San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-25

"Toot sweet old top" affirmed Kay
but to herself.
As she slid into her chair with a
swift businesslike smile for her pa
tron, Alphonse let his eyes follow
her. In her, youth was a positive
quality not mere negative lack of
years. Even her artificialities-the
lashes that had been assisted to a
thickness that marvelously set off the
blue eyes between, the impossible yet
alluring scarlet Of her pretty mouth,
seemed but a part Of the frankness
of her years, worn not as a mask to
hide deficiency but as a Haunting
adornment that intrigued even while
it amused.
Even Alphone was intrigued-and
amused.
"Me," he thought, twirling his
mustache, Il like that grill She's
smart and pretty-and not 30 slow
I'll bet!"
The breeze that rustled the sun
stripped curtains breathed spring.
"Sure I get myself car" he as
sured himself. fright off-tomor-
row."
Nevertheless he didn't. During the
night the wind changed to east, the
next day the girls wondered what
had "bit" Alphonse.
"Robbers!" ran the undercurrent of
his thought. 1.-TWO hundred dollars
for a flivver just as good as new
I'd rather give it away
Which, as Gladys Dineene would
have said, had she been privileged to
hear it, "was to laugh"
Spring came officially with a
furry Of snow and a biting gale
that caused the lineal descendant of
kings-born, as Gladys had informed
her, an O'Hara and christened Kelly
to bunch his shoulders in ineffective
effort to escape its sting. Kay saw
this, and was glad.
II hope he freezes" she told Gladys
"Ain't you awful" commented
Gladys. "You sure have a hate on
him !"
II hate them ALL" Kay Informed
her. That's why / left the barber
shop and came to Alphonse's to work
to get rid of them. They think all
manicurists are alike .......
"My mother wouldn't let me work
in a barber shop, even at the Yer
sailles," vouchsafed Gladys virtuously.
Although they do say the tips are
fine" ..
always quarter and sometimes
fifty cents" admitted Kay, as one who
is just at any cost. 1T must be great
to be a man! The worse sight they
are the harder they seem to think a
girl would fall for them. l got so ]
never wanted to see a man again,
They're the limit"
Emotion, to be effective, must be in
dividualized and with Kay, Kelly
O'Hara become the focus of all this
emotion. The way he stood there,
twirling his whistle, as If he owned the
earth! Shed give anything to see one
of those automobiles bump him.
"If 1 had a car I'd it myself" she
told the scandalized Gladys.
Let it be added that Kelly O'Hara
found in her a similar outlet.
"a man who get married these
days." he soliloquized, deserves all he
gets!"
This Of an April evening which
promised - still treacherously - that
spring had surely come at last. He
wore his uniform pants but he had
donned an old coat to sit royalty at
case, with his feet on the rail of a
porch of thrce-decker in South Bos-
ton. And presently Mrs. Moriarty,
with whom he lodged, came out and
joined him. She pushed back a wisp
of hair and regarded him benevolently
ats spring fast enough" she re-
marked. "If were you and twenty
eight" she added, ats not me that
would be spending night like this at
home. Sure isn't there some girl who
would be glad of your company"
The pipe between his teeth glowed
red before he answered her.
"None I'd care to be seen with, with
paint all over their faces"
II wonder" thought Mrs. Moriarty,
what girl he has in his mind now "
Mrs. Moriarty said nothing, just
waited.
There's one that crosses at my cor
ner twice a day and sometimes more.p
Kelly went on, presently. "She's the
worst of the lot. From the way she
acts you'd think she was the Queen
of Sheba. But she's only a mani
cur~-"
'Now how did you find that out"
demanded Mrs. Moriarty.