FOUR
THE ALLIANCE HERALD. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1921.
SOB
SISTER
i
Dff1f ht, VM, T Tb WbMltt BfBdlaat, In
" 'Sure! Odd I I ain't kicking about
h, tlrl Glad for you I Glad you got
lit, Ctrl, only don't try to tell me you
Max, You You're Kllllr.a Met Kill
Ing Mel Killing Mel"
jan't take care of yourself- In tbla
jVrorld alrlhty, girl. Any old time you
can't 1 Gad, thirty-five hundred she
mltches out of her allowance In six
years, lives on the fat of the lend, too.
m.w.A .twin . .!..:. 1 1 L i-fc t
UVI IUCII Ul iu uniuuuwin IIIC Willi "
- . m i , n.v i j : ;i
!2 An!? i Ti7 Kniru .,D ",X
AJT?, Ond I x I got to hand It to you '
lkre.kid,io.Tffnt t"A,nn
,ft,vr; r;i; k..i, m t
walfcolnggo surprise you when I had
ht inousuJia. iz.'&Wlr'''Tr-1
l..wGadt 3 don't
Vrt It's joun. You're fixed for life
nit, I'm' even going to hand you over
couple tf thou' extra to show that
Vm no cheap sport. I won't have a
Woman breathing can say I ain't white
ta allk' with her."
, "Max. you you're killing me I Kill
Ing me I Killing me I" '
"Now, now, Mae, If I waa you X
wouldn't show my band. bo. I don't
,want to hurt you, girl. It ain't like I
.Cot any but the finest feelings for you.
You're all right, you are. You are."
, Then, Max, for God's sake"
' "But what are you going to do about
It? What the h I Is anybody going to
!do about It? You. ain't no baby. You
know what life Is. And you know
that the seams has got to show on one
of the two sides and It ain't your fault
you got turned on the under side. But
you should worry, girl! You're fixed.
And I'm here to tell you I'm going to
kajnd you on top of the two thou this
here little flat Just as It stands, Mae.
Just aa It stands, piano and all. I Just
guess you got a kick coming !"
Her hands flew to her bosom as If
the steel of his words had slipped deep
Into flesh. "You dou't mean what
you're saying, Max."
"Sure, I dol liano and all, girl." I
"No, no, you don't. You're Just kid-,
ding me, Max, like you used to when
a you wanted to tease me and throw a
care In me that your mother waa wise
bout the ftut. Quit your kidding,
Max, and take me In your arms and
king me 'Malzle You're a Dalsle' like
you used to after after we bad a lit
tle row. Lemme hear you call me
'Malzle,' dear, so I'll know you're only
kidding. I'm a bum sport, dearie. I I
never could stand for guying. Cut the
tomedy, dear."
She leaned to him with her Hps
twisted and dried in their frenzy to
belle his words, but with little else to '
Indicate that her dieart lay ticking
gainst her breast like a clock that
makes Its hour In half-time. I
"Quit guying, Max, for God'a aakel
You you got me feeling sick clear
tlown Inside of me. Cut It. dear. Too
touch la enough."
Her dress rustled with the faint
wish of scything as she moved toward
him, and he withdrew, taking hold of
the back of hla chair.
"Now, now, Mae; come, cornel
You're a sensible woman. I alnt
stuck on this .business any more than
you are. You ought to have let ma
stay away and just let It die out In
Btead of raking up things like tbla.
. Come, buck up, old girl 1 Don't make
tt any harder than It'a got to be. These
things happen every day. Thla la
business. There, there! Now I Now!"
The audden bout of tenderness
brought the tears stinging to ber eyes
and she waa for Ingratiating herself
Into hla embrace, but he withdrew,
dging toward the piano with aa en
j tire flattening of tone, . .
j,. -Now. bow, Mae, I tell yoatbat you
tot jorotjt It wonld nave beet bet
ter If yon bad Just let t&ToVd cmf dli
Too oughtn't to tried; that gag to get
tae here tonight. ToVU gel a lot mora
jj U FANNIE HURST f
vfTTTTV i
at of. tae If yoa do It dry, gtrt A cry.1
Ing womnn fun drive me out of ilia
house qtilcker'n plncue, and you ought
to know It by now."
