Show I if ji i At f the B P Soda Fountain By Dorothy Dix ix j t SCENE Soda water fountain Gilt t I arrays arras of onyx OU and mirrors mirror I and plating Rows Ro s of cut glass glasst glassI t I jars of crushed fruit on counter Deft J male niale attendants In white while Jackets br lie hind the counter compounding soft drinks Before the counter a long lont lino of women Interspersed with a afew afew af f few men slowly sipping sado Gada through I t long straws straps with eyes ere upturned with II I he the pious and soulful expression on of aben a ll ahen ben hen drinking I J DRAMATIC TIC PERSO el elj the cashier in her wicket ckeL Hoi tense e j her friend a stenographer who has hali dropped around during her lunch In ch hour honri i for a chat and In the hope that th t Mabel will set her up a soda MABEL Spearing a It ton cent ice II cream soda check on tho ho hook h ok with t tono one ono hand and raking the th dime into IntI the cash drawer with the other othel otherl l I Hello Hortense glad to see yon I J Jf f was wl s just thinking about you vou and won wondering dering doring If Ifa a hot chocolate look 00 I 1 toad good to you jou this cold co day dar dayI 1 I H With admiration You yU for the thc mind reading thing g i MABEL On In a low 0 tone of voice 0 III Well Vell you 01 30 go 0 over to Eddie the th pretty prettyboy j boy with the th blonde hair at the tho end ond endt 1 t of tho the counter and tell him that thaI I II I t sent you ou and that the thing Is on 11 inc nto HORTENSE Archly Siv cot on you ou eh oh Well T i mind having havinga a soda HOrla water vater clerk clerIc In hi love with me nw I j Or 01 one in a Jewelry store But I J Ji Ii i never have any luck If a R fellow takes a shine shino to mo me you jou ou can bet your our Sim day dil hat on It that he is tho boss hoss of ofa o oa a street cleaning gang of a clerk clerkIn In a hardware store or something i I that there Is no takeoff In tn for mc me MABEL J Sympathetically It certainly cerI I does docs help some somo for or your jour steady stead r to be where theres things to wear or I u calling to a n solemn looking man with wilh I II I eyeglasses aud and whiskers Excuse mo mosir moI mosir I sir but you ou forgot your our change chango HORTENSE Well aint he IC the I careless thing My I but that what bat Id like to be bc able abo to put pul down clown a dollar donar and then not have heart fail tail failure t ure uro for fear I 1 got back hack my ninety cents MABEL Well you ou go and get ct your your our n before the thc boss bORS a I 1 strolling down this way wa and an while hilO Eddie wont have to make more than six elx of them dames in fur Cur coats and andrear rear coats wait alt 1 Sauntering back aitor after a fey few minutes and her ler I II t I bv by the of or the wIcket she can Indulge In the llie double luxury i x rV of f p soda 0 10 and gossip roE at the tho same fame Say Sar but a swell braid your o r r I Sot got solon on All my mr own hair HORTENSE HORTE SE Prats ls nhat they thoy r all say ay MABEL Well I 1 paid p ld for It myself m eH anyway 1 To customer leading aa a n a child of five fire by lw the hand haud No N madame madunio c we rye dont make an any reduction on a 1 glass lass of soda according to lo the age of tho thu person who drinks It A lady lad of oI o would have to pa pay Just as 33 much ns as you ou HOR E Gee but Jut you Oll took a arise arise rise out It of her hair and her hr that dressed dr tl cd up lip and painted up trying to tu look young MABEL MAREI They The make snake me m tired them women with diamonds and md is that closefisted that they make tie the t le eagle a lc on a dollar tho the way ar they ilie squeeze it HO Admiringly But aint ahi t you rou ou afraid snell report you ou to the manager MABEL JABEL Naw Shed She have havo to tell 1011 what I said if she did and you jou OU bet het your life that no womans woman going to repeat what w v at anybody said about her hey being heing old HORTENSE SE Archly I was as sur surprised l when I mu saw aw how porky pork you ou had n d fixed your hair fixed today because some Rome somehow I how It always looks like dike to tome mo me that you ou can ca n tell t how ho a J woman feels fels by br bythe bythe I the way wa she hc docs her hair hall I MABEL right you ou OIl just cant tant get a J good crimp In III hair to save sac II your life when hn you jou ou arc feeling down downin downto in to too Ino 11 mouth month the tho reason I J MABEL Coldly If there is