Show I A L Line IDe on Peacock p e k Alley A II ey By y L FORD Copyrighted Copyright Co dby by P the Associated Sunday Sunda Y Magazines Ma Inco Incorporated rP orated the use of ot when theres more fun Cun home Scenery Scenery Scenery ery Say the scenery that suits me best Is the kind they keep lit up all night Theres a lot of or It between Fourteenth street and the park Folks Why you stand on the corner of or For and Broadway long enough and ad you ou wont miss seem many of ot em They Thy most all get here sooner or later latero Now o look at what happens last evenin I was waR Just against the Street door real rea comfortable and satisfied satis satisfied fied fled after atter a good dinner when Joe comes down from Crom the studio and sas BaSS theresa theres a party part by b the name of oC Merrily been callin me mc up on the phone says I h That ha t sounds kind of or joyous and familiar he give any etters for tor the front of It but Hank says Oh yes says I getlin gettin the clue What did lid Hank have to say Said he was a friend of oC y urs and andI If I you have better on the hook hed like to see sec you ou around to the Wisteria says Swift With that I lets loose a snicker Honest I help It ItAh ItAh itAh Ah chec chee says Swift Is It a string siring or not I might get a laugh out of oC this myself Yes and then again a aln you ou ml says sas I Maybe bring ln but a abrain abrain brain storm You wait walt until I find out If Its safe a to tell you rou I tiC W With that I starts down towards T street to see se If It was really so about Hank Merrily Merrity for Cor the thelast th thelast last glimpse I got hot of oC him he was out In Colorado spurs and fringed Cringed buckskin pants and lookin to be as much of or a fixture there as Pikes peak It II was while I was for one of my big matches malche that I met up with Hank Wed d picked out Bedella for a camp amp Youve heard of oC Bedelia Bedella No Then you ou ought ou 11 to study stud the map Anyway If ou d been th the news re red tar a few Cew years ears back baek oud remember There Ther was a few days davs about that thai time when more press dis dispatches dispatches patches was Wn filed from rom Bedella Bedell than from Washington And A 1111 the pictures that was sent east Shorty Ts Mr McCabe ln a Broncho by b the Tail Tall and all such truck You know the kind of or stuff them newspaper artists strains their J imaginations on Course I was too busy to lo bother bolher wh what l they did to me roe and rare anyhow But It was different with Hank Oh they the got ot him too You see Wf he h had a ranch about four Cour miles north of If our pur camp and one of oC my ITI forenoon stunts was to gallop up there take a big hi swig of oC mountain spring water tern any anything an anything thing yoU vou can cnn buy bU in bottles chin a afew afew few fw minutes with Hank and am the boys and amI then dog do trot Irot It back That was how the th boss of oC ranch came am to get et his picture In the th page pae alongside alon of oC a diagram of the four different ways I had of oC n a boiled potato Them was the times limes when I took look my m exercise with wilh a sport in editor hangin n to lo each elbow and follows fellows with pads all allmer ewer mer the Iho place pla Just for Cor a josh I legged IlI fd one of the papers that had a picture of Hank up to the th ranch much ex pectin when he saw aw it hed want to buckle on hit vt guns uns and start down af at afUr aft Ur tr t r the th g gent nt that did It You have hae blamed him much If it he ht had for Hanks features watt want cut ut on what you ou might call catl classic r lines lIns He lie looked more like a copy COP of oC nn an old master that had been done clone by b a an sign n painter on the th side of oC a barn Not that he was to so mortal homely homel but his Ills color scheme was WUI kind of oC His complexion was a shade or two to lighter than a new saddle except his neck which was as a flannel fInnel red with lovely Imly brown speckles on It and his eyes yes was sort of or buttermilk blue with eyebrows t that you ou had to guess ue s at His Ills chief decoration though was a lip whIsker that was a marvel one of or these ginger colored that took root way down below his mouth cor corners cornera corners ners nera and looked like it was there to stay But up on the ranch and down In Bedelia Redella I never heard any nn one pass re remarks remarks remarks marks on Hank looks He want vant no bad man either but as mild and nd gentle a n beef raiser as oud want to see He seemed to lo be quite quile a star among mongo the cow punchers and after afler Id got used to his peculiar style st le of or beau beauty beauty ty t I kind of or took to him too The picture rile him a bit He Heat sat at there lookin at it for Cor a good five fIe minute sayin them buttermilk eyes s Just jU t starin kind of or blank and dazed Then he looks up as pleased as asa a n kid and says sas Wall Ill be cussed Mighty slick aint It itT I Next he hollers for Cor that was Mrs Irs Merrity errit She was a wild rose Reney Rene was not such nuch a bad looker but a little shy on style A calico wrapper with the sleeves rolled up a lot of or crinkly brown bron hair aln down her back and an old pair of or carpet slippers on her feet reet was Re Be costume I wonder but what it did for