She snt Awn suddenly, feeling
quenpy.
"Now. now, old girl, bock up I He a
ainrt I" '
"(ilmme a drink, Max. I Just a
wallow. I I'm nlJ.rtcM," And she
sowerel tier ryes tight shut to blink
out the tenrs.
He handed her a tumbler from the
table, ke'iln(t bis bend averted, and
after a bit flic Ml to Sobbing and
choking and trembling,
"It's berl It'a your old woman.
She's been chloroforming you with a
lot of dope talk about bitting the
altnr rail with a bunch of. white sntln
with a good fat wnd sewed 'In the
lining. It's your old "
"Cut that!"
"It's your old woman. She she
don't know you like I do, Max. She'
"Now, now. XIael You knew this
bad to come sooner or later. I ain't
never lied, have IT Right here In this
room ain't yon told me a dozen times
you'd let me go quietly when the time
came? Ain't you?" '
"I never thought you meant It, Max.
You don't mean It now. Don't let your
old woman upset you, dear.. What she
don't know wo.Yt hurt her; That old
woman don't know enough about Ufa
and things to"
"You cut that and cut It quick I I'm
a decent fellow. I am. For six yeara I
been tipping you oft to leave my moth
er's name out out of your mouth.
There's a place for everything and, by
gadl I ain't no saint, but I , won't
stand for that I Ky pad I 1 I won't ln
"Oh-h-h-h-h ! Oh-h-h-h I Oh-h-h !"
She struck her breast twice with the
flat of her hand, her voice so tight and
hljth that It carried with it the quality
of strangulation.
"Ain't fit to mention her name, ain't
I? Ain't fit to mention her mime? My
kind ain't fit to mention her ntfrae,
eh?'! ... -
"No. If yon got to know It. Not
like that I' My old mother's name. Not
like that!" '
"Not fit, eh? What are we fit for.
then, us thaj. only get th husks of
you Lien aiid nothing else?"
"What am I fit for? Fit to run to
when your decent friends won't stand
for you? Fit to run to when you get
mixed up In rotten customs deals? Fit
to stand between you and h I when
you gt the law snapping nt , your
heels for for gmu2,l,1S Who
fit to run to then? Her whose nnme I
a. ,. .!,.. . a X'... .
n'n nt t mention? Her? Naw, you
Wtftfrajd she'd turn on you. Naw.
.
"t nwrl Mel Met I'm the one
whose mouth
yo,u.
."J for when you woke, up ln the
ospltaI with your bac like raw
then? Her whose nume I ain't fit to
mention? Naw, It wasn't! Mel Mel
I was good enough then. I waa good
enough to smuggle you out of town
overnight when you was dodging the
law, ami to sleep ln my clothes for two
weeks, ready to give the signal."
"That's right, dig upt Dig upl You
might forget something."
, "I been good enough to give you free
' all these years what you wasn't man
enough to pay for. That's what we
women are; we're the free lunch that
men get with a glass of beer, and what
the h I do you care which garbage
pall what's left of us lands ln after
you're done with us!"
"Cut thut barroom talk around here
If"
"Good enough fof six years, wasn't
I, to lay down like a floor-mat for you
to walk on, eh? Good enough. Good
enough when It came to giving up
chunka of my own flesh and blood
when your burns was like fire on your
back and all your old woman could do
to help was throw a swoon every time
she looked at you. Good enough to"
I "Gad I I knew It I I knew it I Knew
you'd show your yellow streak."
' She fell to moaning In her hands.
"No, no, Max, I didn't mean It. You
you Just got me so crazy J don't know
what I'm saying. Sure, I I made you
take It off me. I wanted 'em to cut It
off me to graft on your bums because
It it was like finding a new way of
a&ylng, how how I love you. Max.
Every drop of blood was like like I
could see for myself how how I loved
you. Max. I "
i "Oh, my God!" he said, folded bis
arms atop the piano, and let bis bead
fall Into them. "Oh, my God I"
"That's how I love you, Max. That's
how you you're all In the world I got.
