Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-21
EVER, EVER GREEN
BY FANNIE HURST

swing EN- on-dang it, swing 'em on
Speed 'er up back there-speed
Speed !"
Suddenly from behind stalactit,
drop the raindrop chorus descended
from heaven in carefully selected
shower.
a patter of applause passed through
the audience.
Dangling midair from silver wires, I
score of the effulgcnt creatures swung
rendent. silver legs foundering silver
akirts fiouncing, and showcring silver
roses from shallow silver baskets. Ant
IN their center, dangling highest from
| the stnlagmite floor and further dis
/ tinguished by silver wreath placed as
1t in blessing on her brow, Miss Lola
Lnhdoy sparkled like dew in sunshine.
"All Hail the Storm King" sang
the ballet. dangling on their wires.
From the gloom of the right wing Mr..
Charley Ice let out n generous lightning
fash and in its white fare clapped his
hands together and smiled up at Miss
Ialaday She tossed him token from
her shallow basket
"All Hail the Storm King" trilled
TIE four winds, waving their bony arms.
"All Hail the Storm King" chantcd
the pussy footed gnomes. turning cowled
"All Hail the Storm King" sang
the ensemble, facing the left wing and
faltering on high G.
Suddenly the silver wire jerked Miss
I.aladat higher still and she poised
limbs distended like bisque angel de-
pending from a chandelier A flower
entwined trape2e descended from behinc
the stalactite drop. framing her from
the waist up. The spotlight focused.
The song of wind suddenly ripplec
across the stage.
"a II Hail the Storm King" sh
sang in a fluty voice, closing her small
hands over the parallel bar and gazini
with en- rapport toward the left wing
In the gloom of that left wing, tau
as a gladiator Mr.. Al Delano, clad il
silver lightning down his frort. bal
anccd in waiting on the tip of th
titillatiny springboard in readiness fo
his fight across the stage.
His muscles sprang out and hi
biceps swelled to capacity. aud bcneatl
the gold colored tights his diaphragm
suddenly contracted, throwing his grea
chest upward.
"All Hail the Storm Kirg.'
Miss Laladay drew backward the bn
until it lay across her little bosom and
as the silver wire ierked her eve
so slightly higher, flung it from he
with ono hand. and with her free arr
tossed her silver wreath downwar
toward the figure beside the wind ma
chine, and little thrill of laughte
went with it..
"Both hands there-cut that-wait
Al-wait-good God -
On that outward swing of the trapez
Mr.. Al Delano lcaped from his spring
board with the grace of a wild thing
turned his double somersault mid stage
ir mid air. and reached out for tn
flower twined horizontal bar. 1t swun
hack. but too slowly to meet his strain
ing clutch. Too late to gather hi
strength against fall. he gyrated for
second in a CHASTITY stimulation of a
acrobat. and then with the directnes
of fowl shot on swift wing. hurtlc
downward. his legs doubled up unde
him ard his neck strained backward.
"Ugh Ii !"
A moment of indccision. A woman
in the balcony shrieked and hid he
face. Another. The West Win
tainted back against an iridescent pill
lar. The directors baton futtered
then waved onward, the music clat
tcring manfully after it. A gnom
fell weak knecd in her tracks. Th
curtain slithered downward.
At 8 o'clock. with the immense quie
of dead O. night thick as shrou
around them. the watchers beside
property couch moved simultaneously