Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press., 1922-02-09

But he fell to pacing the red car
pet in angry staccato strides. His nap
kin dropped from his waistcoat to the
floor and he kicked it out of his path.
by CAD! l didn't want to come,
anyhow. l knew the sniveling I'd be
let in for. Gimme a healthy woman
with some outdoors in her. Gimme"
~ amt going to let out any more.
Max; l swear to God amt Sit down,
dear, and finish your supper. Looka,
yoar coffee's all cold. Lemme go out
and heat it up for you. L" I
I'm done. I'm done before begin.
Now. Mae, if you can behave yourself
and hold in long enough, just say what
you got me up here for, and for Gods
sake let's have it overt"
Il amt got much of anything to
say, Max, except II thought maybe
you'd tell me what's eating you,
dearie"
"I-"
After all these years we been to-
'gether, Max, $3.50 happy, all of
sudden dear, these last two months
dropping off from every other night to
to twice a week and then to-to
once, and this last week-not at all.
l-1-heavens above, Max, amt got
nothing to say except what's got you?
Tell me, dearie, is it anything I've
done? Is it"
you talk like loon, Mae, honest
you do. You amt done nothing. It's
just that the-the times come, that's
all. You know it had to. 1t always
has to. If you don't know it, woman
ike-like you. ought to. Cad! l used
to think you was the kind would break
as clean as a whistle when the time
came to break"
"Break, MAXI"
"Yes, break. And don't gimme the
baby-stare like that neither You know
what l mean alrighty. You wasn't
born yesterday, old girl"
The blood ran from her face, blanch-
ing it. "You mean, Max"
saw, you know what l mean al
rightly, Mae. only you amt sport
enough to take things as they come
You knew all these years it had to
come sooner or later"
my God Max, you-you're kid
,iingr'
"All these years | been preaching to
YOU, even before l Joined Forest Park
club out there. Don't get soft, Mae.
mol
Hustle around and do a little house
work even if l do give you servant.
Walk in the park. Keep your looks,
girl; you may need 'em,' | used to tell
you"
"Oh you-you-"
She clapped her hands over her
mouth as if to stanch hystera.
"Another let-out like that Mae, and.
by CAD I'll take my hat and"
mo, no, Max, II didn't mean it.
I'm all right. I Only after all these
years you wouldn't do it, Max. You
wouldn't You wouldn't throw me
over and leave me cold, Max. What
can l do after all these years? Il
amt got a show in chorus no more.
You're kidding, Max. You're white
man, Max, and-you-you wouldn't do
it, Max. You wouldn't. YOU"
"NOw, now, you can't say l amt
been as white as silk, girl, and I'm 60
ing to he just as white as I've been,
too. Don't worry, girl. For six years
there amt been better-stocked flat
than this in town, has there"
mo, Max"
"The best none too good, eh?"
"NO, Max"
"JuSt the same stuff comes here that
l send up to my mothers fiat, eh? No
KICK coming, eh, girl?"
"YOu-yOu wouldn't, Max-you
wouldn't ditch me. What could l do!
NOthing-nothing. II can't hire out
as a scrubwOman. /"
"Come. come now, girl, you're pretty
slick, but you--yOu don't quite slide.
What about that thirty-tive hundred
you got down in your jcans-eh? Them
thirty-five hundred in the Farmers
Savings bank-eh? EhT
MAXI
"Hahi Knocked you off your pins
that time, didn't I? 1 found your bank
book one morning, kiddO-found it on
the floor right next to the dresser"
MAX. I-out Of my checks II
SaVed-I-"
"Sure! Cad! l amt kicking about
it. girl. Glad for you! Glad you got
1t, girl, only don't try to tell me you
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