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out in the air； and the Rosenstein girls singing on the fire…escape of the
sixth floor； and Patsy Rourke's flute going in the eighth； and the ladies
calling each other synonyms out the win… dies； and now and then a breeze
sailing in over Mister Depew's Central I tell you the Beersheba Flats
was a summer resort that made the Catskills look like a bole in the ground。
With his person full of beer and his feet out the windy and his old woman
frying pork chops over a charcoal furnace and the children dancing in
cotton slips on the sidewalk around the organ…grinder and the rent paid for
a week what does a man want better on a hot night than that？ And then
comes this ruling of the polis driving people out o' their comfortable
homes to sleep in parks 'twas for all the world like a ukase of them Rus…
sians 'twill be heard from again at next election time。
〃Well； then； Officer Reagan drives the whole lot of us to the park and
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turns us in by the nearest gate。 'Tis dark under the trees； and all the
children sets up to howling that they want to go home。
〃'Ye'll pass the night in this stretch of woods and scenery；' says Officer
Reagan。 ''Twill be fine and imprisonment for insoolting the Park Commis…
sioner and the Chief of the Weather Bureau if ye re… fuse。 I'm in charge of
thirty acres between here and the Agyptian Monument； and I advise ye to
give no trouble。 'Tis sleeping on the grass yez all have been condemned to
by the authorities。 Yez'll be permitted to leave in the morning； but ye must
retoorn be night。 Me orders was silent on the subject of bail； but I'11 find
out if 'tis required and there'll be bondsmen at the gate。'
〃There being no lights except along the automo… bile drives； us 179
tenants of the Beersheba Flats prepared to spend the night as best we could
in the raging forest。 Them that brought blankets and kin… dling wood was
best off。 They got fires started and wrapped the blankets round their heads
and laid down； cursing； in the grass。 There was nothing to see； nothing to
drink； nothing to do。 In the dark we had no way of telling friend or foe
except by feeling the noses of 'em。 I brought along me last winter overcoat；
me toothbrush； some quinine pills and the red quilt off the bed in me flat。
Three times during the night somebody rolled on me quilt and stuck his
knees against the Adam's apple of me。 And three times I judged his
character by running me hand over his face； and three times I rose up and
kicked the in… truder down the hill to the gravelly walk below。 And then
some one with a flavor of Kelly's whiskey snug… gled up to me； and I
found his nose turned up the right way； and I says： ' Is that you； then；
Patsey？ and he says； 'It is； Carney。 How long do you think it'll last？'
〃' I'm no weather…prophet；' says I； 'but if they bring out a strong anti…
Tammany ticket next fall it ought to get us home in time to sleep on a bed
once or twice before they line us up at the polls。' 〃A…playing of my flute
into the airshaft； I says Patsey Rourke； 'and a…perspiring in me own windy
to the joyful noise of the passing trains and the smell of liver and onions
and a…reading of the latest mur… der in the smoke of the cooking is well
enough for me；' says he。 'What is this herding us in grass for； not to
mention the crawling things with legs that walk up the trousers of us； and
the Jersey snipes that peck at us； masquerading under the name and
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denom… ination of mosquitoes。 What is it all for Carney； and the rint going
on just the same over at the flats？'
〃Tis the great annual Municipal Free Night Outing Lawn Party；' says I；
'given by the polis； Hetty Green and the Drug Trust。 During the heated
season they hold a week of it in the principal parks。 'Tis a scheme to reach
that portion of the people that's not worth taking up to North Beach for a
fish fry。'
〃' I can't sleep on the ground；' says Patsey； 'wid any benefit。 I have the
hay fever and the rheuma… tism； and me car is full of ants。'
〃Well； the night goes on； and the ex…tenants of the Flats groans and
stumbles around in the dark； trying to find rest and recreation in the forest。
The children is screaming with the coldness； and the jan… itor makes hot
tea for 'em and keeps the fires going with the signboards that point to the
Tavern and the Casino。 The tenants try to lay down on the grass by
families in the dark； but you're lucky if you can sleep next to a man from
the same floor or believing in the same religion。 Now and then a Murpby；
acci… dental； rolls over on the grass of a Rosenstein； or a Cohen tries to
crawl under the O'Grady bush； and then there's a feeling of noses and
somebody is rolled down the hill to the driveway and stays there。 There is
some hair…pulling among the women folks； and everybody spanks the
nearest howling kid to him by the sense of feeling only； regardless of its
parentage and ownership。 'Tis hard to keep up the social dis… tinctions in
the dark that flourish by daylight in the Beersheba Flats。 Mrs。 Rafferty；
that despises the asphalt that a Dago treads on； wakes up in the morn… ing
with her feet in the bosom of Antonio Spizzinelli。 And Mike O'Dowd； that
always threw peddlers down… stairs as fast as he came upon 'em； has to
unwind old Isaacstein's whiskers from around his neck； and wake up the
whole gang at daylight。 But here and there some few got acquainted and
overlooked the discom… forts of the elements。 There was five engagements
to be married announced at the flats the next morning。
About midnight I gets up and wrings the dew out of my hair； and goes
to the side of the driveway and sits down。 At one side of the park I could
see the lights in the streets and houses； and I was thinking how happy
them folks was who could chase the duck and smoke their pipes at their
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windows； and keep cool and pleasant like nature intended for 'em to。
Just then an automobile stops by me； and a fine… looking； well…dressed
man steps out。
'Me man；' says he； 'can you tell