Never pinker in her life, she said; everything was perfectly lovely.
She beckoned me nearer. She had a small favour to ask. At this season
of peace and goodwill would the so amiable Lieutenant deign to enter
her modest abode and take a little glass of _vin blanc_ with her?
The "amiable Lieutenant" would be enchanted.
She swung the door open and bowed me in. The glasses were already
filled and waiting on the table--a big one for me, a little one for
her.
We clicked rims and lifted our elbows to the glorious victory, to the
weather (which was rotten) and our mutual pinkness.
"_A votre santé, mon Lieutenant_!" crooned Madame the widow
Palliard-Dubose.
"_À votre, Madame_," replied her Lieutenant, quaffing the whole
issue in one motion. Paraffin, ladies and gentlemen, pure undiluted
paraffin--paugh! wow! ouch!
* * * * *
If the fellow I met in the Lille Club who reads women's souls and gets
'em to feed out of his hand should also happen to read this, will he
please write and tell me what my next move is? PATLANDER.
* * * * *
[Illustration: "IT'S PERFECTLY SIMPLE, UNCLE--TWO SLOW, THREE QUICK,
THREE SIDE CHASSÉES, WOBBLE WOBBLE, LAME DUCK, LAME DUCK, DIP,
GRASSHOPPER, TWO SLOW, SWIVEL, SCISSORS, JAZZ-ROLL, KICK, TURN, TWO
CHASSÉES, BACK, TWINKLE, AND ON AGAIN."]
* * * * *
"TOO LATE FOR CLASSIFICATION.
12 March and April pullets laying rabbits."--_Advt. in Local
Paper_.
Personally we should place these admirable birds in a class by
themselves.
* * * * *
"HUNT FOR CIGARETTES.
STATE CONTROL ENDS, BUT SUPPLY STILL SCARCE."--_Daily Chronicle_.
Is this the fag-end of State control, or the State control of
fag-ends?
* * * * *
"Girl, about 18, for grocery; permanency; experience not
necessary; must love locally."--_Daily Paper_.
But we doubt if this attempt to constrain the tender passion within
geographical limits will prove a "permanency."
* * * * *
There was a young man from Dundee
Who didn't succeed with the Sea;
So they gave him command
Of the Air and the Land
Just to make it quite fair for all three.
* * * * *