The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-06-18
<<wrY HATS the good O. :
w stde-steppin' the truth?
nia.,A ga knr fa1l

Didn't / see her fall
for you that first time you
bumped together in our Paris
studio? Didn't she keep the
governor from Uroakin' you when
he had you hipped? An didn't
you let her go when you thought
you had her Wit tie goods? An
amt she always mooned round
about you an had binders on for
everybody else? She was stuck on
you! An that's as true as Gawd
made little green apples!'
Kestner was on his feet by this
time. There was light Of re-
sentiment in the world-weary eyes,
q look that was almost defiance
about the grim line of the mouth.
''I won't have you say a thing
like that!' he contended.
'.Oh, I've been tellin' her q few
things myself this past month.
An she was about as high an
mighty as you're tryin' to be now.
But If she wants to make a
monkey Of herself, that amt my
business. I've got my own reason
for handin' out this bunch O. talk.
an I guess you'd better cool
down an listen to it."
Kestner swung about on her.
''If you've got an object in talk
ing this way. want to now It..
and know 1t quick"
There was a touch Of perverse-
hess in her languid unconcern as
she went on.
''Y' know, Maura Lambert was
never cut out for the brand o.
work that I've been doin.' She's
not my kind. In the first place.
she's too thin-skinned. In the
second place, she couldn't get
away wit q lie In q month o.
Sundays. She's about as green as
grass. Lambert kept her Gagged
up like a white mouse. And
when he dropped out she was rs
alone as a she-lamb that'd fallen
off q sheep-train. She saw what
she wanted. She decided she was
goin' t go straight. But that's
easier Z say than do. She got in
wrong, at the start. An when
people know she can do the work
she does. there'll always be some
guy or other t give her a yank
back to the OF groove. They
JUS won't give her q chance"
II know all that" quickly
acknowledged her impatient COM
panion. What want to find
out IL where she is-now-at this
momentr'
Hold your horses a minute!
I'm comm to that. Maura never
was a mixer like me. An she
had more'n lonesomeness to fight
against when 1 happened along.
A girl like that's gotta have
money. She's gotta have it to
perfect herself. She's gotta go
to good hotels, an keep to the
better quarters, an stick buffer
out b'tween her an the riff-raff.
An how's she goin' to do that
when she's gotta skimp an save
Jus to keep things goin'? And
when she won't even push a bit
o phoney paper when the cash
runs lowe"
'Of course she'd never do that"
agreed Kestner. The pert and
sophisticated young face across
the table from him smiled for a
moment. But her manner grew
serious as she hurried on with
her talk.
AN when she shook herself
free that time in New York she
said she was goin' to keep within
the law. Y know that as we'll as
! do. Lambert was gone; Morello
was wiped out. The whole gang
was done for. It looked like the
chance Of a lifetime. An I guess
It would've been-only something
reached out an ratified the
skeleton in the family closet. No;
1t wasn't a skeleton; 1t was a
whole boneyard!'
make that palmer" COM
nnanded Kestner.
II mean that when Maura got
20 Paris this las time she was
spotted by a guy called Watched"
"Watchel?" repeated Kestner.
He could not, at the moment,