Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 1924)
f I JO ELLEN 1 By ALEXANDER BLACK. cop»ri*h*. mu (Continued From YMterdny.> Jo Ellen looked resentfully Into the darkening uproar. Only a little over a hundred yards to her objective. It was absurd to be marooned so short a distance from the end of the Jour ney, She was not very good at walt ;; ing. But you couldn’t bully a atorm Into giving you room to run. If there was even a partial pause she would , run. Perhaps there was a pause, though it might have been in the noise only, and she leaped down the steps and up the slope toward Broad way—a swift dash, with head down. The eddies of rain wrapped her, >■ drenched her stockings, beat down her J; neck, slapped her bent face until she i had to slow down for breath. Her skirt, cold and stringy, clung to her legs like a shrunken bathing suit. . . . And here at last was the door, with awed men and girls huddled in the hallway, and Mike, the elevator starter, wiving. "Holy mother! But you got it good.” Tommy, running her tip. had an oblique grin for her condition. “As if you fell in,” he paid. Back at tlie roof door, her face (hipping. , i VI. "O .To Ellen!” Marty, with a red look, excited, clutching at her wetness, pulling her down to meet his raised lips. . . . Kissing him. Leaving rain on his sniocky face. She shivered and hur . ried to rid herself of the clothes. He wanted to help, and rolled away after towels. "Mother’s laid up,” he said. “A cold, or something.” Mrs. Gorman, the chief of the clean f ing women, was cooking dinner. There was a smell of unions. Jo ' Ellen detested the smell of onions. The smell came with a special sharp ness after an open-air bath. Marty intruded with clumsy efforts at assistance, "I’ve got you towels.” he repeated. He wanted to touch her body. She shivered again. "You’re chilled up,” he said. ‘‘I'll get you a little whisky.” "No.” She made it clear that she didn't want whisky. Whisky made her thfnk of the way his face looked. She knew by this time that some one in the building was enabling him to ! secrete a bottle of his own. to be quite Independent of the parental supply. The excorating ordeal was going Into his mother's bedroom. The thing had to be done. To show a decent Interest. 1 New York --Day by Day = b> o. o. mcintyre. New York, Aug. 29.—Thoughts « while strolling around New York: J There's treason! An old bock beer i • sign. Whatever became of Esper — anto? A Hungarian neighborhood. 2 Gypsy faces. Donkey carts and JJ strolling violinists. Music with a •e zoom, zoom, zoom. ^1, Early morning around Grand Cen ™ tral. Deserted. Like tag day in • Scotland. Arthur Brisbane hurrying J somewhere. More padlocked cafes. • If they keep this up Jazz bands will m be playing for pennies In back yards. JJ Sakes alive! A white derby with a «» purple band. Windows getting dressed for the JJ day. Ah, a copy of my book. It • will probably remain there for some 2 time. Elies should stay single. l^te J sleepers arising from Bryant Park. • Shake themselves like wet doge and 2 start their dally "mooching.” • A street cleaner with Horace Gree » ley whiskers. A sign on an employ- i 2 ment agency door: “Wanted—Grave JJ diggers.” Five-cent stores. Hash , • houses. And cellar dance halls. Oo! : 2 la! la! Morning in a bakery. Frosted 2 lemon pies. Slab* «f gingerbread. <e Cinnamon rolls and glittering cakes. 