Max. That's why I I can't. Just can't
let yoo go, dear. Don't throw me over,
Max. Cut the comedy and come down
to earth. You ain't had a holy spell
for two years now since the old wom
an sniffed me and wanted to marry
you off to that cloak-and-sult buyer
with ten thou In the bank and a rush
of teeth to the front. You remember
how we laffed, dearie, that night we
seen her at the show? Don't let your
old lady
"Cut that, I tell yout"
"You'd be 'a swell gink hitting the
altar trail with a bunch of white satin,
wouldn't you? At your time of life,
forty and set ln your waye, you'd have
a swell time landing a young frisky
one and trying to learn one of them
mother's darlings how to rub ln your
hair tonic and how to rub your salad
plate with garlic? Gosh golly I I
bust rik'ht out lafflng when I even
think about It I Come down to earth.
Max 1 You'd be a ewell bit welded for
life wttfi a fold b&adV-Bow, wouldn't
foari -:'' VvM-yv-vM'
Efca vat 'suddenly sifted ttS to-'
inoderate lQghtM,-not- -tmtiDtuAd
with, hysteria, load and full cf emptl
seat, aa If aba ?ter ftbooilBf tar
is too dirty to mention .-x-j- r-r-!:if i T.r i
r old lady'a nani3"-"iHL . , Vl. l -u .l2!m2vl ,
V&J a r:r:f trrr-z .... . ITliS SSCS til SLIU'd only regard.
iwt v w euiitCf nuv nun ii jvu - it
ecboea la a cava
"Like b I you would I You tied to
a bunch of satin and tending the kids
with the whooping cough I Whoops
la, la 1"
Suddenly Max Zlncas rose to bis
height, regarding her sprawling un
controlled pose with writhing lips of
distaste, straightened his waistcoat,
cleared his throat twice, and. standing,
drank the last of his wine. Hut a pal
lor crept up. riding down the flush.
"Funny, ain't It? Laff! La It I Hut
I'd wait till you bear something fun
nier I got to tell you. Funny, ain't It?
Laff I Laff!"
She looked np with her lips sag
ging from merriment, but the dark
red In her face grew darker..
"Huh!"
His bravado suddenly oozed and the
clock ticked roundly Into the silence
between them.
"Huh?" she repeated, cocking her
head.
"You got to know It, Mae, and the
sooner 1 get It nut of me the better.
But, remember, if you wanna drive me
out before I'm finished, If you wanna
get rid of me o d n sight quicker than
any other way, throw me some sob
stuff and watch. You well I the
sooner 1 get It out of me the better,
Mae."
"Huh?"
"She's a a nice little thing, Mae.
Her mother's a crony with my old lady.
Lives In a brownxtone out on Lenox
.avenue. Met me first at at a tennis
mntch the was winning at at Forest
I'ark club."
"Huh?"
"Not a high-stepper or a looker like
you ln yoHr dny, Mne, none of that
chorus pep you used to have. Neat,
though. Great little kid for outdoors.
Nice little Rhape, too. Not in your
class, but but nnt. Nice, clean little
girl, fifteen thou with her, and her old
mnn half owner In the Weeko Woolen
.mills. I 1 need the money, Mae. The
customs Is digging up dirt again. It
ain't like I nln't been on the level with
you. girl. You knew It bad to come
sooner or later. Now, didn't you. Mae?
Now, there' the glii. Didn't you?"
Kenssured, he crossed to where she
sat silent, and pluced a large, heuvy
band on her shoulder.
"There's nothing needs to worry you,
old girl. Thirty-five hundred In your
Jeans and a couple of thou and the fkit
from mo on top. Gad 1 It's o cinch for
you, old girl. I've seen 'em ready for
the dunv,) at your age, and you you're
on th boom yet Gad! You're the
only one 1 ever knew kept her looks
and took on weight at the same time.
You're all right. Mae, and und. gud!
