Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-19
The HQSkin Letter 81 s;s Rsssa
THE SQUIRE OF DANES.

, content to shop and attend the movies
and q few matinees, but after that they
begin to feel lonely. They realize that
without friends-particularly mascu
line friends-they are missing the mos
interesting features Of the city. Te
| the out-of-town woman the fierce
magnificent glare of Broadway is very
| enticing, and it is ~intolerable not to bt
able to explore it. But un~fortunatel,
that sort of thing is not yet done By
the lone, respectable woman.
'The professional escort just about
solves the problem for these lonely
dames," said a hotel man recently
land / wonder that the hotels them.
selves don't supply such a service. We
have a dancing hostess here, of course
land he waved a hand toward the
large ballroom-"but what woman
! wants to learn the latest dance steps
from a woman if she can get a mar
to teach her? Besides, it's only natu.
raj that they should want to dance
with a man on the Great White Wa
and feel that they are a part of it fol
the time being. Then they'll have some
thing really big to discuss when they
get home"
These so-called Squires of Danes
don't advertise; they aren't listed al
the hotel information desk, and it is
doubtful if they have a private office
among them. Their headquarters are
at the big public dance halls, where
they act as dancing instructors. In
these places you can dance all evening
if you don't know how there are these
ipstruaforS RI faorb VOL, Of N,boto-o,
price you care to pay. No set charge
at all, you understand, but if a lady
fails to pay at least a dollar for her
lesson, she is not encouraged to apply
for another.
The squires are all canny business
men. They are constantly on the look
out for prosperous appearing women in
the crowd. As o o as n enters the
hall, she is apt to receive a cordial
welcome from one of the instructors
who, approaching her with Just the
right degree of admiration and respect,
inquiries if she desires instruction. Cen
orally she does. If her reward is lib
eral the lessons usually continue and
eventually end in the acquisition of an
escort.
1t is not at all a bad arrangemen
from the woman's point of view. She
has learned to dance with the man: 70
follow his leads and steps perfectly.
He is all that propriety could require
in dress, manner and department. And
the whole thing is on a business basis.
She is under no obligations. She paws
for what she gets-an escort-and hav-
ing paid, she doesn't have to be at all
entertaining or winsome or seductive
or any of the things she has to be to
the men who take her about at home.
They go to a hotel dinner dance. She
pays for the dinner. Later, they go to
one of the theater roofs, where there
is dancing and food. Again she pays
the bill.
The Vocation Pays
As a means of earning a fairly easy
living. the arrangement is also highly
satisfactory to the Squire of Danes.
II. is not, as might be expected, a very
brilliant or ambitious fellow. Before
the comparatively recent dance craze
in this country, he was probably a
clerk, but since the entrance of the fox
trot he has applied himself with pains
taking diligence to being a courtier.
In this he has to a large extent sue
ceeded. He cannot spout epigrams,
but be knows New York and its ways.
particularly in dancing and theatrical
circles. and can describe them enter
t%ainlngly. He reads a newspaper thor
oughly every morning in order to keep
up with the topics of the dey. In
short, he has acquired all the technique
Tor making an agreeable companion.
Furthermore, he has been abl, TO
make it pay. His afternoons. which
ere usually spent in giving dancing
instruction to a few clients whom he
has carefully selected as liberal tip
pers. yield from S. to $40 each. For
his escort duty in the evening he re-
another $40 or SIS. RI he Is
up to the average in escortirg eff.
cheney, there IS scarcely ever an eve
ming when he does not have some such
Lunchcons also are usll-
ally paid for by bis clients. If 1e has
to buy moro than his breakfast on my
one day he begins to worry about the
in his overhead.
Through it all be manages t. keep
his self-respect. Il don't sun
pose l. cut a particularly admirable
figure IN society" remarked one squire
recently. but am | not entitled to as
much respect as any other popular en-
t~ertainer? Through my efforts, many
derive a pleasure they would
not otherwise get. / do not make as
much as many theatrical performers
who deal in questionable Jokes and
suggestive situations. | merely try to
some unattached danes their
share of clean. healthy endowment.
After all. is that work to be ashamed