tor afternoon and evenin as well Mrs was more tickled with the picture than Hank She stared from the paper to him and back again like she thought Hank had done she ought to be of ot but exactly place Sho Hank say says she I 1 thod waited until put on your Sunday Sunda shirt and slicked sUcked up upa a little He was a real torrid proposition when he did slick up I saw him do it once a n couple of nights nl before I 1 broke train in when the was goin to lo have a dance up to lo the ranch His idea of or orm makin m a swell toilet was to take lake a hunk of or sheep tallow and grease reas his hla boots boot clear to the tops Then he ducks his head into the horse trough and pol polishes polishes the back of oC his neck with wilh a bar barof barof of oC yellow soap Next he dries himself on a meal sack uses half a bottle of oC scented hair oil tin on his Buffalo Bill BUI thatch pulls on a striped gingham shirt ties a red silk handkerchief around his throat and hes ready to re receive receive receive company compan I see Mrs Mer Ier Merrity rity after aCter she got herself fixed for tor the theban ball ban but Hank told me she was go goin in into to wear near a shirt waist that shed sent clear to lo Kansas City for tor Oh we got real chummy before I left leCt He came carne down to see me off orr the day I started for tor Denver Demer and while we was waltin for Cor the train he told me the story of or his life lite How hed been rust for tor himself ever since hed grad graduated graduated graduated from an orphan asylum In Illi lilt Illinois Illinois nois nuts the different things hed hd worked at before he learned the cow business 1 and how when hed first met Reney crockery in a railroad restaurant restaurant restaurant rant and married her ner on sight started out with a cash capital of one bill and cents in change to lo make their fortune Then he told me how many steers and year yearlings yearlings lings he owned and how much grazin land hed got inside of wire doin doln well aint it says he Come to t figure up it was and I told him I see why he want in a fair Calr way wa to find himself cuttin into the grape rape some day da daIt It all depends on the Jayhawker says saS he Ive got ot a third interest in that thai Course I aint hollerin a lot about It yet for it aint much moren morena a hole In the ground round but if Ir they ev e strike the yellow ellow there maybe well wellcome wellcome wellcome come on and take a look at New York Its worth it says I Hunt me the up when you rou do doI I II I shore will says Hank Good Goodluck Goodluck Goodluck luck And the last I see of oC him he was I there in his buckskin pants at the steam cars Now I aint been spendin spend In my time ever since what was hap to Hank You know how It is Maybe Ive had him In mind two or three times But when I gets that phone message I 1 have hae any trou trouble trouble trouble ble about cabin callin ca III n up my m last view of oC him So when it come to buttin Into a swell Fifth Firth avenue hotel and askin for Cor Hank Merrily I has a sudden spasm of bashfulness It last long lon If I Hank was good enough for Cor me to chum with in Bedelia Bedella says I he ought to have some with wilh me meher here her There want anything a I could have asked that he have hae done I ICor for Cor me out there and I guess if It he hene hen ne n nets ds s some one to lo show him where Broadway Is and tell lell him to lo take lake his pants out of or his boot tops its It up to lo lome tome tome me to do It it Just the same when I gets up to the desk I whispers It confidential to the clerk derk If hed come back with a hee heehaw heehaw haw hats I have said a word I Iwas Iwas Iwas was pectin ex of ot the kind But Bui never a chuckle He even grin Hank Merrily says he his head held We havea have a guest here though by the name of Henry Merrily Merrity Mr Ir Henry Henr him says I All the th Hen Henrys Henrys Henrys rys are Hanks when you ou get et west vest of Omaha I 1 find him himI I 1 was hed be up in his room with wilh the electric light but buttons tons ions ons or himself for a ride down downIn In the elevator but there was no an answer answer answer to lo the call on the house phone so I has to lo walt wait while a n boy bo goes out with my 01 card on a silver sliver tray tra squeak In Mister Uster Merrily MUter Merrily Merrity Five Fhe minutes later laler I was towed lowed through the palms Into the Turkish room and the next thing I knew I was lined up in front of or a perfect gent Say Sa if Ir it been fer them butter buttermilk buttermilk buttermilk milk eyes you OU never could have made me believe It was him Honest them eyes ees was all there was left leCt of or the Hank Merrily Id known In Bedella Bedelia It II want just the clothes either though he Ile had em ern all on opra lid ton white vest shiny shoes and the rest It was what had happened to his face Cae that thai was me meThe meThe meThe The lip tip had bees bee wiped out not noi just shaved off mind you ou but bul scrubbed rubbed clean The russet russel color olor was gone one too loo He was as pink and white while and smooth as a pig been scraped and sandpapered for a window Indo display in a meat shop Youve Youe noticed that electric light lIht complexion some of our Broadway gets sets getson on Well Veil Hank had it Even the