The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-10-29
Stage Doors
A SHORT STORY By MILDRED WILKES SCOTT

havin' your efforts at not mindin your
your business appreciated, don't it?
But about ive-thirty finds me wan
derin' downward again. Maggie was
a nice little fool, you know; and Jack
well, Jack was dandy kid.
Just as got to the entrance of the
building met Jack comm from the
Office. Gee" l says. You look as
cheerful as the worlds greatest ira
gedian playin' a benefit performance
o Hamlet, What's the matter?
PLAY that again. I says. at didn't
take the first time!"
He hesitated. We'll, I'm worried
about Maggie" he finally gets out of
his system. He sent me off early to-
tonight. and she's to stay again.
don't like her stayin' so much, Miss
Bronson"
Its mutual" I says. But you run
along an forget tim goin' up after
her,"
You'll bring her homer" he asks.
Honest, felt right down sorry for the
boy-he was scared stiff. You see,"
he says, after little pause; you see
i love her!"
well, I'll watch out for herr" l
promised, solemn.
"Oh, thank you" he says, tickled.
Gee, thought he was goin' to hug me
right there on Fifth avenue. main
street, it is on the signs).
Beat it." l says. "I'll rescue the
unfortunate heroine!"
l went on up. 1t was still Office
hours, so l just walked in. He was
helpin Maggie on with her coat-and
it seemed to be an awful hard coat
to get on. Maggie was all pink and
wide-eyed like she was the other night,
and he-say, he was moren pink
when he lamped me! He was dark
red!
well he says crusty, glarin' at
me and "Lillian!" cries Maggie, like
| she was sort O. frightened.
ooh, you're just ready to go?" l
says, calm. 81 was just passin' and l
thought I'd stop for you!"
You seem to pass here frequent"
he puts in awful sarcastic.
ooh yes; this is my fayorite aprt
O town." says, just as unruffled, l
can keep my temper perfect when I'm
angry Ready, Maggie?" I asked her,
KNOWN there was somethin' wrong.
"Oh-I-I can't go with you" Mag
gle stammers.
And he cuts in again. ct is neces-
sary for Mag-Miss Dunning, to ac-
company me into the country, this
evening"" he says. "a matter of-er-
couple of contracts" he says. He
explains it so elaborate that l know
right away he's lynn all the time he's
tellin' the truth.
81 seen 1 says, Then I just stuck
around and walked downstairs with
EN-! Gee, he was sore on me, but l
should have worried!
When we get down on the sidewalk
I says, What part O. the country
real casual, like 1 didn't care about
KNOWN anything!
"Why-out to" Maggie begins, all
excited. But he cuts her off "Out
south O the city" he snaps, short.
Come Miss Dunning!"
And he leads her right off, without
biddin' me the slightest farewell I
didn't like his actions so I trailed EN-
down the street, lookin' along real
unconcerned at the scenery, but keep
in my eye on 'em all the time. 1
followed 'em down past the electric
car station; then, they turned into
Fifth street and stared over t'wards
the garage. That puts me wise,
You see, this village I'm tellin' you
about is on the highway between two
real towns and about four miles east
of the burg, there's an inn-Reigel-
mans Tavern, they call it And say
well, I've seen things in my yung life,
but Reigelman's can give 'em cards
and That's the reason they got a
garage in the tank; they hire out cars
to take people to this inn. It's four
miles each way from nothin', you
see, and you can enjoy yourself to
the limit, without bein' interfered with
by the authorities.
So, right off, I'm wise to this guys
game I hotfooted it after EN-, but
they were so absorbed in each other,
they didn't even know I was holdin'
down part of the walk. hung around
outside the garage, waitin' to see
what they'd do. Fore long, out sails
an imitation limousine. Through the
window I saw Maggie. Fore l had
time to think, there was a bunch O.
dust in my headlights, and they were
out O. sight around the corner.
Believe me- l didn't consume much
time gettin' into that garage. Say
l says to the young fellow standin'
right inside the door, "say-where's
the car goin' that just left here?"
What carr" he says, actin as il
he didn't know all about what I was
meanin.
You know what I'm talkin' about"
| l saws. "Now. don't waste your gas