The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-06-05

speed Her neck was dirty"
YCrayon dust" said Dirk.
mot necessarily" replied Paula.
Dirk turned sideways to- look at her.
It was as though he saw her for the
first time. She looked brittle, hard,
artificial small, somehow. Not in
physique but in personality.
/ The picture was finished and dellv-
cred within ten days. In that time
Dirk went twice to the studio In On
tario street. Dallas did not seem to
mind. Neither did she appear particu-
larly interested. She was working
hard both times. Once she looked as
he had seen her on his first visit. The
second time she had on a fresh crisp
smock of faded yellow that was glorI-
GUS with her hair; and high-heeled
beige kid slippers, very smart. She
was like a little girl who has just been
freshly scrubbed and dressed in a.
clean pinafore, Dirk thought.
He thought good deal about Dali
las O'Mara. He found himself talking
about her in what he assumed to be q
careless, of-hand manner. He liked
to talk about her. He told his mother
of her. He could let himself go with
Selma. and he must have taken adj
vantage of this for she looked at him
intently and said, "Pd like to meet her.
I've never met girl like that"
I'll ask her if she'll let me bring
you up to the studio some time when
you're in town.
He did not know that Dallas played
until he came upon her late one after
noon sitting at the piano in the twf-
light with Bert Colson, the black-face
comedian. sColson sang those terrible
songs about April showers brin: blg
violets. and about nah Ma-ha-ha-ha-
ha-ha-ha-my but they didn't seem ter
rible when he sang. them. There was
about, this lean, hollow-chested, SOM
ber-eyed comedian a poignant pathos.
gorgeous sense of rhythm-a some
| thing unnameable that bound you to
him. made you love him. In the the
alter he came out to the edge Of the
runway and took the audience in his
arms. He talked like bootblack and
sang like an angel. Dallas at the
piano, he leaning over it, were doing
blues" The two were rapt, ecstatic.
got the blues-I said the blues-I
got the this or that-the somethingor-
Observation-Disclosures They scarcely
| noticed Dirk. Dallas had nodded
when he came in, and had gone on
playing. Colson sang the cheaply SEN
timental ballad as though it were the
folksong of tragic race. His arms
were extended. his face rapt. AS Dali
las played the tears stood in her eyes.
When they had finished, isn't 1t
terrible song?" she said. "Im crazy
about it. Bert's going to try it out
tonight"
"Who-uh-wrote lit" asked Dirk
politely.
Dallas began to play again. "H'm?
Oh. did" They We're off once more.
1t was practically impossible to get
minute with her alone. That irri-
| tated him. People were always drift
ing in and out of the studio-queer,
important. startling people; little, de-
jected, shabby people. An impecunious
girl art student, red-haired and visit
| full. that Dallas was taking in until the
girl got some money from home; a
pearl-hung grand-opera singer who
was condescending to the Chicago
opera for fortnight. They paid no
attention to Dirk. Yet there was moth
ing rude about their Indifference. They
simply were more interested in what
| they were doing. He left telling him.
self that he wouldn't so there again.
Hanging around a studio. But next
day he was back.
"Look here, Miss O'Mara," he had
got her alone for second. Look
here. will you come out to dinner with
me some time? And the theater?'
Love to-"
"When?" He was actually trem-
bling.
Tonight" He had an important
engagement. He cast it out of his life.
Tonight That's grand. Where
do you want to dine? The CasinoY
pink stucco Italian box Of place on
the Lake Shore drive He was rather
proud Of being in position to take
her there as his guest.
"Oh. no, hate those arty little
places. like dining In a hotel full
of all sorts Of people. Dining in a
club means you're surrounded by peo-
pie who're pretty much alike. Their
membership in the club means they're
there because they are all interested in
golf, or because they're university grad
yates, or belong to the same political
party, or write, or paint, or have in
comes of over fifty thousand a year,
or something. like 'em mixed up,
higgledy-piggledy. A dining-room full
of gamblers and insurance agents, and
actors. merchants, thieves. bootleggers,
lawyers, kept ladies. wives, flaps. trav-
cling men, acknowledgements
That's what call dining out. Unless
ono Is dining of friond'S houSa nf