If 1 don't wish sometimes the world
was different! Gad 1 If If I don't I"
It ttnn n If tha flnnit nt hop cmntliin '
in with, eyes as bard as Ice fields,
"Now, now, Mae, don't look that
away. You're a sensible woman and
know the "world's Just built thataway.
I always told you It didn't cost us meu
nothing but loose change to show our-
'selves a good time. You girls gotta
pay up ln different coin. If I hadn't
come along, some other fellow would.
: You girls know where you get off.
! Come, be a sport, old girl r With thlrty-
nve hundred in your Jeaus and me
wanting to do the square thing the
piano, and all, lemme say to you that
you ain't got a kick coming. Just lem
me say that to you piano and all,
Mue 1"
Sobs trembled up, thawing the edjje
of Ice thut Incased her. A thin blue
mist of tears rose to her .eyes like a
premonitory ripple before the coming
of the wind.
"You can't I You can't I You you
can't ditch me like that, I tell you.
You"
' "By God ! t you're going to begin
to holler I'll get out of here 60 quick
It'll muke your head swim 1"
"Oh, no, you don't 1 Aw, no, you
don't I You uln't going to quit ne so
easy for a little hank that that your
old woman found, for you. Mux, you
ain't! You wouldn't 1 Tell me you
wouldn't, dear. Tell me! Tell me!"
"Get off your knees, there, and be
have yourself, Mae I Looku your dress
there, all torn. This alu't no barroom.
Get up and behave yourself 1 Ain't you
ashnmed !"
She wus trembling so that her knees
sent little ripples down the tight white
allk drop-skirt.
"You cuu't ditch me like this and get
away with it. You aud me can't can't
part peaceful. You can't throw me
over after all these years for a little
hank and get away with. It I By
beuven, you can't !"
He drew tight fists to his Bides, bis
lower Juw shot forward. "You start a
row here and, by gad ! If I don't"
"I ain't I I ain't! But don't throw
me over, Max, after all these yeura!
Don't, Max. You need me. There ain't
a woman on God's earth that will do
for you what I will. I I alu't got no
body but you. Max, to do for. I tell
you. Max, you you need me. Think,
dear, all them mouilis when the cus
toms was after you. Them hot days
when you couldn't show your face, and
I used to put you to bed aud fan and
fan you eight hour strulght till you
forgot to be Beared and fell asleep like
a baby."
"Now, now, Mae, I "
"Them nights we used to mix a few
drinks when we came borne from a
show or something and Bit right here
In this room aud swill 'em off, luffing
and lafflng till we got a little lit up.
That time when we sneaked down tc
Sheepshead and you 'lost your wad at
the wheel and I woo It back for you.
All them times. Max I That that
IXuiatinsa eve you sneaked away from
your old woman 1 Betuwaper?.-! .tell
troa..Ux, you can't ihrtvreevef aftr
er what we baTe baJSirougb together
and get away wlih it You cant, sot
by ad sight I You can t!" "
Xa spltf of tMToetf bet vpico woohl
slip up, raucous eobs tore through ber
words, tears rained down her frankly
distorted face, carrying their bitter
taste of salt to her lips.
"You can't! You can't t I ain't got
the strength. I ain't got a thing In life
that ain't wrapped around you. I can't
ft bk to hit or mls like like I could
tep years ago. I ain't got nothing saved
out of It oil but you. Don't try to ditch
me, SInx! Don't 1 I I'll walk on my
knees for you. I "
"For God's sake, Mae, I "
"If there's a way to raise two times
fifteen thou for you. Max, I I'll raise
It. Ml find a way, Max. I tell you I
will ! I'm lucky at the vf heel, Max.
You wntch and we. You Just watch and
see. I can work. Max, I "
"Get ap, Mae, get up. There'a a good
girl. Get tip and "
"I'll work my fingers down. Max,
only don't try to ditch me. don't try
to ditch me. I'll go out to the country
where your old woman can't ever sniff
me. ' 1 I'll fix It, Alux, so you so you
Just can't lose. Don't ditch me, dear;
take your Malzle back. Take me ln
your anus and call me Muizle. Take
me !" '
"Girl, ain't you ain't ' you got no
shame!"
