The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-17
FOUR DANCING FEET
INTRODUCING THE TWO GIRLS.
BY JANE PHELPS
CAPTER l.

! INTRODUCING THE TWO GIRLS
CAPTER 1.
Gertie Cummings Rugged her knees
as she brooded over her i'll luck. Her
thin face was serious. her brown eyes
troubled, older looking by many
moons than when they smiled. All
the years seemed to be mirrored in
her eyes-her fear, her dread of them.
She had commenced to realize her
inability to cope with the world and
still hold her Ideals, dream her girlish
dreams.
A sound of footsteps, quick open
/ ing and closing of the door, and Lilly
Arnold, Ter chum, was in the room.
Lilly was bIue-eyed, slim and blonde.
Her bobbed hair chung in ringlets
about her face and neck, her blue eyes
danced. She hastily undid a parcel
| she carried, unrolled a pair of lace
thin stockings, and holding them out
at arms length exclaimed:
"Ain't they scrumptious? At the
same time she ran a hand into one of
them and drew it smoothly over her
arm.
'aThey are sure the real things. LillI
Where did you make the raise ?"
Gertie relaxed, and bending over
picked up the other stocking which
had dropped to the floor. She also
ran her hand into the silky length of
it, a feeling of envy stirring family
within her
You remember that tall guy I
danced with last night at the Palace
Garden?"
Yes He was nice looking. Lii.
Not handsome. but he had an honest
face"
We'll, he said he was going to send
me a a box OF candy, and I told him no
girl could afford to eat candy nova
days, it made US too fat But I wasn't
So told him If he was dying to give
me something, and couldn't sleep on
account of it, to give me a pair of silk
stockings, that I had worn mine full
of holes dancing with him. 1t was
true, too. I showed him.
"Oh. Lill Arnold! You never did,"
Didn't I? Amt them stockings
the proof I'm tellin' the truth? He
was too funny. He asked what kind
wanted, and I told him the thinest
ones he could find. He thought was
trying to be economical because I
asked for thin ones. He said he
would get them as thick as 1 liked, 1
told him no one but old ladies and
freaks wore them thick any more, and
see what I gotl"
IT wish I was as smart as you, LII"
You got too high ideas, Cert!
Come down off your perch. Sweat
shop girls and cabaret dancers amt
got much show in this town. Not
much chance to run up against a
decent guy. That kind don't want US.
They wants the girl that lives home
and has a parlor to let them sit in,
horse hair furniture don't faze them
as long as a girl has a ma and a pa.
mean the kind you are always
incoming about
But, Lilly, I always have had a
sort of notion that perhaps-just per-
haps-I would have nice little home
and perhaps
Listen to her rave! You are pipe
dreamer for fair. Come down to
earth. Cert. There amt no such
~ some boob and take in washing to
say we could get married. It's the
real good girls that don't have to put
up no bluff or the real bad ones that
know how. or else them society girls
they could get away with murder
But us! Why, Cert, no one thinks
We amount to much, and I guess if
they did it wouldn't make any differ
ence cause they wouldn't believe it,
But we know we are good
THAT don't get us nowhere"
at makes us feel better, like our
selves better. Say, Lii, it must be
awful for girl that knows she's bad.
I don't see how they dast go to Sleep"
Then: 81 amt no good. Lii, not like
you. How wish had a pair of them
stockings Mine look like wooden
ones, they are so thick. And honest
they are silk for about six inches, the
rest is cotton"
well say, Cert! Forget all that
dream stuff you was talking about-a
home and everything. Make the boys
pay for your society when you dance
with them
'Tl1 try, LiIl."
Lilly gave her chum a look of half
loving disdain, half disgust. She was
no older than Gertie, yet she could
look out for herself and get all that
was coming to her, why couldn't
Gertie2 Lilly considered her chum
weak, and laughed at her. Yet deep
down in her heart she rather envied
her, and her ability to dream Lilly
Arnold had no illusions about life
She knew it turned a stony face to
girls like herself and Gertie. Long
ago she had determined to snatch ain
she could get from it and-stilI re-
main honest.
She had set herself a harder task
than she realized.
Observation-Disclosures marriage)