"You must help me out." And she
handed him the glass.
"Glad to help a lady always," he declared. "Notisch please, gen'lemen,
I set y' good example. Alwaysh come to the rescue of fair ones in
trouble--" He drained the glass. "Anybody else in trouble?" he said,
looking around the table with a half tipsy grin. But the other girls
had no scruples and drank their wine without a protest.
At last the party discovered that it was time to go home, and indeed
the garden was almost deserted. One of the girls proposed that they
walk, it was such a beautiful night; and accordingly they set out, two
and two; the men reckless with wine; the ladies flushed and excited;
all singing and laughing. Not far from the park entrance, the girl who
had proposed the wine, and her companion, who was by this time more
than half intoxicated, dropped a little behind the others and soon
turned down a side street.
"This is not the way, Jim," she said, in a tone of laughing protest.
"Oh yesh 'tis. I know where'm goin'. Come 'long." And he caught her
by the arm. "Nicesh place down here where we can stop and resht," and
he staggered against her.
"But I want to go home, Jim," her tone of laughing protest changed to
one of earnestness. "Father will be looking for me."
"Hang father," said the other. "Old man don't know. Come on I tell
you." And he tried to put his arm about her waist.
The girl was frightened now in earnest. "Stop sir," she said.
"Why? Whash ze matter m' dear?" stammered the other.
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