Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-19
THE SQUIRE OF DANES
BY Frederic J. Hnskin

New York, May 1s.--Among the
many curious entertainment features
(which New York has TO offer IL tho
professional escort. No woman has 10
be a wsllfower here an long ss she
can afford the price If one. BE she ever
go lacking In masculine admirers. and
ever so unlikely To acquire any. she
may nevertheless enjoy her share OF
the brilliant. entertaining night life
OF New York by the simple expedient
Of hiring one Of these professional |
lSquires OF Danes.
Some earnest student Of hurnani-
tartan problems has said that New
York provides the nobleet form Of 90
cial service of any city In the world.
He was not referring 10 the Squire of
Danes. Yet the unique nobility Of this
calling In eelf-evident. Consider It's re-
lquirements: from early afternoon un7
I'll past midnight, the Squire must de-
vote all OF his talents and energy 10 the
entertainment OF lonely, unattached
ladies. He must escort them hither and
, thither. In Difference to their com
mands, to theatres and cabarets, no
tells dances and chop suey joints. to
famous downtown restaurants and
famous uptown roof gardens any
, where they want to go i'm their pur
suit OF n good time. They may be
" homely and badly dressed: he must
pay them delicate compliments. They
may be clumsy and awkward, he must
guide them safely and deftly about n
= ballroom floor. They may be dull and
. slightly deaf; ne must keep up slim
u ulating conversation. Or they may be
= beautiful. gracious and rich: he must
keep his distance and never presume
upon the acquaintance.
Under the circumsts nces. IL is not
j. surprising to learn from one who has
studied the species that the profess
u sional Squire Of Danes is born--not
J. made. There are only a few OF them
( in New York -never enough 10 supply
n the deman d-and even these are al
II ways threatening 10 QUIT their calling
L Tor less exacting trade. They are
20 not 10 be confused with the smooth
, voiced lounge lizards who haunt the
vt csbarets and dance halls at night IN
70 an unofficial capacity. nor with the
ID nashily- dressed hangers-on in some a
the so-called dancing academies or
n Broadway. Women sometimes employ
+. these types az escorts. It Is true. but
is they do so with great risk to their
~ diamonds, good names and other ne.
is gotiable securities.
D. The Squire Of DANES, on the Other
hand. is reliable, discreet. and wei
n versed in social etiquette. His dres.
40 and conduct are strictly conservative
s. 40 that. II suddenly confronted by
a friend or relative, a woman can easil,
to introduce him az a perfectly prope
n social acquaintance. His services ar
lis not in demand by hsppers or worner
who are permanently addicted 70 Jazz
AZ but by the many lone women. youni
G. and middle-aged, who come 70 Net
es York from far-ofr parts Of the coun
r. try. lured by the widely at
"a fractions Of metropolitan life.
@ Customers Are WeIl-to-do.
Some Of these women, especisll
- Those who are here only for a hrie
= visit. stop at the BEST hotels. are lib
orally supplied with pocket money an
80 have a secure social position a HON,
:" During the first week or two, they ar
M content to shop and attend the me
AZ vies and a few nstinees. but after tha
they begin 10 feel lonely. They reali7
% that, without Observation-Disclosures
- masculine frtends-they are missin
ite the most interesting features of II
Jul city. To the out-of-town woman u
fierce, magnificent glare Of Broadws
Is very enticing, and Il Ia intolerab
not to be able to explore Il. But III
fortunately that sort of thing is n
yet done by the lone. respectful
woman.
the The professional escort just abo
TO- solves the problem for these lone
the dames." said hotel man recent
land wonder that the hotels Their
you SELVES don't supply such a service. Y
~" have adancing hostess here, of cours
ire and he waved a hand toward {
IN; large ballroom-'but what womt
Ia wants to learn the latest dance ste
ipt. from a woman if she can get a mi
to teach her? Besides. it's only natuI
II that they should want to dance wi
os- a man on the Great White Way a.
ton feel that they are a part of it for I
sl- time being. Then they'll have som
- thing really big 70 discuss when tn
get home"
These SO called Squires OF Dam
me don't advertise; they aren't listed
OUT the hotel information desk, and it
,uS doubtful if they have a private on
i"s among them. Their headquarters a
ans at the big public dance halls. whe
they act as dancing instructors.
these places you can dance all eve
- ing at small cost. if you know no
~, and if you don't know how there a
: -. these instructors TO teach you
ers whatever price you care to pay.
set charge at all, you understand. /
- II lady fails TO pay at least a dol
for her lesson, she is not encouras
TO apply for another.
The Squires are all canny busin,
men. They are constantly on
lookout for prosperous appearing v
i, men in the crowd. AS soon as c
. enters the hall. she is apt TO rece
a cordial welcome from one of the
. structors who. approaching her W
|, just the right degree OF admiral
), and respect, inquiries If she desI
;. instruction. Generally she does.
: her reward is liberal the lessons usu
ly continue and eventually end in
. acquisition OF an escort
II 1t is not at all a bad arrangem
ii from fhp yVOp1aO'S mint IF Nrfeu-