Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 92: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

718 Celesta essayed the réle of comforter. “You can’t expect to succeed the first day. It will take you a while to learn the best neighborhoods,” “T’ve already learned that the best neigh- borhoods are the worst,’’ Hal observed bit- terly. “ The rich order you away. It’s only from the poor that the poor can expect anything.” The next two days told a similar tale. Hal never took in as much as a dollar. It became increasingly clear that the street piano would never support them. They had no means of paying for their poor ledg- ing’, and their hests became suspicious. On the fourth merning Celesta appeared from her room once mere an enchanting little daughter of Italy. She wore a dress of dark green cotton, very full in the skit, and with a close-fitting bodice. A bright- colored scarf was crossed on her breast, a smaller scarf coquettishly arranged on her dark hair. Her face was stained, not so dark as Hal’s, but merely to a rich cream coler. Her hair was waved and done low over her ears. “T need a tambourine,” she said, half laughing, half afraid, “ but you can get’me that when we take in some meney.” ‘“‘ What’s the idea?” stammered Roger. “T’m going with Hal.” “T won’t allow it!” “No!” cried Hal, agreeing with Roger for once, There appeared in Celesta’s face a look of soft obstinacy with which they were not un- acquainted. “T’m going,” she announced softly. “ It’s useless to talk. A street piano man always has a girl with him. She holds out the tam- bourine for the money. All aleng the read I held back too much. Now I’m going to do my part.” Both Roger and Hal started to argue. Celesta merely smiled and moved toward the door. Roger caught her arm. “I won’t have it!” he cried. “‘ A daughter of mine begging for pennies in the street! I’ve stood for a lot, but this is too much! ‘You shan’t go!” “Go on downstairs and wait for me,” Celesta said to Hal. “ I'll join you directly.” And in three minutes she did. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Hal did not welcome her overwarmly. “What did you say to him that made him change his mind so quickly?” he asked. “Tl tell you later,” Celesta replied with her adorable half- terrified, half-roguish smile. “J may not be so easy to change,” Hal said, scowling. “You can’t do a thing like this.” Celesta picked up the strap attached to the piane on wheels. “ Come on,” she said, “or Dll pull it out all by myself.” They returned about five o’clock that afternoon in the highest spirits. Hal had not been able to stand eut against her, of course. A new Celesta had appeared, who enraptured him all over from the beginning. Her disguise provided cover for her shy- ness, and a tricky spirit peeped out of her eyes. Hal turned the crank and watched her with his beaming smile. It is probable that his open infatuation was good for busi- ness, Certainly they made an engaging pair. The most unlikely sort of people stopped to look and smile, and small change poured When they came in Celesta flung an arm around the disgruntled Roger’s neck, and gayly rattled her tambourine. Hal poured a whole cascade of coppers on the table, with a good sprinkling of silver, even a quarter or two. “Look! Look!” cried Celesta, calling at- tention to the marvel. “ And we bought a tambourine, and brought home the supper out of it, too!” “* Just short of three dollars,’ announced Hal. Celesta gave a history of their day: “‘ Oh, what fun! Wandering the streets in dis- guise. Able to look at anybedy without their being able to see you, the real you, I mean. I was terrified at first, but it turned out to be just fun! Because you felt like somebody else, you see. I wanted to laugh every time I looked at Hal turning the crank and grinning at me like an Italian Cheshire cat! “T haven’t any idea how to play the tambourine, but I just rattled it and banged it in time to the music, and they seemed to be satisfied. I just smiled and smiled and everybody smiled back so jolly and friendly. Gomichbooks (C@)