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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1924)
k JO ELLEN By ALEXANDER BLACK. Copyrlgh, ltI4 - -- - - A (Continued From TMttfdar.) "The girl," persisted Cannerton, "is a timid thing who hates to be noticed •So she wears a red hat. She is ex quisitely modest, to she strips her self to the waist." Cort reached wearily for hei hand bag. “I’m off," she said. "What I like,” drawled Cannerton, is the nice way Miss Rewer has of disapproving of me.” "Nice? Why she simply has to let you rumble along.” "It's better than that—better than saying it. More advanced. You could learn a lot from her.” I admit it. But not with you around. Thank you,"—Cannerton had paid the bill—“thank you for a de lightful intrusion.” "He’s a dear," said Cora as they came out of Gronson's, "for all his nonsense. And now I know you must get back to your office. Some time or other we're going to get together ► -really.” Jo Ellen felt that she had been stupid at the table. Yet being silent seemed to be about the best part you cculd play, unless you were to say things you wouldn't like yourself for. That was one good thing about n lunch. You could always be eating. She hadn't thought that Cannerton, who had parted from them inside the restaurant on a pretext of speaking to a man he had seen, might catch up with her before she reached the office. "You wouldn’t hate to please me, would you?" he asked, twisting his clgaret in the long white holder. “Not if—" "Not if It wasn't inconvenient. I sef y.ou, This wouldn't be inconven ient. It came into my head while I >vas—how did Cora put it?—rumbling —and seeing you sitting there. I wish you could find a way of not letting Eberly forget that Giebler thing—I don’t want to speak of it to him again. It's delicate with me. Very delicate. You’ll know precisely how to do it. If Eberly doesn’t come through in side of—well, say a month, anyway— the jig’s up for me. And you wouldn't like to see me smashed.” “I don't see what I could do ” said Jo Ellen. "You don't, just at the minute. But you will. You're close to the throne. At the right moment get it under his eye. When it's settled you'll have one more slave—and any thing else you want.” Jo Ellen looked at him sharply, and he made a deprecating gesture. "I don't mean that—not in any wrong way. I’m not so much of an idiot as I may sound. What I mean is, you might want to ask a little favor of me some time. How could I ask you to do a kindness unless— unless I hinted at how' grateful I would be? I'm not really asking you to pull anything. Simply to come as near reminding him as you can. r New York --Day by Day \___——--s By O. O. McINTYRB. ►t New York, Aug. 12.—The other day by sheer accident I was an Incon spicuous guest at a dinner attached by members of an extremely swan klsh set. It was very high-hattish and Piping Rock. My social education progresses slowly. Like “The Hairy Ape” I don't belong. In a pinch I can look at my wriat watch without removing my coat and refrain form tucking cutlery up my sleeve at the strange table. Outside of this I imagine I am wholly de trop and about as popular as a four dol lar cornet 1n a symphony orchestra. It was an extremely well groomed crowd and the ladles gave the eye muscles more workouts than are usually prescribed by leading op tometrists. formerly opticians. I was quite sorry I wore my brown cap. I kept my eye on the neighbor to the left to follow him in selections of knives, forks and spoons. There was a knickerbockered wait er for every two plates. T didn't mind that If one hadn't keep watching me all the time. There was so much high flown talk of the rigors of the Riviera and the difficulty of getting de luxe suites on