2 Aristocratic looking stenographers. JJ Somewhere a band Is playing a funer- ( f al dirge. An idol of the Forties— at Father Leslie. Comforts forlorn peo- , J pie of the stage. An Italian wedding. » The bride In w'hite satin. And car riages all abloom with flowers and i JT’ ribbons. The groom trussed In un- J • J accustomed cutawny. I’ve waited so long In this store 1 It I've forgot what I Vam* after. JJ Clerks ad libbing about a movie. " Pale strap hangers ready for the dally grind. George Luks, the artist. J* Shop girls with tricky vanity acces- 1 • » series. Canes. Drop earrings. And • i so on. Traffic policemen march to their posts. The pottted palms are look ,, ing well at the Rltz. A department JJ store offers free movie#. A carriage *> starter In front of a soda fountain. I • _ A lltttle chorus girl "seared by Hj the Broadway flame," left for her ;> home town In Wisconsin the other h day. “I’m never coming back,” she JJ said, "I’ve been here two years and • j was beaten up twice by a man I ,. learned was marj-ied. Three times I JJ was named as a corespondent, and •J the only fellow I thought was a nice «— person turned out to be a pick pocket.” JJJ ITP In Harlem la a cubbyhole of a shop with the legend: “Medical *• Preparations for Conjured Pain and JJ! Misery.” This Is painted In gold caps JJJ on the window. The proprietor la a " negro known ns Mr. D. Alexander. «' He specializes In "Black Cat's Ankle JJ; Dust," which sells for $50 a bottle • and which he says will make you happy, lucky and well. He also sells 'JJ ''Bringing Back the Boys Powder” to women. His "Fit Breaker” dust Is $10 a bottle. Other of his rem !!' idles Include "Guffer Dust, Moon No. 1." and "King Solomon's Marrow.” Mister Alexander does a big business ,J among the superstitious and rides In JJJ his own automobile. Inside hls shop • m a banner which rends: “Spells of m nil kinds released and broken. Love j! Apples In all forms. Magic Roots < and Herbs that keep off haunts and ',. make yott as courageous as a lion.” New York boys have small outlet fur their roving spirit. Five little n, ragged urchins from the East Side J. began to climb the facade of the Cen •" tury theater—tiptoeing along cornices JJJ and finally reaching an Impasse. They shouted for help and held on until a a. fire net was brought and Into this they jumped and went merrily on JJ; their way. Several women who a. watched them swooned. Ml _ And following the writing of that ^ I nearly swooned, A messenger ar ® rive* with a modest request from a ' man I have met twice asking for a loan of $50f), "I need it badly,”, hr a vs, "and know1 you will not refuse I wonder exactly how he knows7 (Copyright, 1124.' I Mrs. Simms had the effect of hav ing listened. Her hardness was hard tr In bed. The glance cut clean through. "I hope you're feeling better,” said Jo Ellen. "I'm not." "Have you had the doctor?” "No.” "Don't you think we ought to cal) him?” "I didn’t know—” “You're very much Interested all of t sudden.” Being hated—it hurt to tie hated. Probably that part couldn't be :hanged. If she gave up everything to he a house drudge, Jo Ellen was jure that she would only be hated "How could you? Gallivanting. I d "uther you didn't pretend.” "But Mother Simms—" "Save yourself. I've got help." lilferenlly. Probably the most awful hates were of people who lived to ;ciher closely, hour after hour, day jfti r day. There were stories of peo pie penned together, on an island, or in a prison, who began as real friends ind ended as haters. Marty, watch iog her, and getting ready to say something, was Just now not busy hating. He was waiting for the op portunity to speak of Uncle Ben and ill that lay bare sicca he saw her. But something was growing In him. Something was growing In her. What vas it? It couldn’t be like the thing hat grew in Mrs. Simms. Not hate. That was horrible. The closing-in Lhing that enveloped you like the storm. The storm, which she had forgot :en Jo hear, must have spent itself at last. The street rivers would be fbbing In the dark. Simms senior greeted her with