neck freckles had got the magic touch Course he been turned Into any h he Venus at that but as he stood costume and all he looked as much a apart apart part parl of New York as the Flatiron build in And while Im bugging my m eyes out and holdin my m mouth open he lie grabs me by b the hand haud and slaps me on the back Why Wh hello Shorty Short Im Jm m mighty glad Iad to see you ou Put er there says he Gee says I Then Its true Now I guess the thing for Cor me to do Is to own up to Maude Adams that thai I 1 believe in fairies Hank who did It il Did what says sas he Why made your our face tace over and put on the gloss says sas I IDo IDo IDo Do I look it says sas he grinnin Would I pass Pass says I 1 Hank they could use you ou for Cor a sign Lookin as you do donow donow donow now you could go o to lo any an one night ni nightstand ht stand in the country countr and be handed the New York papers without t sayin a word What I want to know though is how It happened Happen says he Shorty such things dont come by b accident You buy em You go through torture for tor cm Say Sa Hank says sas I you dont mean to say youve been up against the skin Well he had kept his face Cac faceIn facein In a steam box by the hour scrubbed him with a pumice stone slone electrocuted his lip fringe e made him wear a sleep in mask and done everything but peel him alive alle Look at that for Cor a paw says he Aint it ladylike ladUke It t was Every finger nail showed d the half moon and the palm was as soft as asa asa a baby S You must have hac been makin a business bus business busIness iness of It says sas I How long has this been goin on Nearly four months says sas Hank heavin a groan Part of or that time I put in five fhe hours a day but Ie Ive got hot gotem em scaled down to to two now Its been awful Shorty Short but It had to be done H w was that says I IOn IOn IOn On Ren s account says he powerful pert at things Reney Is Why when we struck town I was a leather trimmed hat and eat In with wilh my knife just as polite as I knew how We been here a day da before beCore she saw that something was wrong Hank says she this aint where we belong Lets go back What for says I Shucks says saS she Cant you see These folks are different from us Look at em Well I did and it made me mad Reney says I Ill III allow there is wrong with us but I reckon It aint bone deep Theres such a n thing as burn In one brand over another aint there Suppose we give It Ita Ita ita a whirl what we done too and Im to suspicion weve made good I guess you have Hank says I j but aint It expensive You gone broke to do it have you f l t a z zt a ti tiC tic t C c Jo i iti ti arty ta 4 I lJ t j t a ro i 1 r p jp k v vY 8 Y I Ii i t f X s si i 3 i AI i ia a fu JJ I i I g I Ah sully rully says she d to meet you again Broke Brok says say he sm n Guess you ou aln heard what out of oC the Jayhawker J these the th e days Why Wh I spend It all If I had four hands But come on Lets find Reney and go goto goto goto to a show Course seem Hank had kind of or pre prepared prepared prepared pared me for fora a change in Mrs Irs Merrily Merrity so o I braces myself for the shock shoel and tries Iries to forget the wrapper and carpet slippers But you ou know the kind of birds that tha t roost along Peacock Alley Alle There was a double row of oC them holdin down the arm chairs hairs on either side 51 de of the corridor and lookin like a livin exhibit of oC spring millinery milliner I tried hard to imagine Ima lne Reney in that bunch but it was no go The best I could do was to throw up a picture of a squatty squally female in a Kansas City shirt waist And then all of oC a sudden we fetches up alongside a fairy In radium silk and lace with her hair waved to the minute and enough sparks to lo light up the subway She was the star of ot the collection and I nearly roses loses oses my breath when Hank says sas Reney Rene you ou remember Shorty Short Mc McCabe McCabe McCabe Cabe dont you 7 4 Ah h rully says she liftin up a pair of oC gold handled eye e e glasses and a peek peel to meet you ou again Mr Ir McCabe Imme too says I It was all the conversation I had ready to lo pass out Maybe labe I acted some foolish Coolish but for forthe forthe forthe the next few ew minutes I do any anything an anything thing but stand there slain her up and the improvement improvements There been any an halfway hateway business about her ter If Ie Hank was a good then tion Mrs Irs Merrily Merrity was the real thing She was it il Ive often orten wondered where they the all came from them birds of or Par Paradise Paradise Paradise adise that we see around such places but now Ive got sot a line on em They aint all aU raised in New York Its pin spots on the map like Bedelia that keeps up the supply Reney stopped with courses at the beauty doctors and goin gem oln the limit on fancy fan clothes Shed Shell been blen on conversation lessons voice olee culture and all aU kinds of oC parlor tricks Shed been keepin her eyes and andears andears andears ears open too her imer models from Crom real life liCe and the finished product was say had never neer been west of oC Broadway or east of or Fourth avenue As for her ber ever er doin doln such a athing athing thing as juggle ju gle crockery It was al almost almost almost most n R libel to think of or it |