liners. I didn't join in that. After all there was eating to he done. And writers must eat. (Sotto voice,"why?”) Talk Anally veered to poetry. I adore poetry. I used to recite 'The Face on the Barroom Floor” and listeners would cry and say: "How pathetic, I'll have another beer." But discussion centered aro^pd a new poet, Percy Doakea. Perce, It seems, wrote "Les Chlen de Blah" which In Spanish means "Howdy, brother. Howdy.” He was hiding behind the palms to give hlH own ^ reading and they yanked him out— ^TJ"Aibbon cuff links and all. He was just too cute. Then We went in for Art. And we certainly made it hum. 1 wanted to do a match trick but refrained. After nil I was just an outsider and didn’t care to run away with the party. A jolly little evening and I hope they come to my house sometime. t'p near the Mall In Centra! Park each afternoon there sits a kindly, silver haired old man. Around him on his bench are dolls of all description. Those who see him, smile, tap their heads and move on. Cracked no doubt. He is a w’eaithy retired manufacturer and is merely acting as custodian of dolls for the children who come there to play. He never leaves until each child returns for her charge. A new touch among the Avenue fashion plates. White ties of crepe silk are worn with the colored shirt apd collar. A white handkerchief peeps from the pocket. Very, very Valentino. There Is a man who w-alks north ward on the avenue dally wearing golf trousers and a pink silk shirt. He is hatless, hut one eye is owled up with a monocle. He appears absolute ly oblivious to the start* anti titters. I am told ho Is an advertising copy writer and most of his day Is taken up writing Jingles for soups and hose supporters. He has female support In his ec centricity of drew In a young woman whose hair In clipped very close Hhe parts it on the side and goes without hendgenr. Hhe wears a mannish blouse with wing collar nnd four in-hnnd tie end her feet are sandaled. Hite is nc L^.eonipalletl by an over-rougeil brunet with «n Egyptian coiffure. They are said to t* Instructors In s private balblpg pool on West Forty second street. They also carry walking st irk*. tCopyilsht. 1114) You’re his memory. Many a secre tary’a a good deal of a conscience, too. If we let him have his own memory, let us say that you're his recollection. ’Ihere’e a subtlety. But I’m not Joking, if I could tell you how much this Glebler thing means to me—" “Don’t tell me," said Jo Ellen. IX. Describing to Marty an Incident— or a group of incidents—like this was quite Impossible. Merely sketching It left him free to cut through with some questions that could have the effect of implying an Intentional omis sion. If she tiled to evade anything, simply because It was hard to get it all out. he looked as if she had sin ister reasons. ‘‘They’re a tough lot,” he said. "They’d be tickled to make you like the rest of them. I can see that." “You're very wise, Marty.” “O I can see! I think you see it yourself. Cannerton! He's the one you told me was stewed that way. and you thought he was funny. I can Imagine the kind of a rounder lie is. And these smoking women. Tough. All alike. Living around with a string of husbands. Painted up. You must make them uneasy. They won't be satisfied until they get you like them.” "I hope you won't worry. They don’t bother about me.” "This Cora what’s-her-name. What’s she after?" "She just seemed to feel friendly.” "That's it. that's the way they be gin. Gosh. Jo Ellen! You’re Inno cent!” "It’s good I’ve got a husband to watch over me.” Marty stiffened In hls chair. “There's the trouble. The damned cripple can't watch over you. You're slung into that Broadway rabble—” “What you're not rendy to say, but you're coming to