The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-19
A Battle of Wits.

CHAPTER XIV.
"Well, Cert, whatd Rosenberg
want OF you last night?" Lilly asked
a. they left the house together. she
had gone to supper with a young
man while Gertie was talking with
the proprietor.
Wants 10 give me raise" Gertle
said dryly.
"Got any strings on IT."
mot that l know, yet. He had
paper for me to sign, but l didn't
sign II, l told him I'd tell him to-
night. 'Twant much of raise. told
the folks and Jennie-she's awfully
smart, Lilly. She told me about
lesson, and talk by the teacher
about signing papers when we did
Mt understand what was in them.
Gee. l come, no came, near doing
it."
81 wondor will he raise me too?
know / can't dance quite as good as
you, and | aln't near so pretty, but
| keep the fellows jollied along.
buyin' things and all that"
II expect he will. Say, Lilly,
do you suppose we dance well
enough now TO get a chance in
we'll a nicer place, one what has
sweller. no. better, customers"
IL dunno. Ain't 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 whore different class of
people saw 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 IL had
been Just a lark TO the two girls
a revelation.
All the time Gertie was dancing
or passing around between the
crowded tables chatting with the
customers--a part OF her job as she
knew, but a part she hated --- her
mind was on Tom, his failure to
write. Up TO this time. she had
scolded herself for expecting a let
ter so soon. But tonight something
Lilly had said came back to herr
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, IT'S like the fellow
what says II see you again soon,
without sayln' 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? ?" ROsenhurg beamed on Ger
tie. Tonight Lilly had promised to
wait and go home with her; in re-
turn she had said she would speak
to Rosenburg about giving Lilly a
raise, too.
I'VE come together we're chums
and he ought to treat MS alike"
Lilly had said,
~ shant sign the paper till
read it, every word of #. Like Jen-
ME told me, and II ] think any
things crooked I'll pretend / want
to show IL to ma, and let Jennie
take IL TO her teacher" Gertie said
to herself before answering Rosen-
burg s question.
He pushed the paper across the
table TO her,
Nonchalantly Gertie picked it up.
she never had seen, let alone read,
legal document of any kind. The
terms puzzled her. The amount she
was 10 get. and one other thing in
| the paper was clear to her--that is
she thought II was - thought she
understood It, She was to have the
raise for five years II she did all
right. and was on hand all the
| time.
Five years--Jennie was 10; she
would be most through high school
yes, she would be through. Jen-
ME was smart. Gertie nihhled the
point Of the pen. II would be good
| to know they were safe for five
years. Ma would be pleased. Poor
ma--she worked so hard
AS all this ran through Gertie 3
mind she had been looking at the
paper, Glancing up she caught
| Rosenburg's eyes fixed upon her
! with something in their depths she
didn't understand; never had seen