Evening star., 1921-06-26
BY Sewell Ford

says Barry. Leave it to me-"
! He's a great little plotter. Barry. In
side Of An hour he comes hunting US
up with whole scenario developed.
Look. Trilby May says he enthu'
siastic. isn't the idea to give Uncle
Nels a good time?'
absolutely" says l.
X y x: y
uTHEN why not make 1t a big
night?" he goes on. "Why be
! boarding house pikers: The old chap
looks as though he'd never seen much
life. Let's give him peek. I'll &c
ffty-fifty on it. How about a cabaret
roof dinner?'
"rm game" says i, but l can't
see Uncle Nets in crowd like that:
! Wouldn't he look like he'd been planted
as part of vaudeville act?"
oh: says /. And what about US:
| costume line?''
/ The limit" says Barry. ..,, ,,,
i suppose you couldn't guess jus, how
, spiffy we can array ourselves if We take
; the pick Of our wardrobe"
! THE splitter the better" says Barry
! my motto is. nothings too good for a
I
! to look II. You see. my roommate's e
F., away for the weekend and he's a
! fancy dresser. Anyway. we're all set. "
So it's lucky we'd planned this for
Saturday when we had that extra
hour. And maybe you remember the
two evening dresses we won when we
got mixed up with the Junius
Stokeses: Well. by $50 we were home
! and laying them out. Inez had spent
, her lunch hour and nearly two whole
dollars having her hair done. and
with the few little touches I was able
| to add with an eyebrow pencil and a
rabbits foot I had her looking daz-
the lobster district. Took me all OF
half an hour. though. to ease her
into that black net affair. after which
had her pin me into the pink one.
Would anybody guess. 1nez. says
I. that we demonstrated electric
washers for our daily bread? ask
you. now?'
I'VE look swell. eh?" says she. try
| ing to get a full length view in the
bureau mirror. Maybe Uncle Nels
get surprised"
IF he doesn't" says l. "he's a hu-
man shock absorber Anyway. the
thought should come home to him
that he has a niece who would be a
credit to him If he ever decided to
for her benefit.
oh" says Inez. her eyes widen
ing. That's why we do this. hey?
You didn't think it was AL a case
of family affection. did your says !.
You know. Inez. I suspect that your
dear uncle is one Of these nice old
boys who would squeeze a nickel un-
T.. the buffalo dripped blood. But he
may have his soft side. That's Bar
ry's notion. too. and he's a bright
youth in some ways. Also he's a
rlunger But I do hope he succeeds
in making Uncle Nels look less like
a county commissioner who's Just
sold his standing timber: Not that
I'm too proud to be seen with him at
roof garden. but I'd hate to divert
all the attention from the cabaret
show. Eth? Was that a knock at the
door? Oh. yes. Ruby! Tell the gentle
men well be right down."
And I'll never doubt Barry Platts
skill as an uncle persuader again. For
there on the edge Of the plush sofa
in the parlor sits Uncle Sels in full
evening regalia. True. he wears it
somewhat as woodshed might a
tile roof holding his neck away from
the collar points like he was afraid
of puncturing his windpipe. and with
his watery blue eyes set in an agon-
lied stare. But aside from that and
I the nuiSe IN MS pledleu sHTt OosoH'
and the way his feet are toed in. he's
a work of art.
How did you ever do it," I whis-
oers to Barry, after the fond greet
ings are over.
took me most Of the afternoon"
says Barry. "and I had to borrow
about all that my roommate had in
his trunk. The old boy was inclined
to be balky at first, but when I ex-
plained what classy dressers you and
Inez were when you dined out he
finally gave in. And say. I didn't
stretch the truth any. at that. My.
but you two look stunning! Especially
Inez Why. she's a dream"
"Hdw sweet of you to .put it that
way" says I. "Oh. man! Even Uncle
Nels See, she's got him in a trance
SO soon."
** \ X
IT'S fact. He's just sitting there
gawping at her as fascinated as a
rabbit watching boa constructor.
Il believe it's working" I says to
Barry on the side.
Like a chafm," says he. But
bring him out of it. I've got a taxi
waiting and they'll hold the table
only until 7:30."
/ don't know which~gave a better
Imitation Of a wax dummy: Uncle
Nels in his first dress suit or Inez
making her debut at a roof garden.
We couldn't get syllable out of
either of 'em. The only life motions
they made was when food was put
before them. They didn't miss any OF
that. I'll say they didn't. OF course.
rather expected lnez to nourfsh
herself generously. That's her long
suit, and she gallops tauntily through
the whole program, from fruit cock
tail to cafe parfait, with no skips and
nothing left to scfape. from the plates.
And Uncle Nels IL right with her.
How a 5ried.up little old shrimp like
that could hold so much without even
easing of q; vest button is mystery
We won't dwell upon. But he made the
built to wear q 40 fat instead of a
~ slim. And after he's lighted up a
long black cigar that Barry slips him
when the demi tasses were served he
consents to look at what's going on in
the dancing space,
Aren't they the bold pieces. some of
those, cabaret chorus James? And sup
pose they're sure Of getting laugh
when they pick out tall-stick dele
gates like Uncle Nels to get fresh with.
II was bad enough when one henna-
haired vamp costumed chiefly in purple
tulle danced up and tickled him under
the chin with her feather fan, but
when she finished her act by bounding
on his lap and giving him a bear hug
j ,looksd nor him to crawl right under