it. is that you don’t quite trust me.” He glared at her angrily. “Who said anything about trust ing? You’re slipping that in. Trust you! God Almighty! I got to trust you. haven’t I? What can 1 do? Who’s to stop you doing as you want to? How do I know what you do? I got to take what you tell me. I got to sit around here while you mix with the gang of them, and then be sweet about it.” “You're not very sweet,” declared Jo Ellen, in a tone he recognized as dangerous. His face grew ugly. “You’re learning, all right. You're getting their ways. I can see you changing every day. Nasty sarcastic tricks you learn from them. Loaded cn me. the useless broken-down one. the poor simp who dares to think about—about your wifely honor!” "Wifely honor" rather’lightened the strain for Jo Ellen; It was so obvi ously out of a book. He may have seen her lips twitch. “Is that funny? Probably it Is, to you. Those people all laugh at such things. Marriage and decency—a great joke. That’s the way they have it I m old-fashioned. Being straight's old-fashioned. If they knew about it they’d think this was a bully Joke. Tile husband doubled up in the house. Put away safe. The redheaded wife—" Jo Ellen looked at him squarely. "You're going pretty far.’’ He brought his hands down jerkily on the arms of the chair. "O my God!" And he began to whimper. X. Marty’s contrition took various forms. When he tried caresses, and she drew awn} or abbreviated the con tact. he believed that she was sulk ing. Extravagant praise of her cook Ing or of some fruit she brought him, often seemed to lead toward peace. \\ ondering when Jo Ellen's mother was coming again had some advan tages as a device. Perhaps he was most successful when he asked no questions and stressed some remark to the effect that she must he tired. She seldom admitted being tired. Marty had one grave for which she was grateful. It appeared that he didn't discuss her life with hls people. It was evident, too. that the question of the future had been debated con siderably, and that he had hetn in fluenced to the extent of becoming less positive in his allusions to the established character of the present arrangement. It was after Arnold Pearson had carried him downstairs and wheeled him r:s far as the river that Marty reverted to the advantage of an elevator. The elevator in his father's building didn't run all the way to the roof apartment, hut the roof was a sort of playground in It self. Very likely there wasn't any view In the world quite so fine. His mother’s visit on a Sunday afternoon had a flavor quite different from that of any earlier visit. She was especially pleasant with Jo El len—invited herself to supper, and helped companlonably with the prep aration and the clearing away of that meal. In the course of the kitch en talk she brought up the subject of the change. “You shouldn't have the burden of all this on your shoulders,” she said. "It's too much. You’ll wear your self out, and that would be pretty bad. Downtown would have a lot of advantages, don't you think? I could fix up that corner room for you and Marty.” 1 "■ i. ■ —. ■ ^ . - — i i. ... ■ . ■ — . .. She didn’t emphasize the special ad vantage to Marty. This she had doubtless laid before him—the advan tage of not being alone during the day. There was no good answer to the general argument; and the money question was not to be left out. They couldn’t bo on this way with forty dollars a week. ■To Kllen had not been forced to a decision. Marty's obstinate deter mination to carry out their original plan had left her free to drift. When he began to show signs of wavering, and at last of restlessness, she had gone far enough to know that the roof was Inevitable. Probably she had misjudged