The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-08-10
The Taxi Dancer : By Robert Terry Shannon

enough to dig herself in? ! ask
youIp
Joslyn and Lee Rogers could
not help smiling. kittis looked
at them both a bit impatientIy.
All right--laugh 1t off" she
grumbled. But all the same she
had him hooked hard. lou can
tell"
Joslyn felt the steady gaze OF
Lee Rogers pulling her own. His
eyes were studying her face with,
a level, worldly intensity. Then,
unexpectedly. he put his hand
across the table.
Our little friend Kittie speaks
applesauce very fluently." he
said gravely. she means well,
but IL you listen to her advice
you'll wake up some day needing
somebody like a brother.
IT that time ever comes to you.
Joslyn Poe. / want you to hunt
me up. Let's shake hands on
that
Joslyn put her hand in the
palm before her: his grip was
firm, but brief. Kittie Lane eyed
them siant-wise, wisp OF cigar.
cite smoke trailing out one cor.
Iner Of her little rouged mouth.
Another good man gone
wrong" she murmured.
Joslyn aWoke the following
morning to face the stark prob.
lem OF food and lodging. Five
dollars remained in her pocket
book and on Saturday--four da5 .
away-she would have to produce
from heaven knew where the
sum OF SO for the weekly rent
OF her narrow little room.
For long time after she was
awake she lay In bed studying
her problem. trying to throw off
the dull fear of the city that was
slowly chilling her heart TO Icy
coldness. Bleak daylight came
in through one window, painting
the room with hopelessness-the
cheap furniture, the dingy wall.
paper. the frayed and rumpled
covers of her lumpy bed.
The irony OF her situation was
that she had fled from home TO
escape drab poverty and had
found the same thing in New
York in a greater degree. What
she had yearned for was Life
:. a glamourous tapestry
spangled with stars. But what
she had found was -.
The Crisis!
AS she puzzled it all out. the
crisis that was at hand became
clear cut. 1t was case of writ
ing home for money and return
ing in defeat Or
At the corners of her jaws JOS
lyn felt the muscles Tightening
and she was relieved OF the re
sponsibility OF making decision
Countless generations OF steel
couraged ancestors cast the die
The Poe blood, whatever It's fail
ings, was not the blood OF quit.
ters.
Joslyn got out Of bed and lit
the gas under her little tin
coffee pot. Down the hall was
bathroom and when she emerged
from t@e tub her fresh, stimI
lated young body glowed with he
termined vitality.
Kittie had been gone from thu
room next door for some hours.
Slipping her coffee, JosIyn won.
dered II the hard, sek-reliant lit.
tie thing had to face the same
problems OF existence. Probably
not. A manicurist probably made
+. a great deal of money. Then
too, kittie made a specially Of
getting things from men
dinner perhaps clothes.
Such a mode OF life for herself
Joslyn decided. was out Of the
question. 1t was curious how
deeply rooted were the traditions
OF the South her poverty
stricken, but proud. upbringing.
The obligation always to be a
lady" had less force. in mod
ern age. but it still meant q
great deal enough to rele.
gate the idea of STEMS Dancing
Academy to the position of a last
resort.
The picture Of James Kelvin's
handsome face arose In Joslyn's
mind and, even though alone, sic
flushed. For a moment she hated
herself. In some perplexing way
the bold, striking personality VI
the movie actor had become Ell
twined with all her thoughts
merely to remember him
distorted everything else out Of
true proportion.
mr.