The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-06-02

ing at uGF.
Gerda was dark, squarely built
and not too tall. She had a large
chest measurement and square
shoulders. Gerda was pretty. Her
brown eyes were big. Her nose
was wide and her mouth was
petulant and strong.
The first anybody in the neigh
borhood knew Of Gerda's ambi.
tons was a sudden outburst OF
sound, strong but undoubtedly
musical, which scared out Of the
Seasons apartment at about 8
o'clock one night two weeks after
they took possession. The voice
= affected the other tenants di'
Versely.
In Gerda's apartment, Ole Ses.
sons, a little man about half his
daughters size, Sneaked over to
the hall-tree and Snagged his hat.
Where you going, Oly?" Mrs
Sessons-as tall but quite a bit
wider than Gerda-asked.
81 thought I'd just take walk
for an hour or So" he said.
KEEP WALKING"
''Well, keep walking" Mrs. Ses
sons darkly advised. Don't get
your foot caught in a tavern door
I hate to sleep with beer
breath"
In the flat above the Seasons
the voice banked into an atmos.
phere which was positively m
friendly.
The flat above was inhabited
by the Raffterys. There were four
of them, Mike and Mrs. and
Jeanne and Mae. their daugh
tiers.
Jeanne and Mae were telephone
operators but they'd tell you that
handling SwitchboardS was just a
temporary occupation for them
Eventually they would be on
the stage as dancers. Both spent
all the money they could on dane
ing school and successfully they
took ballet, tap-soft-shoe, eccen-
trio and chorus work.
They were waiting for Walter
Catlin, proprietor of the school,
to tell them they had passed from
amateur to professional mastery
Of technique.
Meanwhile, the Rafferty, sisters
were the cause Of the removal OF
the tenants who had occupied
what was now the Seasons apart
ment. They couldn't stand the
incessant pounding of their more
or less little feet as they did their
terpsichorean home work.
OFFERS TO CUT RENT
It was only after an under
standing with Jeanne and Mae
that the agent had dared try to
rent the vacant apartment.
'You girls" he pointed out,
will have to do all your dancing
away from home. It's too tough
on the tenants living below you
and besides, it is no help to the
plaster"
"Yeah?" Mae said. Mae was
the belligerent one. We'll, there's
nothing in the lease forbidding
dancing, and we will dance all we
want to-
Listen, girls" the agent said
desperately, you got me there.
There's nothing in the lease
against it, but I'll reduce your rent
IS a month if you'll lay off it.
mo-" Mae refused, I'VE don't
lay off,"
But she had a change Of heart
when her father heard Of the Of
fer. "He offered us a five-dollar
cut and you refused it?" Mike
Rafftery was incredulouS. "You
get your hat and coat on and tell
him Well take the cut and you
won't do any more dancing around
here. I'll make the promise good
If I have to cut your legs off al
the knee!"
So the sisters stopped dancing
at home and thus matters were
one evening when Gerda's voice
intruded upon them. Mamma
Rafftery and the girls were sit
ting at the kitchen table. Mike
was in the living room reading the
sports pages.
POWERFUL VOICE
There they were, all peaceful
and quiet when, all Of a sudden
the voice came at them. Gerds
was giving In the Still Of the
Night" but the way she rendered
it, stiffness was the farthest thing
from it.
Her voice, as has been en-
planned, had sweetness in it but il
was all too powerful. Mike drop
ped his paper as if somebody hac
hit him from behind and below
The three Rafftery women ex
changed glanceS and their threC
mouths frightened into hard line.
as though pulled by the same in
cisible string.
1.-THE new tenant" Mae said.
"A singer!" Mrs. Rafftery said
IAN awful singer!" Jeanne pro
nounced the verdict.
They listened tolerantly for az
hour and a half. After all, an ar
fist, is an artist and he or she ha.
to perfect his art by practice. Blu
at 10:45, all three women begal
to grow FESTIVE, especially since
Mike bounced out of his chair al
that hour.
Good night" he shouted. "DC
I have to come home here anc