Evening star., 1922-06-25

1
wonderful jam tarts tot I'm Trilby
May Dodge Now do you remember.
Mrs. Pepperfelt7'
NO" says she. II amt any Mrs.
Pepperfelt, nor never was"
Nov isn't that stranger" says I.
And was 30 sure you were. You do
look exactly like her. you know. No
relation, either: That's odd. Perhaps
you wouldn't mind tell me your name"
But that didn't catch her. Say.
you're mighty slick. amt your" says
she. leering At me foxily. "One of them
charity agents, eh? Well. I'll have you
know ain't been near your ONCE since
since that last time. amt been
panhandlin'. neither. So you can Just
lot mo be-
| Then I had to smooth 1t out, but I
no sooner convinced her wasn't from
the charity organization than she
worked up another suspicion.
| Il know" says she. you're one OIL
them new lady scouts on the dope
squad. But. s'elp me. Miss, never
psddled q bit Of coke in all my life.
Maybe I've had = shot or two. when
I had tn price. but that's nobody's
puSlneSbs 10 ltI
| MY dear woman" assured her.
| I'm not q detective Of any kind. and
you must forgive me for stopping
you. Go along II you wish. I apollo
gize humbly. Only you did look SO
much like the kind neighbor who
used to feed mo those tarts that
couldn't help it.
law, that's all right. Miss" says
She. tBut there's = lot Of these gum
shoe parties around. buttin' into
folks Affairs, 50 you can't be too
careful. You did get me scarf nrst
on, though"
May I make it UP by doing some
thing for your asks. How about
. cup Of tea and some cake?"
The watery eyes glistened. Tea
and cake?" says she. "Where?"
would you mind going home with
me for it?" asked. Not more than
eight or ten blocks from here, and
I'm sure my friend, Mr.. Platt, could
find q taxi for US. This is Mr.. Platt,
Mrs.-eF"
"Shucklin," says she. Mrs. Mabel
Shucklin. Sure I'll ride there in
taxi. If you amt putin up any game
on me-
You shall soon see" says l.
Nothing but tea and cake to pay
for frightening you"
Here we are" says Barry, who
had captured a black and yellow
with tho tin nag up.
GO, less than . half hour later. we
~ were grouped around the little
table in the studio, and Barrys dra-
matte model. under the spell of her
second cup Of hot oolong, was reveal
ing the sad sweet story of her career.
About all that was necessary was to
give her the cue and put in a question
now and then.
"As says to Mrs. Greble only yes
| terday," runs on Mrs. Shucklin. "'tis
a hard life US women has. We raise
up children, and work our fingers to
the bono for 'em, and what thanks
do We get? A poke in the eye.
That's what my boy Bill gimme night
before last"
your own son did that" gasps
Barry.
Mrs. shucklin nodded, a little
proudly. I thought. And it amt the
first time, either" says she, nor
likely the last Many's the one I
got from his old man, too. and he
knows 1t. Like father, like son. they
say. And true 1t is. All he's got
for his old mother Is a poke in the
eye"
But why!' asked. "And have
some moro cake"
Thanks" says she, taking an
other slice. For nothing at all 1t
| was. He's steam filter, that Bill
! Of mine. Makes good money, and
lives in q nice nat over on 9Th avenue.
You ought to see the way he dresses
up that Lizzie Mccune what he mar
ried-silk stockin's. and crepe de
chine skirts. and fancy blouses. Has
her hair waved twice q month, and
puts rouge on her face. Like a reg'lar
chorus girl she looks. tell her 50,
too. No respectable young woman
would 90 out like that I said to
Bill"
"oh. you did:" says I. "And was
| that when he-'
'No," says Mrs. shucklin, tucking
| some stray crumbs into her mouth
corner. II was always tellin' 'em that,
both Of 'em. You see, I kinda sus-
pected her. Anyway. she got Bill
away from me. Used to pay the rent
for our two rooms Bill did. till he
got to runnin' after this Lizzie Nc
cune. And when they got married
he left me nat. Said I was an old
rummy and could look out for my
self. Said he'd found him q good
wife and now he would go his way
| and I could 60 mine. Good wife!
Gawd! Lizzie McCuns that he mar
ried out Of a laundry and met at q
Coney Island dance hall! know her
| kind. But she's q sly one. I never
could get anything on her. though I
used to 60 around there q lot.
Couldn't get her TO tell me things.
either. But she knows what think
Of her. al right. shucklin amt one
| to spare words, and maybe when I
had . drink or two in mo I didn't
give It to her straight. To Bill. too.
And Just for that he throws me out
and tells me never to darksn his door
again. Ne, his poor old motherl Nice
talk was, want 1t?
A&
upuT couldn't keep away. It
amt natural should. guess
4 mothers gotta right to see how
i -