The Washington herald., 1920-05-06
New York City
By o. o. Mcintyre

New York. May 5.-Thera Is
great. gilt Longacre restaurant that
has q - o'clock breakfast" menu
not for that time in the morning,
but In the afternoon. The men and
women who go there have the Fifth
avenue look. but It Is veneer. un-
derneath Is seen the scheming froth
of Broadway. At that time OF day
they are not wide awake--the ashes
Of life are in their mouths their
wine Of dead sea fruit.
Many of them are merely tired
sensualists hunting for new sensa-
tions. AMI others are the profession
al Bohemians, broken down play
wrights. artists who live in board
ing houses and never paint. pet
poets. race-track followers. gam
blers and the Hike. They breakfast
well, and they seem always to have
money. The air Is heavy with cigar
cite smoke, for they all smoke in
cessantly before breakfast"
Il hear Maizie has turned straight
and Is trying to be good" says one.
law ~" ohC UluSt NC-
torts the other. comfortable In a
great Venetian coat and wearing q
rope OF real pearls.
The women seem to have a mild
contempt for the men, but because
they are OF their own brood toler-
ate them. They want bigger game;
and then they realize that the men
are too scheming for things outside
OF the world in which they live.
They congregate to get ideas, to ex-
change gossip, and because all such
birds of prey usually find solace in
the misdeads OF others,
The proprietor Of the cafe knows
they are valuable as "steerers," and
he treats them nicely-except when
II comes to loen or credit. Close
track Is Kept of notable visitors at
the expensive hotels. Clever ways
are devised for a chance acquain-
tance, and then easy money.
The whole idea Of life Is "easy
money or money without work.
They are unable to realize with the
enorts they expend trying to fleece
some victim they might make a.
much better living in legitimate
channels. But It is interesting to
watch them-to see the suave cor
diality. the faultless gowns and
clothes and the skillful four-fiush-
ing.
There Is an English actor of my
acquaintance who has played his
last part-although he does not
know it. In the patois Of the foot
lights, he does not pack the
punch" In the especial line In
which he lowered above all his fell
lows some younger men are excelI-
ing now. One of the tragedies of
an actors career is that he never
realizes he is through. In this
case the actor is telling me when
I see him Of his future plans. He.
like most of his kind. has been i'm
provident. Nothing has been stored
by FOR the lean Gays to come.
Up near one OF those opulent
apartment houses on Broadway near
Columbia I saw a young lady leave
a soda fountain with a well-tailored
escort. At the curb she met an
other young man Mr.. Goldstone,"
she said, meet Mr.. Silverware," and
they were met without a ghost Of
a smile over their rames.
My favorite doughnut shop is do
ing a thriving business across from
the Winter Garden. Pete, the pro-
prietor and sole lessee, who used
to be ballyhoo at Coney Island,
declares that the true Epicureans
appreciate his efforts. why, list
yestiddy," he said. "whodja think
stepped into this hole in the wall
and get three sinkers?" I shook my
head. He waited until three Gus
toners left-his place only accom-
modates four-and he whispered the
magic name. Pete makes good
doughnuts, but he juggles truth. for
the man he mentioned is now in
Europe