The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-09-17
Digging Up Elmer

I she can show rather vivid color
scheme The littl edomestic debate
which must have started up on the
tenth floor, is still going on. .r
"But what's the big idea, Dearie"'
she is askin' him. "Why the sudden
dash out into the country"
"a suggestion of Professor Nc
Cabe's," says he, "that I'm following
up. I doubt if you'll be interested,
Gladys. Hadn't you better let us drop
you somewhere and" 4
"No." breaks in Gladys decided.
you may not be hitting on all six
just now, Dearie, but you're rather, a
lfrisky 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 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 couple, just by hearin' 'em
swap a little off-hand repartee? 1
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 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
la perfect gent ought to scatter it
around.
But now 1 get the rest of the pic
Iture. Not that / 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 mainly
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
: a 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 a So cover charge and
get away with it.
Anyhow, it's clear that Gladys had
: a 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. Gust ex
' ploring."
What cute little notion!" says
Mrs. Hatch. ooh, WELL" 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 ani
strikin due north into the heart of the
breakfast ~doughnut zone. Course
p Ridley hadn't given the chauffeur any
3 definite sailin' orders, and with Ill
3 them Connecticut cross roads branch
3 in every which way it's no wonder
3 he finally got twisted up.
| IF the game is to get yourself lost
l Dearie," suggests Mrs. Hatch, II think
' you've won. That being the case. why
not have luncheon?"
"Show me place and we will
says Ridley. 1--WE been hoping to
, 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?"
We'll 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 S:15, Ridley tells the
driver to make for it So half an hour
later We rolls in between 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