any an reason why I J cant pin on a t thirty lh I d two to Inch braid Ive Ic c got lo to wait for formy form formy my m friends to conic come to tell teU me mo But Dul bitterly you ou Oll can always depend on our ml friends coming around to lo pour Inte your ears the things thing u dont wont want to hear 10 Apologetically A Billy was around to my mr house last night MABEL Haughtily It is a mat matter matt matter ter t 1 of indifference Mister Minter 11 1 t 1 sits HORTENSE SE Soothingly Oh say 3 Mabel hel dont be a goose noose Wh Why the r state filat hes In is enough to melt a 3 aheart aheart heart of tone stone He crl cried d 1 on my neck until I had to hang my stock on tho the radiator to dry dr after he lie went away awn awa MABEL IA DEJ With freezing politeness l 1 t am truly that you OU were able to comfort him HORTENSE HORTE Sr Bluntly Sav Sw label Mabel the matter between you rou two MABEL Despairingly Its all off orf offIc Ic Jo given hen him back hack his ring ling and Hud presents and he be sent me m back all m nu ni and aud the tho necktie te that I f worked for fol him bim and that was Just Juet as good gooda goodas a as now no It II show that It had hat Even been worn at all ail IQ But what did Jill you jou get sore Eor at fit him about MABEL lr EJ With gloomy gloom enjoyment ment I of or th tJ It was waR all aU his fault Whatever happens it will wiH I be a pleasure pl to me to remember her ber that d I was and patient and ami amion on b and md not nol In itt any way wa Lo to blame f HORTENSE But what did yon jou OU say sar I to tu him MABEL Still on tho the he and J I speaking In n a sid sad s d sweet voice Noth Nothing ing fn Hortense nothing J I merely merel told him that he be b was nas a brute and that i j iI fI I 1 Wes wan W R glad yes jes es I was thankful that 1 I hind had found him out before Instead of when it Il would have been too late HORTENSE HORTE SE Ironically I dont donl see seo co how he could have taken excell exceptions to a few remarks like those MABEL IA Noi 1 I Ij but he ho flung him himself self soli out of the house and said that 1 I see him again until 1 I r camo to mj my m senses H Smothering Her The Idea a MABEL Hell wait a long time lime If Jf he ht waits for forme me to send end for him There are arc plenty of other men mew that are arc gen teme l nod and that thai dont fly up at al every little thing anybody says to them Oh OhI I f tell tel you jou OU I made an escape in not nott marrying him Why ho lc would Just run nun over a quiet woman like mo ma and antl make majce n a doormat mat of her Ier Wont you OU make up with him himMA MA jIA BEL BEJ Em Emphatically ph ati Never rat ranI If he ho was to crawl craw on his hands and knees SE Casually Well mar may maybe he be Its ItI host boat If you jou OU two were so soan un unsuited suited to each ach other maybe you yet C II would have havo scrapped d MABEL I tell you ml 01 that a man Is IR Isa IRa Isa a grinding tyrant and his temper IB is s something frightful HORTENSE Did you ever hear bear him hint speak of o Susie Tompkins MABEL JA That redheaded cat HORTENSE Diplomatically She had him round there at al her house two or three timer times last wool week IA EITh The Trying to tow him in by h feeding him up tip u To cus ens customer customer tomer timer No o lady Indy I l give gle you jou on the thc wrong change Two To soda sodas out of cents dont leave leao but five No Ka they the dont give no rebates If you buy bu two HORTENSE With elaborate un nn Up scorned seemed to like lIec Susie Said she wis was s sal i sympathetic to him about the way you jou ou treated hm MABEL J Excitedly She shant have him I J wont let ot that little two faced nCI minx min have havo him HORTENSE HORT Will you Oll sec Bce him if hell como conic around hOle here MABEL Will I Just give sie me a it chance HORTENSE Making a n f sign i 11 to lo a good hood looking youth waiting without the tit door I think that chump chum com Coin coming comInS log InS along to buy bur a soda BOrJa check chec lohs l ors sort of like 1110 him so Ill be bo moving on en MABEL Rapturously Say Tons Tense come oer every day l and Ill 11 slake stake yon jou 01 10 to ll lla toa a soda as long Ion ah as I am bore here HORTENSE HORT NSE In a hoarse hoar whisper as a radiant youth bears down upon the cashiers wicket Say Mabel what did you ou and Billy quarrel flu nel about I 1 dont know i t Ineer never neer could remember rem But Hut he lie was to blame 1 I DOROTHY DIX |