The Ocala evening star., 1922-01-17

.Ain't fit TO mention her name. ain'i
I? Amt fit to mention her name? My
kind ain't fit TO mention her name
chr
"So. II yon got 10 know f. Not
like that My old mothers name. Not
like that 90
..Not fiji, Ell? What are we ft for
then. us that only get the husks OF
you men and nothing else?"
aT-r
what am fit for? FIT 10 run Il
wheH your decent friends won't stand
for you? Fit 10 run TO when you get
mixed up in rotten customs deals7 Eli
TO stand between you and hI when
you got the law swapping at your
heels for-for smuggling? Who was
fit to run TO them Her whose name
amt ft to mention? Her? Nav. you
was afraid she'd turn on you. Nav
not herl Mel Met I'm the one
whose mouth il too dirty TO mention
your old lady's name"
by gad You got to cut that or
.Just the same, who was 1t you
hollered for when you woke up In the
hospital with your back like raw
meat? Who was II you hollered for
thenf Her whose name I amt At to
mention? Nav, ii wasn't Me. Me
/ was good enough then. i was good
enough to smuggle you out of town
overnight when you was lodging the
law. and to sleep in my clothes for two
weeks, ready to give the signal"
That's right. dig upl Dig up! You
might forget something"
81 been good enough to give you free
all these years what you wasn't man
enough to pay for. That's what we
women are: we're the free lunch that
men get with glass of beer, and what
the hi do you care which garbage
pail what's left Of us lands In after
you're done with usP'
"Cut that barroom talk around here
if"
"Good enough for six years. wasn't
/, to lay down like a door-mat for you
to walk on, chr Good enough. Good
enough when 1t came to giving up
chunks Of my own flesh and blood
when your burns was like fire on your
back and all your old woman could do
to help was throw a swoon every time
she looked at you Good enough to-
Cad! knew it, / knew it Knew
you'd show your yellow streak"
She fell to moaning In her hands.
mo, no, Max, / didn't mean 1T. YOU
you just got me so crazy don't know
what I'm saying. Sure, II made you
take 1t of me. / wanted 'em to cut 1t
OF me to graft on your burns because
tit was like finding a new way of
saying how-how / love you, Max.
Every drop of blood was lfke-like /
could see for myself how-how loved
you. Max. T."
"Oh, my Gods" he said, folded his
arms atop the piano, and let his head
fall into them. "Oh, my God"
That's how love you. Max. That's
how you-you're all In the world got,
Max. That's why FL can't, just can't
let you 60 dear. Don't throw me over.
Max. Cut the comedy and come down
to earth. You amt had a holy spell
for two years now since the old wom-
an shifted me and wanted to marry
you Off to that cloak-and-suit buyer
with ten thou I'm the bank and a rush
of teeth to the front. You remember
how we laffed, dearie, that night we
seen her at the showf Don't let your
old lady"
"Cut that, tell your
YOU'D be swell gink hitting the
altar trail with a bunch of white satin,
wouldn't you? At your time of life,
forty and set in your ways, you'd have
a swell time landing a young frisky
one and trying to learn one of them
mothers darlings how to rub In your
hair tonic and how to rub your salad
plate with garlic? Gosh-gollyi /
bust right out laffing when I even
think about til Come down TO. earth.
Max! You'd be a swell hit welded for
life with q gold band. now, wouldn't
your
She was suddenly seized with i'm
moderate laughter not untinctured
with hysteria, loud and full of empti-
ness. as IL she were shouting for
echoes In q cave.
Like HI you would You tied to
bunch Of satin and tending the kids
with the whooping coughl Whoops
In, In !"
Suddenly Max Zincas rose to his
height, regarding her sprawling un-
controlled pose with writhing lips of
distaste, Strengthened his waistcoat,
cleared his throat twice and. standing,
drank the last of his wine But a pal
lor crept up. riding down the flush.
Sunny, ain't It? Laffl Laffl But
I'd wait till you hear something fun
nier I got to tell you. Funny, amt 1t?
Laff! Laffr
She looked up with her lips sag
cling from merriment. but the dark
red In her face grew darker.
"Huhrp
His bravado suddenly oozed and the
clock licked roundly into the silence
between them.
"Huhr she repeated. cooking hen
head.
You got to know it. Mae, and the
sooner / get it out Of me the better
But, remember. If you wanna drive me
out before I'm finished, Ii you wanna
get rid of me d-n sight quicker than
any other way. throw me some sot
stun and watch. You-weli-I-the
sooner get 1t out of me the better
Mae"