an pbvious effort to seem the same as Jsual. He knew of Uncle Ben. The hree sat at table. Mrs. Goiman prought In the onion flavored steak, ind fussed with the arrangement of lomethlng on a tray for Mrti Simms. Marty spoke about the extraordi iary way the storm came up. straight iver Long Island, or say from the lound. It was a whopper. And Jo £llec was soaked. "Too had," said the father. Presently Daniel Simms was talk ng about an old actor who had died. He expected Jo Ellen to he Interested n anything about the stage. It was i pity, he thought, that they didn’t lave plays like "Squatter Sover eignty" any more. And there was Hoyt’s "Brass Monkey." When he *as a youngster they had a lot of ilays like that with real fun In them Vot stuff like they had now. Good -lean fun. The first shows he ever vent to were at Tony Pastor's. He ■emembered Lillian Russell when she vas the queen of the bunch. A great tirl, Lillian. And there was Lester iVallack and old man Sothern. For :hat matter, there was Booth, and Sal ,’ini. But Ned llarrlgan—“O boy!” ixclaimed Simms. "He was the one!” Jo Ellen said she had met a nice ild man—he was now a doorkeeper— vho told her he had acted with Har •lgan. lO V »IC» <■ D". Mrs. Simms' sharp voles remind id Mrs. Gorman of a forgotten ele nent of her meal. His mother’s voice produced a twitch In Marty as If by a hidden viring. Jo Ellen saw how the enthu ilasm for his food gave place now ind again to thought of the speech re must make later on. The altera tion produced a confusion In his hroat. His uneasiness was pitiful, rhe father's uneasiness had another ;ast. After dinner Arnold Pearson came -Iis seemed the only face that did lot threaten—unless you considered tfrs. Gorman. He would not advise, ir dodge, or explain. He brought out l little package from his pocket. “Strings!” exclaimed Marty. Marty had taken up Arnold’s sug gestion about the violin. A glance toward his mother’* bedroom lndi ■ated a moment's debate. No, not low. He fingered the strings ner vously, “A set. I only needed the E.” “Might as well have the outfit," laid Arnold cheerily. “Good Idea,” nodded Daniel Simms. 'The old fiddle’s sort of been out >f it." Jo Ellen wondered whether Arnold iow knew that she knew. She could inderstand, as she had not been able 0 understand, the meaning of the ook he always gave her at the first if a meeting. It was always, too, a ook that did not last. If It was a [Ulltlness In sharing a concealment, t gave place to a franker look—a vishlng look, you might say. There vas something radiantly honest about ilni. Wherever his thought might vander, she was sure It came back to 1 good wish for the situation. “How's business?” Daniel Simms isked. “R'g. We can’t fill half the orders. ’How’t your business?” Arnold asked lo Ellen earnestly. “Her people fill seats," laughed limms. "They *eem to think they’re filling Wonder What the Prince of Wales Thinks About? —-—By Brices I IT’S A MERRY LIFE This PRINCE BUSINESS, Touch Amo GO ALL THE bally blessed Time vajomocr vajhat PoP And aion'av.SY ARC POIN6— vajcll «'v/e Got it on them a Bit * They’ve Mcvep BEEN OYCR. OAJ Tims SiDt? Of*'Th6 SILLY Po*oO> • weu. THeR«'s x>cAt\ OLD BROADWAY ■ I WOMDCTR WHY There arc ,50 wawY PEOPLE RUSHUsJCi about i D Jolly luell like To Go ABOUT BY MY SELF • - nJOT a silly chance - .olts LORD BLOOM INKS BROKE ONJ NAY HEELS ALL ThS Tinke. my VWOR.D AMERICA HAS AM AVJJFUL LOT of pretty girls., \ SHOULD tolly well LIKE Tt> FLlRT BUT WOT A CHANCE IF » LOOK OIDEWI3E AT A GIRL I GET MV FOOT irJ IT M03T There'u. be mo CROPPER FOR ME AMP THOSB C/SMERP men Better <30 about TVteiR ouuru I SHOULD LI KG Jolly locll to Sir IfJ A «AM6 Of POKCR TOn»GHT ABIE THE AGENT Drawn for The Omaha Bee by Hershfielo