"Just try me bnck for a month. Max
For a month. Max. and see If If 1
lon't fix things so they come out right
Gliunie a month, Max! tihume, Max,
Gimme I Gimme I"
And with her IubI restratnt gone, she
lay downright at his feet, abandoned
to virulent grief, aud In her naked
agony a slmpeless muss of frill and
flounce, a horrible and not drumutlc
spectacle of abandonment; decencies
gone down before her desire, the heart
ruptured aud broken through Its walls.
In such a moment of soul dishabille
and ber owu Ul.shabille of bosom bulg
ing ubove the tight luciug of ber corset
Hue as blie lay prone, ber mouth sag
ging and wet with tears, her lips blow
ing outward in bubbles, a picture, lu
fact, to gloss over, Mae Munroe
dragged herself closer, flinging ber
arum about the knees of Mux Zlnena,
Bobbing through her raw throat.
"Just a month, Mux! Don't ditch
ui' I Don't! Don't! Don't!"
He looked away from the sorry spec
tacle of her bubbling lips aud greut,
swollen eyelids.
"LeKo! Leggo my knees!"
"Just a niiMitb, Max, Just "
"lso! Leso my knees! Leg;o,
glii I Ain't you ashamed I"
"Just a month, Mux, I "
"Gad ! Ain't you got no shame, girl 1
Git. up! Leggo! I can't stand this,
I tell you. Be a pport and leggo me
quiet, Mue. I I'll send you every
thing, a a check that'll surprise you,
old girl! Lemme go quiet! Nothing
can't change things. Quit blubbering.
It makes Hie sick, I tell you. Quit your
blubbering, gld girl,, and Jeggo. Leggo !
Leg-go! Leg-go. I sayl' v.-.
Suddenly he stooped and with a
backward turn of her wrist unloosed
himself and, while the pain still stag
gered her? sidestepped the huddle of
her body, grasped bis bat from the
divan and lunged to the door, tugging
for a frantic moment with the lock.
On her knees beside the piano. In
quite the attitude he had flung her,
leaning forwurd on one palm and amid
the lacy whirl of her train, Mae Mun
roe listened to his retreating steps ;
beard the slam of a lower door.
You who recede before the sight of
raw emotions with every delicacy
shamed, do not turn from the spectacle
of Mae Mtinroe prone there on the
floor, her bosom upheaved and her
mouth too loose. When the heart Is
torn the heart bleeds, whether under
cover of culture and a boiled shirt
front or without shame and wound laid
bare. And Mae Munroe, who lay there,
simple soul, only knew or cared that
her heart lay quivering like a hurt
thing, end for the sobs that bubbled
too frankly to her Hps had no concern.
But after a while they ceased of exhaustion-
and she rose to her feet, her
train threatening to throw her; walked
toward the cold, cloyed dinner, half-
eaten and unappetizing on the table;
and fell to scooping some of the cold
gravy up from Its dish, letting It drlp
ple from the spoon back trgnln. The
powder had long since washed off her
cheeks and her face was cold as dough.
The tears had dried around her mouth.
Presently she pinned up the lacy
train about her, opened a cupboard
door and slid Into a dark, full-length
coat, pinned, on a hat with a feather
that drooped over one Bide as If limp
with wet, dabbed at her face with a
pink powder-chamois and, wheezing
ever so slightly, went out tweaking
off two of the three electric lights
after her down two flights of stairs
through a quiet foyer and out Into the
fluid warmth of late October. Stars
were out. myriads of them.
An hour she walked down the
cross-town street and a bit along the
wide, bright lighted driveway, Its traf
fic long since died down to an occa
sional night-prowling cab, a fklmmtng
motorcar; then down a flight of curv
ing Btone steps with her slightly per
ceptible limp, and Into the ledge of
parkway where shadows took her Into
their velyet silences; down a second
flight, across a railroad track, and to
the water's edge, where a great coal
station ran a Jut of pier out Into the
river. She could walk Its length, feel
ing tt sway to the heavy tug of cur
rent. Out of the very edge the water
washed up against the plies with a
thick. Inarticulate lisp, aa If what It
had to say might only be understood
front the under aide.
