The Washington herald., 1920-10-05
AM n LENIPY CTnRV - tsVOUyRE ON" said
IAN Nj LII H1N - ~ - ! Mulay
- The Smith Party. X fa ~ take Annie 'r the dance
The Smith Party

Nxo~oNNt ~" yoo.
asked Burke
Sure. Wen get married next
year, maybe"
Il saw you make ,her-drinle her
first glass of beer" said Burke.
That was two years ago, when
she used to come down to the
corner of Christie bareheaded TO
meet you after supper. She was
a quiet sort of a kid then, ana
couldn't speak without blushipC."
She's a little spitfire, some
times, now," said the Kid. "f
hate Jealousy That's why I'm
going to the dance with Annie.
It'll teach her some sense"
well, you better look a little
out" were Burke's last words.
IF Liz was my girl and ! was
to sneak out to dance coupled
up with an Annie, I'd want a suit
Of chain srmor on under my glad
some rags, all right.
Through the land of the stork-
vulture wandered Liz. Her black
eyes searched tho passing crowds
fercely but vaguely. Now and
then she 'hummed bars of foolish
little songs. Between times she
set her small. white teeth to-
Gether, and spake crisp words
that the East Side has added to
language.
Liz's skirt was green silk. Her
waist was large brown-and-
pink plaid. well-fitting and not
without style. She wore a clns-
ter ring of huge imitation rubies,
and a locket that banged her
knees at the bottom of a silver
chain. Her shoes were run down
over twisted high heels. and were
strangers to polish. Her hat
would scarcely have passed into
-four barrel
The Family Entrance" of the
Blue Jay Cafe received her. At
table she sat and punched the
button with the air of milady
ringing for her carriage. The
waiter came with his large
chinned. low-voiced manner of re-
spectful familiarity. Liz smoothed
her silken skirt with a satisfied
wriggle. She made the most OF
it. Here she could order and be
waited upon. II was all that her
world offered her of the preroga-
tive of woman.
Whisky. Tommy" she said as
her sisters further uptown muir
mur, champagne. James"
Sure, Miss Lizzie. ''Whatll the
chaser be?'
"Seltzer And say. Tommy, has
the Kid been around today?"
Why, no. Miss Lizzie, l haven't
saw him today"
Fluently came the Miss Lizzie"
for the Kid was known to be one
who required rigid embodiment of
the dignity of his fiancee.
I'm lookin' for m" said Liz,
after the chaser had sputtered
under her nose. It's got to me
that he says he'll take Annie Kari
son to the dance. Let him. The
pink-eyed white rat I'm lookin'
form. You know me. Tommy.
Two years me and the Kids been
engaged. Look at that ring. Five
hundred. he said il cost. Let him
take her to the dance. Whatll
l do? III cut his heart out. An
other whisky, Tommy"
Il wouldn't listen to no such
reports, Miss Lizzie" said tho
waiter smoothly. from the narrow
opening above his chin. kid
Mullaly's not the guy to throw a
lady like you down. SeItZer on
the side"'
Two years, repeated Liz, soft
eninG a little to sentiment under
the magic OF the distiller's art.
Il always used toplsy out on the
street of evenin'S cause there was
nothin' doin' for me at home. For
long time ] just sat on door
steps and looking at the lights
and the people coin' by. And then
the Kid came along one evenin'
and sized me up, and was mash
ed on the spot for fair. The first
drink he made me take L cried
all night at home. and got a lickin'
for maxim a noise. And now
say, Tommy you ever see this
Annie Karlson? If it wasn't for
peroxide the choloroform limit
would have put her. out long ago.
oh, I'm lookin' for m. You tell
the Kid if he comes in. Me? I'll
cut his heart out. Leave 1t to me.
Another whisky, Tommy"
\ little unsteadily, but with
watchful and brilliant eyes, Liz
walked up the avenue. On the
doorstep of a brick tenement a
curley-haired child sat, puzzling
over the convolutions of a tangled
string. Liz Topped down beside
her, with a crooked, shifting smile
on her flushed face. But her eyes
had grown clear. and artless of a
sudden.
Let he show you how to make a
cats cradle. kid she said, tuck
ing her green silk skirt under her
rusty shoes.