Evening star., 1921-11-13
1nez Hangs Up a Record-By sewell Ford
NEZ had yawned three times and
then she had sighed, so 1 knew

Il NEL had Sawneu three times ana
then she had sighed. so 1 knew
she was about to register some-
thing in the way of discomfort.
Well" says ], lis it anything on
Your mi ind, or is it too much chicken
a la king on the digestion? Shoot"
But Inez only blinks at me and
shakes her head. from which l gath
or that her thought. whatever it was.
had not yet got itself pictured out on
the background of her limited vo-
cabulary. 1t was on the way. though.
SO L went ahead drapng myself in
Il snappy new street costume I'd ac-
qured since last pay day and gave
her time. And when she did break
iato speech she didn't say much.
You gonna walk again." she asked.
That's the leading idea" says l.
East 18th street, to have tea in
studio apartment with a Mrs. Blair.
some one Ames Hunt towed in at
the last matinee. She's Il Sushy fe-
male who wears Jade ear danglers
and has a streak of gray through her
front hair; Il widow, I understand.
with 4 past that has had its hectic
spots.
Huh" says Inez. Why You go
there"
"Chiehy because it's somewhere to
co. says J. Then, in a rash mo-
ment, l promised her l would. Rath-
er d patron of the arts. Mrs Blair is.
YOU know: specializes in young COM
..rs - budding painters. musicians
making their first concert tours. ac-
tors who have made hit in some
part. and so on. Her fad is to get
'cm together. She told me there was
young Hungarian sculptor who was
crazy 10 meet ME. Maybe. Most of
those birds are half-locoed anyway.
Eut it'll be ii change from trampng
through the park and l may get IL
laugh out of that bunch of freaks
Also this talented goulash fancier
may have good line to spring. You
never can tell"
MY idea was that a little chatter
Ah like this might cheer Inez up for
the afternoon. but it works just oppo-
site. In fact. she comes as near get
ting a sulk on as she can with that
placid face of hers.
II don't go nowhere" she COM
plains Nobody wants to meet me-"
And no garden handy where You
can find a fuzzy worm to eat, eh?'
says L. Tough luck, IneZ. But then.
Yours is hard lot You have to get
up every forenoon. decide how you'll
have your eggs, allow Annette to
something to kill the whole after
noon. change for dinner. struggle
through five or six courses. take
Uncle Nels to the movies and so to
he'd. It's an awful grind. isn't it, for
any one with your delicate constitu-
tion?"
But it's just as much use trying to
kid Inez as giving traffic cop an
argument Anything as subtle as
sarcasm she sheds as easy as hail
bouncing off a battleShip.
'Fellers don't go crazy over me-"
she insists.
As As usual; si Inez had had stated her s.e; case
about the bush for her, but plain.
honest Tossing up of facts. 1 knew
just what the answer ought to be.
TOO. but 1 hated to hand her anything
SO raw. Still I'd been looking for an
opening like this for some time: and
after all. what are friends for if you
can't depend on them to bat you be-
tween the eyes now and then?
Brace yourself. Inez dear says I.
for I'm going to shoot it to you
rough Are you all set? Then listen;
the male of the species seldom
stretches his neck after anything
that tips the scales over eighty. un-
less it's a side show freak who needs
special chair when she sits down.
No. He may measure forty inches or
more around the equator himself. and ,
shave over two chins every morning,
laces are tied or not, but when he
rolls a wistful and romantic orb
you'll notice that it's generally as
some slim Jane swishes by
Inez squirms a bit and the chair |
creaks under her, but she's one of
the kind that not only swallows the
whole dose but laps the spoon. You
you think I'm too fat?" she asks.
That's something between you and
the bathroom scales, Inez," says l.
You know where the hand points
when you step on the platform these
days. And what else can you expect
when you play the dessert both ways
and take your exercise climbing into
taxi cabs?"
Perhaps it took two minutes for all
that to sink in. but when IneZ makes
Il shift she's apt to do it prompt. |
I'm gonna walk, too says she. |
with you, eh?"
"Goodr' says !. It's only a mat
ter of thirty blocks or so. and I