The mirror., 1923-04-19


freeing her pet, rained blows of wrath
and vengeance upon the washer-woman's
back and head. The sunshade wrecked,
'he lady of dusky pigment turned quickly
to the grocer's sidewalk display of melons,
snatched a large over-ripe Cantelope, and
Immediately crowned the fat woman, who
was still sitting and yelling, squarely upon
the head. "Fereeta, Duvel Hund," shouted
the woman in german, as the melon burst
and showered her head face, and shoul-
ders with its juice, seeds, and stringy fibre.
AT this moment, the bewhiskered Irish
man bearing the plank, turned to see the
rumpus behind him, and swung the long
timber squarely into the grocer's large
plateglass window. "Cash-ban-ling-a
ling" sounded the falling glass. "PoIice!
Police !" shouted the irate grocer, at the
hight of the wreckage and the tumult
going on. "Help! Help!! Help"-yelled
woman observer as she hoped up and
down, while waving her arms wildly and
Historically about. And meanwhile, BilPs
lovely vision had skirted the scene of riot
and vanished.
Almost instantly, bury policeman ar
rived upon the scene, grabbed the colored
woman, and shouted Justify "Stop it!
Stop it! Is it crazy we are?"
That's him! That's him! He did it!"
yelled the woman observer pointing an
accusing finger at Blunt, and the COP
started for Bill. Visions of Jail cell
arose in his mind, and turning, he ran
down the street, pursued by the Cop, the
Bank clerk, and the, Irish laborer, leaving
the women to be cared for by the grocer.
Down past the long row of tenements
Bill fed. In between two of them he
rushed. and doubled back in the rear of
the flats futily seeking a hiding place.
Suddenly he espied huge wrapper and
a sunbonnet which had been hung upon
line to dry, and his quick acting brain
instantly devised plan of escape. Quick
ly donning these garments, he seized
broom standing near by, and began in
dustriously to sweep. Almost Immediately
his pursuers went rushing past him, and
as they did so, Bill ran out into the street,
boarded a passing streetcar, and escaped.
A few evenings later, Blunt sat in his
den revolving in his mind the question
as to whether he should spend the even
ing in attending to some very much
neglected correspondence, attend the hea-
tire, go below and indulge in a game of
cards. or take a spin in his new car.
Finally he remembered Having purchased
from an imrortunate dance ticket slles-
man, an admission ticket to a freman's
ball.
"By Heck" he asked himself "Where
is that confounded thing anyhow" Hasti-
ly empting his pockets of varied assort-
ment of articles such as only bachelor
can collect, he espied the almost forgotten
pasteboard. ""Ah! Here it isl" he told
himself, and seeing that the date was that
of the present evening, slapped his knee
a resounding whack.
Thrusting the collection of cards, etc.
back into his pockets, Bill wasted no fur
ther time in reaching decision as to the
evenings entertainment. He would at
tend the ball, still clad in his business suit,
but assuring himself that the dance was to
be given by Hose Company No. 4, and i'll
a section mostly inhabited by laboring
men, he decided to go attired as he was.
Then discarding the idea of using his
own car, he phoned for taxi, procured
his hat and stick, and left the apartment.
The taxi arrived promptly, and-Blunt
who was soon moving among the light
hearted crowd which thronged the inter-
ior of the "Bricklayer's Union Hail." pro-
ceeded at once to participate in the festive
dance. 1t was while whirling along in a
waltz with young maiden who insisted
on dancing upon his feet as often as her