“We are figuring on getting a nice place within trolley distance of Broadway and then get several of our wine agent friends to stock it for us.

“We won’t need much furniture—­an ice box and a corkscrew are the only real necessities.

“Do you think it would cast asparagus on my character if I should reside in a houseboat unchaperoned.

“Oh, we can get the wardrobe mistress for a chaperone, but why talk shop; and besides she gets a bun on and goes to sleep in a hamper, and we girls have to pack our own bundles, and if she got soused while chaperoning the mob it would take away the otherwise proper air of refinement and leave us open to the gibes and scoffs of those who were not so fortunate as to be invited to our houseboat.

“Say, I don’t want to indulge in brag or ostentation, but the gown I am going to wear to the Friar festival they are going to pull off in May is going to have some class to it.

“Wilbur—­that’s my betrothed—­is going to be one of the main guys, and when it comes his day to get the showing keep your eye on muh.

“I think Mr. Klaw and Mr. Erlanger are just the nicest men to give the Friars the New York Theatre for the big doings.

“You want to go.  All our set will be there with their hair in a braid.

“Oh, yes; Wilbur and I are getting along just splendid.  We have been engaged now for nearly two weeks and have only broken it off three times.

“I went to see ‘Miss Hook of Holland’ the other night and Wilbur got jealous and told me that if his show wasn’t good enough for me to see without having to go to others to just come across with his ring and he would cancel the engagement.

“I, being a girl of some spirit and pride, just naturally yanked Mr. Ring off and threw it at him.

“That made him hedge and before long we were cooing over a bottle of wine like a couple of turtle doves.

“You can’t take any too much off these men.  Keep ’em guessing; thats my system.  And then they will walk sideways, so as to not overlook any bets.

“Take that Alla McSweeney for example.  She falls in love and is always on the job, like Faithful Fido.  Sits around the flat and gazes at his photo all day and from quitting time on she is there with her ear to the ground waiting to hear him get out of the elevator.

“That aint little Sabrina’s graft.

“Nix.  Wilbur calls up and I tell him to wait a minute and let him cool his heels downstairs for a while, and then when I do send for him to come up he is more glad to see me and manages to amuse himself in hunting for a stray glove or a handkerchief.

“And then sometimes when he calls up I am out, just to let him know that he is not the only star performer.

“That stunt keeps them at heel all the time and so busy trying to keep track of you that they don’t have time to look for any other dame.  So that it works both ways for the dealer, and a couple of tears will always copper any wrong play you make.