Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-03-02

ESTHER, that you, child?'
Mama, how you scared me, sneak
ing up behind me so softm
always in a lonesome place like
this on top-deck l find you, Esther.
Twice over this boat I've been, bring
ing you your heavy coat for the damp
ness. Here, put it on.''
She slid into the garment, fastening
it across the smooth v of her barred
threat.
''For why, Esther, you should stay
up here in the dark all alone, when
downstairs the young folks got
dancing and everybody is out on the
lit-up decks, don't know"
live just been alone minute
mama"
ga, because now the game begins.
l guess, Esther, you think it's so nice
on big boat like this, the way you
let that nix from Chicago come up
here with you to such a lonesome
spot"
1--WE came up to watch the Gibral
tar, mama. See, how plain it's get
ting out there already-that black
thing. Seer
Il tell you between my husband
who leaves me alone every night to
play cards, and"
"He promised tonight he wouldn't,
mama"
ga, but when l seen his long face,
right away 1 said rather by myself ]
would sit than look at it. Between
him and my daughter, what runs ny
failure when she nearly misses the
ship, and then on top always finds out
the lonesome places like this-be.
tween the two of them l got lone.
some enough time of it myself, just
let me tell you"
"But mama dear, you've got the
nice ladies you've met on the boat,
Mrs. Kron and Mrs. Lipp and all of
them"
with the right kind of a young
man not one word would 1 say to all
the good time you want. But with
such nix who leaves you alone by
yourself every night by nine o'clock
and who has got in his head eyes what
| wouldn't trust so far as from here
to"
Eyes! That just shows, mama
how little you know about things. If
there's one thing he has got, it's eyes,
grand black eyes anybody would no
tice."
always, Esther, persons eyes are
like loOking-gasses what tell the
truth about him. Right through the
eyes of nix l can see just like in
mirror, grand eyes or eyes not so
grand"
you've just got to quit calling him
a nix like that, mama. Who is it I'd
like to know but papa drags him
downstairs every night I'd like to
know? Who is it? Who?"
Tonight, Esther, your papa
didn't
Tonight maybe not, but every other
night 1t just shows Danzigers got
honor, though. He's not going to get
off this boat without giving them all
every chance to win back. He's got
honor, that's why he went down."
II tell you, Esther, how much
think of him. SO much, that I even
didn't want to hear his name. Colt
sci dank, tomorrow we land, and
that's the last we see of him with
your papa's good money, what 1
helped to save, in his pocket"
well, then, you-you quit running
him down, ma. He's prince, if you
want to know it. You-well II could
tell you something if I wanted to, but
II won't right now-I-I won't. But
you got to quit picking on him, ma.
You've just got to. It's papa"
always like 1 used to say to your
brother Niche, when he was yet in
short pants: Cards is spades that
dig the gamblers graves! p"
such silly sayings! Honest, mama,
you mustn't say them in front of peo-
pie. Anyway, he don't gamble, he
How excited right away she gets,
like it makes any difference. For my