It !s a debatable question at time
whether deafnau la aa affliction or a
blectopg-v- . z- ' i sv ., ' .
. TK ShAlhuvtito "weather -"oroohets
woo omitet a aevera vinUr toay hate:
had a private tip Xrom tha cm cod
Jn We
(7rT
A number of big attractions are
scheduled for the Imperial during the
next few days. Saturday night there
will be a big; triple bill, including:
Charles Chapin in "The Idle Class,"
which la listed by a competent au
thority as one of the ten best movies
of the year, and Pola Negri in "One
Arabian Night"
In the latter, Miss Negri plays the
part of a dancer of the desert Her
master, a hunchback, is the owner of
a caravan of entertainers who travel
from town to town. One day they
reach Bagdad. There the dancer
meets the prince, who falls in love
with her and woos her with ardor, de
spite the difference in their stations.
She manages to become an inmate of
the harem of the shiek, father oi ihe
prince, to be near her lover, but trag
edy puts an end to her dream of bliss.
For Sunday there is Mary Miles
Minter in "All Souls' Eve." Miss
Minter plays a double role. The story
tells how a little nursemaid who, not
so very long before, had crossed the
ocean in an immigrant ship, won the
love of a preat artift and saved him
from tha ru'n which another woman
had planned for him.
"The Affairs of Anatol," one of the
most talked of pictures for the yeir,
: sr..?','?. fife v"'-I M
Th e Ypafk
I
E
"Best WW
Have You Read It?
What kind of a message did it
bring you? Does your balance show
a large increase over one year ago, or
. is it smaller?
IT IS, MOST "INTERESTING"
when you read it regularly and watch your bal-.
ance get larger and larger. You will be surpris
ed, to see it increase so fast. Money works for
you 24 hours a day.
THE HABIT OF SAVING LASTS
Resolve now to' start a savings account. Add
to it regularly. You will soon feel that you are
getting somewhere. Let Us show the way.
We Pay 5 Interest on. Time Deposits.
First National Bank
IMPERIAL
Monday. & Tuesday
January 2 and 3
Wallace Reid
Gloria Swansort
Elliott Dexter ,
Debe Daniels
Monte Blue
Wanda HawleV
Iheodore Roberto
. Acnet Ayres
Theodore KoslofP
Polly Mo ran
Raymond Hattort
Julia Faye
Jttic l. las lev pnnnt
Cecil B.DeMille'S
raoovcTioM
The
Affairs Sy r
?MtMlllllIJMIPlilllllMI',fiMtf..ij!,..j.
will be shown Monday and Tuesday.
It has an all-stir cast, including sucti
favorites as Wallace Reid, Gloria.
Swanson, Elliott Dexter, Bebe Daniels,.
Monte Blue, Wanda Hawley. Theodore
Roberts, Agnes Ayes and others. The
story, written by Jeanie Macpherson,.
deals with an impressionable yoang;
man of wealth who finds time to in
terest himself in the affairs of others
and who learns by practical experience
that it pays best to attend to one's
own affairs and let others do the
same.
Special dinner served in the
Palm Koom New Year's eve and
New Year's day. Alliance Hotel.
NOTICE.
There will be a meeting cf the
stockholders of the Alliance I. O. 0. P.
Building association on January 3,
1922, at the 1. O. O. t hall. ;it 7:30
P. M., for election of directors r.ml
other business that may be jvoperly
brought before this meeting. &-1L
E. M. MARTIN, Secretary.
NOTICE.
The annual stockholders' meeting of
the Eagles Building Association will
be held at the Eagles Aerie club
J - .11 .1
rooms in me cuy oi Alliance, iseoras
ka, on January 5, 1922, at 7:30 o'clock
p. m. 10
F. E. HOLSTEN, President
Attests L. C. THOMAS, Secretary.
HERALD WANT ADS RESULTS
tmmi::min:t:nniiiiK:.
iiiNiiMiiM..- - iyjiw; syC'