Evening star., 1921-11-06


I'VE needn't be afraid of this dan.
song stun. All New York's doin' it."
Il bet half the men here are trav.
cling statesmen from Duluth: Don't
be q hIck!" This was Betsy's quell-
speaking Of hicks" WHISPERED her
husband. nudging her sharply. look
what's just come In!
"Who is he?'
'"The Rube I saw give his seat to
a lady in the subway, He's hope.
newcomer-who wore buttoned tan
shoes-was ordering a Manhattan
Volstead hyphenated cocktail
"He must be the King OF the
Hickories," murmured Brian. hecom-
it pitiful! The object Of Brian's
commiseration called to him the head
| waiter, and, in the presence OF the
! wholearoom, handed him fve- dollar
bill. Then he lit cigar. and Kept
Hes got every one Of oMalley's
How to Tell a Hick' marks except
| he don't shave his neck. Probably
he's waitin' for the barber shop to
open in the morning"
Hes rather nice looking" said
Betsy. "and wears good suit OF
'SWhiskers! There ought to be a
society for the protection OF him. I've
| a good mind to give that lone yokei
q tip before he falls in the hands
Down tho aisle came a horid. IA
miliar face. The head waiter pulled
| out q chair next to the unprotected
stray. And the person who occupied
| the seat, presenting q cordial palm
to the helpless hick, was none other
annuated bunko man Of the D. & r. g.
McCosh's broad back was toward
Brian, therefore he could not see his
neighbors. although close enough to
| be easily overheard. Brian quickly
forgot the charms Of tango in the
laid his tat palm caressingly over
the hand OF the younger man. who
was neat and rather small, with
oyster-colored eyes and sallow mus
"No, my boy: you can't afford to miss
this" began McCosh, In the tone Of
thick gravy. Take an old mans ad-
vice and-"The rest was lost in the
musical racket.
"If you can prove they're as good
as" the young man was heard to
Opportunity knocks but once al
as proved by our specimens
these scraps in McCosh's soothing
III we could only find a place to
TT is kinda noisy here" Mccosh
60 over to Gothamia grin : the
details OF this splendid proposition
Come on" breathed Brian in
where"
ITO the Gothamia grill"
| It was easy to see why the more or
less skillful Mr.. McCosh. had chosen
the Gothamia grill. A luncheon room
in one Of the largest hotels, it opens.
dozes again at sunset, when the In:
terest is diverted to the Fragonard
dining room upstairs or the Bohemian
music hall In the basement. During
the evening hours the Gothamia grill
assumes the elderly quiet Of Union
lights men and women talk mysteri-
ously at secluded tables.
"A gunman's delight" exclaimed
Brian. If I stabbed a man here and
dragged him into the elevator, how
would the newspapers ever catch me?
- waiterg" A blue Alsatian noun
taineer approached glibly. and took
his order.
THE waiter retreated, and the door
= was darkened by the shadow of a
porpous person leading a slender
youth Of hesitating mien.
Pretty work" murmured Brian.
They sat at table far out Of ear
shot, but we'll within view. The hyp-
notist was evidently imbuing his sub
ject with enthusiasm. confidence.
Of Mr.. McCosh were working busily
| In circles more complicated than any
Futurist's dream. And the dupe look
| ed up with the expression of tired
child who hears a new fairy story
and loves to believe 1t true.
Brian. "He wants to bite so bad, he's
helping put the bait on the hook"
! The two figures at the distant table
leaned back. Something was settled.
The elder man brought forth a packet
Of .gs papers folded 1s;agthwise; I;ast = !, ,,
do stunts in n York he's never
dreamt Of in his home town."
Maybe it's not so bad as you
| think" suggested Betsy.
Didn't you see the orange-col:
that's aoodfeiiow and Surprise % bunk
he's seilin' tho hick-and look!
Rube's pulIin' his check-book!"
Sure enough, the lamb was already
| reaching for McCosh's fountain-pen.
There waS Z moment Of intense
scribblins. during which McCosh bit
| q black cigar and forgot to light It.
Finally 4 pink leaf from the check
book fiuttered In his palm, and he
handled it like . rare orchid. An
instant later Mr.. McCosh was seen
to rise rather feverishly. button his
coat over tho new-niade check, ex-
tend q loving hand to his Victim. and
stride forth into the unknown. Brian
Jumped from his chair. =.
You're not going To-"
you bet I am! As q stranger in
town, amt a-goin' to sit hero and
sec my helpless brother skun bright
red on Broadway"
Tho young nan Sat reading All
orange-printed sheet Of GoodfelIow
and Surprise rapturouely. even ~
the Moslem scans the Koran, when
Brian aooosted him.
EXCUSE mei'' saad the. Little
Booster II don't know what part OF
the woolly west you come from, but
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