The Washington herald., 1921-08-03
|NeAporkcity
|DaEEBylD'!ay{ D

NEW YORK. Aug. 2.-For two
days I have been a boarder In a
celebrated theatrical boarding house
in the West Forties. Vaudeville
and burlesaue people seek its
friendly shelter. The iandlady is a
vision of double chins. lowing
wrappers and huge earrings. She
gave me a back room with a bath
right down the hail-and confided
that II was once occupied by Els.
mere and Elsmere--you know, the
daring young things Of the flying
trapeze.
didn't know but she seemed to
think that gave the room special
charm. There are no mornings in
theatrical boarding houses. All
sleep until noon, an old habit of
mine. And then Gertie, the house,
hold drudge. brought what the
landlady called "vol-au-vent truf-
hes' and coffee. In. my set we called
the ''vol-au-vent truffles" sinkers.
but madame was once married to
head waiter In a French cafe and
knew lovely French words.
Poor Gertie! Everybody was con-
tinually calling her. They screamed
at her over bannisters, from the
kitchen and attic rooms. She never
replied. Merely chewed gum. My
nearest neighbor was a contor-
ZIONIST known in his artistic realm
as "The Frog Man" He appeared
at the bath in a succession OF
faded robes. He was always bath
Ing. Or hcning an old-fashioned
razor. Gertie told me he had been
at liberty" for twelve weeks and
'if he didn't kick in with his rent
soon the madame would give him
the ART"
Somewhere during the night q
baby walled and there was a steady
drip OF a. leaking pipe. Blurry
forms all night moved up and down
the stairs in faded wrappers and
sleazy mocassins. Just people 60
ing to one another's rooms for the
final "makin's" of a cigarette. Even
the women rolled their own-using
brown paper. Gertie said she
didn't smoke. And then she made
the startling announcement volun-
tarily "1 was a hop-head wunst!"
The front door Is never locked.
Many sit out on the front stoop un-
til early in the morning. Dodgers"
Gertie called them-conveying the
idea that they were dilatory in
their obligations to madame. Din
ner was served in the stuffy base
ment. A weak soup. a goulash.
still weaker tea and the choice OF
blackberry or apple pie. o. yes.
Gertie served the meals. Most OF
the boarders are out OF work. But
their talk was high spirited. They
were continually Mentioning names
we'll known to the Rialto."
And when left at the end Of
the second day Gertie was applying
stone to the front stoop-and chew
ing gum.
Anybody would think that the
moon would increase business atop
the Fifth avenue bus. but on moon
light nights the young couples go
to the movies-or to the park
benches. The bright moon takes
away all the privacy Of the bus
tops where young New York cou-
pies do most OF their spooning.
4 FIRE IN a beauty parIor right
OF of Fifth avenue at the busy
hour OF the morning. IT was some
what like an opera bouffe. Women
wearing tricky chin straps and hair
crimpers. others CREASED and wear
ing gray masks of mud rushed to
the street. And. q yes. in the crowd
was one shcep-faced. bareheaded.
bald man. A beauty parlor pro-
prietor told me that customers
with bald pates were mighty good
customers. They always expect a
miracle" he said. although we try
not to encourage them too much"
In Hester street ia an old coffee
shop where old Turks with their
little red caps come to sip seven,
eight. sometimes ten. cups Of black
sirrupy coffee, draw smoke through
the water OF the narghile pipe and
commune. For an hour and a half
watched a group Of seven the
other evening as they sat in a
brooding silence. Only two spoke
during that time and then quick
half sentences. But when they left
they shook hands warmly as IL each
had had a merry time. And per-
haps they had.