door of what he called home. STILL
he had kind of rugged jaw and there
was no tellin' when he might grab
the helm.
Whereabouts in the country are we
headed, Dearie?" asks Gladys as we
roll out through Penham Parkway.
Cant say" says Ridley. Just ex.
ploring."
What a cute little notion" says
Mrs. Hatch "Oh, we'll" And she
settles back in her corner of the limou.
sine registerin' patience.
She needed it, I'll say, for we bowls
on and on, through Stamford and Oar
len and other interestin' spots, finally
branchin' off the Post Road and
strikin due north into the heart of the
breakfast doughnut zone. Course,
Ridley hadn't given the chauffeur any
definite sailin' orders, and with all
|
in every which way it's no wonder
he finally got twisted up.
IF the game is to get yourself lost,
Dearie," suggests Mrs. Hatch, 81 think
you've won.' That being the case, why
not have luncheon"
| SHOW me place and we will, -
| piI1ax -
see something that looked like hotel
for the last hour"
| Back on the main road" says
Gladys, II saw several signs telling
how far it was to Hollyhock Inn
Couldn't we find that?"
Wen try" says Ridley. Sounds
like one of these silly roadside tea
rooms, though, where they need nearly
an hour to build an imitation club
sandwich. Perhaps we can run across
a regular place"
We couldn't though, and when we
sighted another Hollyhock Inn sign
along about 3:15, Ridley tells the
driver to make for it. So half an hour
later we rolls in between a row OF
tall elms and unloads at this neat
painted white farmhouse affair with
the green shutters. On the south
side, probably where the COW yard
used to be, they've built a wide brick
terrace and around three sides is is
laid out an old-fashioned garden. That,
with the green iron tables and the
striped umbrellas over 'em, and the
view down the valley, makes it kind
of nice spot
"If the eats are as good as the lay
out" says ], we're in luck"
The rosy-cheeked country girl who
comes out to take our order recon-
mends the broiled chicken with waffles
and strained honey if we can wait
less'n half an hour.
Listens good to me-" says Ridley
"Eh Shall we make it unanimous?"
There wasn't a dissentin' note, and
while Mrs. Hatch wanders into the
house to fix up her permanent wave
and touch up her facial scenery Rid
ley picks a menu off one of the tables
and glances over it casual, TO see if
he's missed bet probably. All of
sudden l hears him let out something