The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-31
FOUR DANCING FEET
FAGIE PATS HIMSELF ON
THE BACK.
BY lame PHELPS
Chapter 80.

!. Chapter 80.
The dress was finished, Gertfe had
| danced in it. and her turn had been
aPplauded enthusiastically, while muir
murs regarding her beauty, her ma
tural grace. were heard all over the
room.
Fagin beamed
what a fool I'd have been if I'd
let my temper get the best of me that
day of the row. That girl could be in
the best place in New York. Her high
and mighty ways take too. altho I
was afraid they wouldn't That kid set
/ paying any attention to the men call
| ing to her, even the ones with money
| to spend. Independent little cuss!'
! So he talked with his assistant, who
urged him to get Gertie to sign leHg
contract ~--'
you'll lose her sure if you don't .
She won't sign. I've done my hest
She's bright, that girl is! But I've
got her all right. She won't go back
on me now He chuckled as he re-
called how thankful she had been be-
| cause he called her good"
You don't have to he like the rest
if YOU don't want to. Lilly Gertie
said as they hurried home. They
made an awful fuss over my dance
tonight I guess it was the new dress
| and the shoes and stockings, they're
| lovely-and lot of them tried to get
me to sit down, and they said all sorts
4
after in the Revue. But I just laugh
ed and shock my head They don't
pay nae to do that. They pay me to
\ dance"
Il don't see how you get along the
way you do, acting SO standoffiSh. My
named be Dennis If tried your game.
Rosenburg expects US girls to keep the
| fellows coming and spending their
money"
Gertie knew no more than did Lilly
| just why she was able to get along
without making herself common as
did the other girls But she had a ma
tural refinement. and always from a
child she had had ideals. Her at
tempts to improve herself had been
spasmedic before she knew Tom Nor
riss and before her talks with Jennie's
! teacher VulgaFity always had dis
guested her as IL had her mother who
often Dragged that her husband never
cursed like the other men in the neigh
borhood.
So Gertie's little aIoofness. being
perfectly natural, and not assumed for
effect, had enhanced her value to her
employer. She really gave his place a
tone.
even with Tom if he should come to
see me Dance she told Lilly after
Cummings know how near she had
come to losing her job. IF you sit
with one you have to with them all
or the boss would kick. But if you
IOA SIT Will dnN--WEy AtOI6 O1 IA6tiI
can find fault, don't you see?''
"Oh, don't knowl Sometimes,
Cert, I think I'll marry the first Teller
comes along and asks me. Then
get cold feet when see ma Twin the
way she, does, all her kids, and nothin'
but work all the time and have moth
ing. If there wouldn't be kids it
wouldn't be so bads Two could get
along"
"oh, but, Lilly, you wouldn't want
M IN oh
wouldn't I tho! Why it's the kids
keeps folks poor! It's what takes
even your money-takin' care of Jen
ME and Tim. givin' them schoolin' and
clothes"
I'm going to have a new dress and
Honest? Tell me about it.'' and
in the discussion of frills, dear to the
feminine heart, weightier questions
were forgotten.
Len O'Connor had again COM
menced to visit Fagin's. After Ger
ties refusal to marry him, even to be
his girl" he had sulked, and re-
manned away. 1t was the night when
she first wore her new dancing dress
that he reappeared. He was en-
amoured anew. Never was a girl so
pretty as Gertie Cummings. never one
so graceful. He caught her eye and
she smiled at him, nodding her head.
He motioned, she refused to join him.
''I'n get her some way" he gFum-
bled. "'I'll find a way. Pity I amt
good enough for her, a dancin' girl.
me with a good trade and able to take
care of her. Wonder what she thinks
she'll git-a millionaire"
Just then he saw Gertie bow and
smile at Murphy. seated a short dis
lance away. Murphy. clean skinned.
because of hfs indoor work, with soft
white hands, and good clothes Was
this the man she liked? Len looked
ddkwn At his own hard hands, big and
grimmed, altho he had spent fifteen
minutes scrubbing them, then again
at the bookkeeper's.
I'm show him he can't steal my
girl! I'll show him!" he muttered
under his breath.
(To1n fight and an arrest.)