The Washington herald., 1921-04-17

You can bestow upon a cousin al
most the interest and affection that
you would give to a stranger; you
need not feel toward him the con-
tempt and embarrassment that you
have for one of your fathers sons
lit is the closer clan-feeling that
sometimes makes the branch of a
tree stronger than its trunk.
Thus were the two McGowans
bonded. They enjoyed a quiet cele-
brity in their district. which was
a strip west of Eighth Avenue with
the Pump for its pivot. Their tai
ents were praised in hundred
Joints; their friendship was famed
even in a neighborhood where men
had been known to fight of the
wives of their friends. CThus do
the limitations of English force US
to repetends).
So, side by side. grim. sallow,
lowering. inseparable, undefeated,
the cousins fought their way into
the temple of Art-art with a big
A which causes to intervene q les
son in geometry.
One night at about IL o'clock Del
Delano dropped into Mikes place
on Eighth Avenue. From that mo-
ment, instead Of remaining a Place,
the cafe became a Resort. It was
as though King Edward had con-
descended to mingle with ten-spots
of different suit, or Joe Cans had
casually strolled in to look over the
Tuskogee School; or Mr.. Shaw, Of
England. had accepted an invitation
to read selections from 'Rena, the
Snowbird' at an unwilling of the
proposed. monument to James Owen
OConnor at Chinquapp Falls, Mis-
sissippi. In spite of thkse compari-
sons. you will have to Ne told why
the patronizing of a third-rate sa-
loon on the West Side by the said
Del Delano conferred such a spe-
cific honor upon the place.
Del Delano could not make his
Feet behave; and so the world paid
him $4,000 a week to see them mis-
conduct themselves on the vaude-
Vile stage. To make the matter
plain to you (and to swell the nub-
Der of words), he was the best
fancy dancer on any of the circuits
between Ottawa and Corpus Christi.
With his eyes fixed on vacancy
and his feet apparently Fixed on
nothing, he nightly charmed thou
sands" as his press agent incor-
rectly stated. Even taking night
performance and matinee together,
he scarcely could have charmed
more than 1900, including those who
left after Fora, the Nautch girl, had
squeezed herself through hoop
twelve inches in diameter, and those
who were waiting for the moving
pictures. 90.
But Del Delano was the West
Sides favorite; and nowhere Is there
a more loyal Side. Five years be-
fore our story was submitted to
the editors, Del had crawled from
some Tenth avenue basement like
q lean rat and had bitten his way
into the Big Cheese. Patched, half
starved, cuffless. and as scornful
Of the Hook as an interpreter OF
Ibsen, he had danced his way into
health Gas you and view it) and
fame on Amateur Night at Creary's
| Variety Theater in Eighth ave-
nue.. A bookmaker Gone Of the kind
that talent wins with instead OF
losing) sat in the audience, asleep
dreaming of an impossible pickup
among the amateurs. After a
snore, a glass of beer from the
handsome waiter, and a temporary
blindness caused by the diamond,
of a transmontane> blone in Box e
the bookmaker woke up long enough
to engage Del Delano for a three
weeks trial engagement fused with
a trained-dog short-circnit covering
the three washingtons-Heig
Statue and Square
BY the time this story was, read
and accepted. Del Delano was draw
ing his $500 week. which, divided
BY seven Sunday acts not in cos
tune being permissible), dispels the
delusion entertained by most of us
that we have seen better days.
You can easily imagine the wor.
shipful agitation of Eight avenue
whenever Del Delano honored II
with visit after his terspichorear
sct In q historically great and viIeiy
ventilated Broadway theater. II the
West Side could claim forty-two
minutes out of his forty-two weeks
bookings every year, It was an oc.
casion for bonhres and repaintinr
Of the pump. And now you know
why Mikes saloon Is resort, and
no longer a simple place
Del Delano entered Mikes alone,
So nearly concealed in q fur-lined
overcoat and derby two sizes too
large for him was Prince Lightfoot
that you saw of his face only his
pale. hatchet-edged features and a
pair Of upwinkipg, cold. light blue
eyes. Nearly every man lounginx
at Mikes bar recognized the. re-
nowned product of the West Side.
~ - - a.