Mrs. Simms. That Sunday visit had been a revelation. The actual moving downtown al ways had the effect of having hap pened suddenly and of being accom plished with a sensational swiftness. On n certain evening, after being up very late parking the night before, you went over to the Sixth avenue elevated instead of taking a Seventh avenue surface car. You got off at Rector street when downtown had been pretty well drained of life, with the towers rising about you and shut ting off the lowered sun from ths patient spire of Trinity. You went all the way up In the slippery shaft, then mounted a flight of steps from the last offkd lloor and entered a short passage that led straight to the Simms door. (To He Continued Tomorrow t THE NEBBS WHAT’S RUDY CARE ABOUT MONEY? Directed for The Omaha Bee by Sol He*» Xwiirs to-tmc wwole\ / GLORIOUS WORLD! I \ /OVER *30.000 iN \ rea like i was dealing \ advertising sills ! \ \N WEALTV-l AND UAPP\KlESS UE'6 SPENDING MONEV \ \ AND AM OVERSTOCKED / L\KE A WHOLE CREW _\nr drunken S/mloRS\J A JIG IN ~"T TOY SWIG *~4 S / _ n LOOK WERE, Captain K.IOD • Ov£fT\ (MOW 00 N00 EXPECT TO SELL STOCK \ ( $30,000 IN ADVERTISING — WWAT \ IN AN ORGANIZATION THAT ISN'T ] WAVE NOD GOT NO PANTMEM Vajitm ? ) DOinG ANN BUSINESS ? DIDN'T \ NOO'RC LIKE TME Guv VnWO vaJEnT \ REnROD TELL USTO PLACE AT \ Intonne RESTAURANT B^OVCC and OR.DCRED ONSTER.S EKPECTInG To / AND MES A SUCCESSFUL MAN — WUEV1 SSJo A1peSl Sgf vjooTTm to Jy are NOO going to stop planing wnn lSun^ER?atSrannvStw pennies And be Sonieboov? NOU. RESTAURANT vajitm^X r__ NEVER GREW OP IN STATURE OR ---r-1---<IU6 MENTALITN - NOOREUUST ACWILO ) / I n ^EVERNTNING But age •. Barney Google and Spark Plug After That, What’s $10,000 Extra to Barney. Drawn for The Omaha Bee by Billy DeBeck (Copyright 1924) (Say barney, ft worth is om y The long distance telephone . )_ They re offering *30.000°- / > if vou ll chuqk Milwaukee /VJHAT 00 Y00 l For That TRoTski - spark, f -AY. BAROM ? V PLUG RACE__^LET'S C.PAO IT ' y -— (f NO? I GOT A I I BRUOOER IN MllWAUFU | \ AN- I SIANT To SEE ^ ®Sh. f BOT^IO.OCO0-’0 Ext^aY^ BARCsM — TUiNK OP it. , vjgR'f OLOSKI * Me MILWAUKEE OJllL \ EXPECTS ME Tb OMLN KICK IM WITH W'VT MlT *' 8 50.000 =• FT worth j \ PROMISE S \* 30,000 \ t Cing Features Sy: i le. Inc | BRINGING UP FATHER U. S. Patent Office SEE jlGGS AND MAGCIE IN FULL PACE OF COLORS IN THE SUNDAY BEE Drawn for The Omaha Bee by McManus (Copyright 1924) _ I WONDER WHOSe CEMENT Nl*ER. TH»t> l*b >N Et?OtsT or the HOOtiE • “€STin B( I AN -tVl TEACHING { ' NN^jELF i’n\ J I C.OINC, DOWN | rn ///^ lOWN NOW 'N ^ WiXy^r c d«-'ve ^ l,N thp TRA^Tr»c. 8( HELLO-DttSTY - KEEP 0 I YOUR CHILDREN IIS Dj _ ^1 YHE HOU^sE - tSY WIFE, p ,L l“b ORwitS' A. CAR. 7^ * N©1924 bt Int l Fmtubc Scnvici Inc •Great Britain nftiti reaervcti \ JERRY ON THE JOB /lit Vwoass M'JStLT- ) H \S Js3Sw | OlW IF 1 OOfST / Wl 'HAT ~dppp^ j Frbttv Soon 'TUivVA. ', ^°a *? l Vjmat i €oT that J i Ai|gs—■ . / ftopE on nv y / <: ^ " ( V.luGEfc. TOR*.\ 1 V v V TVtfr Buans' A>e j 1 / - v -• \ ^-tw7 1 I - \ s^kX^ ! y * n> / MR. FIGSBY IS SUCH A HELP f Big 3oVWou Look. ! 1 LUIS' WOU O'OWT unotfi I // < / sms Toe,-il 4 ^ W » 'ine Got av Twgeu, ’ Com?, c -nro UP swnH A y \ Ctoih<s So Tit, 4. / ESAEM3SR, SowPitf* ( Sot i Toftser \nhat it i?. ) Drawn for The Omaha Bee by Hoban (Copyright 1924) l I. * '_J SLmJ The Days of Real Sport By Briggs ~ KISi 'T \ * ABIE THE AGENT Drawn for The Omaha Bee by Hershfield Better Luck Next Time. j =AKiD THIS ACODEMV \ ( Policy ujill Cost j You SEVIENTTY FtVJE \ t>OUARS A YEAR^ kABlBBUe’ / -7— ' -N I / OUR CASHIER \ * '^ROUJD TUKT^ ■' | ^BRB.Umi \ WSibErtYC* 1 BROKE EviEN l WY you -rHE 1'Tours come THE profits V^MOUKiT DUE-y p OUT •?? j OKi THE I 1 KiPXTO^Elt/ -1