And Another Friendship W»s Broken. , OV, HFS OF SoXKt) SuAlLCvOW! FATS WITH HIS KklFE - O'*, THERE’S, A PEU£R Sack of him dcinq "the Same ywik;%»i'u. Cau. ms attention To 'THe\E L00K HOU) \ Potatoes ) 'THAT FElUxo ] 1 ARE SlMPty / BACK OP You \ &WEU.W / V EATS U)ITH v-<f" \ HIS KNlPt'.y I ■ 1 I » ♦ I very well,” Jo Ellen added with an effort toward lightness. No subject had a long life. Per haps Arnold felt the special impedi ment. perhaps he always felt an im pediment at the beginning and was longer than usual tonight in getting it out of the way, because it was accompanied by a new weight. It be came painful to be conscious of his struggle. It would be a relief to have him go. Yet Jo Ellen had a dull dread of the time when he should go, and when Daniel Simms should be off to his club. Dreading strengthened her resolve to refuse a scene. When the time came, when Arnold had chosen to go away with Simms, and Marty had withheld the signal that might have been a restraint, Jo Ellen realized that the dread had gone writh him. l.eft alone with Mar ty, and freed, for the time, of his mother, it war suddenly clear that her suffering had carried her past the merely awkward place The big calamity remained, but ahe was sure she could hnndle scenes. Coming hack was accepting the big calamity. You had to take what went with it. Marty had worked it out like some thlnu maudlin In a book. He wanted to cast himself at her feet or cry on her shoulder. He had dramatized a spectacular contrition, and the con fusion of the erring being completed, pity and an eternal bond were to do the rest. She did pity him. It was Immonse Iv sad to see.him watch the cloeing of the door, then turrv to the tin.< urtng nf hi* chance* tv 1th her. Then tvft* nothing lof. 0£ him to iaapiro anything but £»ily. It might hast been that he coy Id make a atn look email by the jirasence of a chastened < strength. (Ta Be Continue*! Tomorrow.! THE NEBBS VILLA NEBB Directed for The Omaha Bee by Sol He«» /well .mother . HEREIN f I'M CHARMEO\ WE ARE \K1 NORTHVILLE M To MEET THE —1 WANT NOO TO MCET If HANDSOME WTE kttornev n\oucv< , ) or such am / VICE-PRESIDENT or THE I ULU6TQ\0US 7 \KIC3B-SLIDER CO. WUSBAND^ / .mother .wERE'S^weX (VILLA NEJ3B; NOT SUCW A BAD \ LOOKING PLACE - STEP R\GWT \ IN QUEEN TANNS AND REIGN / \Supreme over *twe domain / or mv ancestors • y Copyright, 1924, by The BeM Syndicate. Inc ) (jO>&* CaC^USonJ J /" M\SS GRokTTLEXN fiw MuCW rcttcdN (™f*Jg*® V- m*™* SlS MRS. MEQ» ■- _ iM aSkJEKT AS ND^'i-L EtsiO A"Pi*J AkiOAkN&OON a"vrc?vRr^oLtV 'Tww' OOU'T "Whs/E ) ^ OKI MW COOK\Ki<i / \U00 SC-KEEPER Barney Google and Spark Plug SUNSHINE KNOWS WHAT HOMESICKNESS IS Drawn for The o™hfht B«f, *>y Bll,y DeBcck ITS OIL SET SPORKT.NEICr Saturday, a week , we rape 7mat Russian skate uuo Belongs To Sunsuine -onb Tours gonna os at "Rjotski ' To A hratilE. Brown stss , SuhSmincI What Ooes we know about managing a Race morse? NOTHING! Mow , The ui'Se Brannigans are Oetting their BoNtnei OM NOU To COE - I I Copyright. 1924. Ey King Feature* Syndicate. loci _■ BRINGING UP FATHER „ ■■SfiSTom- !EEcJ,CC5 AND magc,e ,n full Drawn for The Omaha Bee by McManus LiiMiiviii’Vi v>i a naaauai u. s. Patent omen page of colors in the Sunday bee <copyriEbt m«> J I WANT YOU TO CALL ON MR | ‘SMITH- IF YOU WATCH HIM AND I CO AHEAD YEb TMIt> MR. SMITH- TEEL. MY »LL WAIT: 1 WIFE TO COME (~ TO THE PHONE and tell her TO BE QUICK r-» ABOOT »T: IVE DECIDED NOT TO P.UT —' VOO THAT COAT ANO DON 7 have dinner fo» me i dont know what time i’ll 6e HOME I CAN'T e>E AN NOTED T NOW- <^OOD 6TE - • < —) -- r-'-^ S#ewv»cc. Inc. • i ri/ht« r.-5crved -m JERRY ON THE JOB , ^ TAKE YOUR CHOICE. Drawn for The Omaha Bee by Hoban *** 4 '' (Copyright 1924) Put & 1