The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-03
four DANCING FEET
A BATTLE OF WITS.
BY JANE PHELPS
Chapter Is.

"A DAZZLE vi ~ 4A9-
Chapter Is.
well, Cert, whatd Rosenberg want
of you last night?' Lilly asked as they
left the house together. She had gone
to supper with a young man while
Gertie was talking with the proprietor.
Want to give me raise" Gertie
said drly.
Got any strings on it,"
mot that I know, yet. He had a
paper for me to sign. but didn't sign
it, told him I'd tell him tonight.
| sTwant much of a raise. I told the
Lilly. She told me about a lesson, and
talk by the teacher about signing
papers when we didn't understand
what was in them. Gee! l come, no
came, near doing it,
Il wonder will he raise me too? I
know / can't dance quite as good as
you, and 1 amt near so pretty, but
keep the follows jollied along,
buyin' things and all that"
Il expect he will Say, Lilly, do
you suppose we dance well enough
now to get a chance in a-wen nicer
place, one what has sweller-no bet
ter customers? %
Il dunno! Amt ever thought about
it, We done pretty well to get in
there. No swell clothes nor nothing
Il guess clothes for them big places
do cost a lot" Gertie's voice was
Wistful. She would like to dance
where q. 01ITeTent CLASS Oh people Sd ~
her; not the rough kind that came to
Rosenburg's every night Once, a
long time before. a young man had
taken her and Lilly into one of the
big Broadway places on their way
home. To him it had been just lark
to the two girls a revelation.
All the time Gertie was dancing, or
passing around between the crowded
tables chatting with the customers
part of her job as she knew but a part
I, on
failure to write. Up to this time, she
had scolded herself for expecting a
letter so soon. But tonight something
Lilly had said came back to her;
could she be right? Was Tom like
that-like the others?
They all say they'll write. but they
all have good forgetters." Lilly had
told her. Its like the fellow who says
I'll see you again soon, without sayin'
when. All joshin', Gertie, and sure
fake when they is like your Tom
that swell kind
Sorry comfort!
We'll. going to sign the paper
now?" Rosenberg beamed on Gertie-
Tonight Lilly had promised to wait
and go home with her; in return she
had said she would speakSto Rosen-
burg about giving Lilly. asraise too.
I'VE come together, were chums.
and he ought to treat US alike, Lilly
had said :
it, every word of it. Like Jennie told
me, and if I think anything's crooked
III pretend ] want to show it to ma
and let Jennie take it to. her. teacher,
Gertie said to herself before answer
ing Rosenburg's question.
He pushed the paper across the
table to her.
Nonchalantly Gertie picked it up.
She never had seen, let alone read, a
legal document of any kind. The
terms puzzled her The am ounts she
was to get and one other thing in
the paper was clear to her-that IS
she thought IT was-thought she
understood it. She was to have the
raise for five years if she did all right,
and was on hand all the time.
Five years-Jennie was Il, she
would he most thru high school-yes,
she would be thru. Jennie was smart
Gertie nibbled the point of the pen.
IT would be good to know they were
safe for five years. Ma would be
pleased. Poor ma-she worked so
AS all this ran thru Gertie's mind
she had been looking at the paper.
CHANGING up she caught Rosenburgs
eyes fixed upon her with something in
their depths she didn't understand;
never had seen there before. A sort
of cunning eagerness. She didn't,
couldn't analyze the expression, but 1t
made her halt.
Jennie's teacher had said if there
was anything one didn't understand in
a paper not to sign it. There was lots
in that paper Gertie didn't under
stand. Suddenly she decided. She
laid the pen down.
'TH take the paper home and show
it to ma OF course she amt edu-
Gated, but I never do anything without
asking her Someway she felt it best
not to mention Jennie. or her teacher.
THAT amt necessary" now his eyes
looked angry-why? It's only givin'
you a nice raise, but we has to have
the papers signed shown we both
agree. I might go back on my word
and not pay you. That paper binds
me; makes me pay you"
I'm show it to ma. and sign 1t to-
morrow night" stubbornly answered
Gertie. Something warned her he was
too anxious.
"Oh, very well, But there's a
chance I might change my mind you
know" he replied sarcastically yet not
much worried, after all she had said
her mother wasn't educated, and he
knew nothing of Jennie or her teacher.
CTomorrow-Gerti is advised.)