That business of the soul. That would certainly be an anticlimatic end to things, he reflected, to have to give all this up eventually; and if he were to avert any such fate he had better be about it. Time did get on. As an impressario friend of his had it: no matter how long the run, it's certain/there'll always be a final curtain.

It was with this sobering thought in mind that an entirely vol- uptuous blonde entrained for San Francisco. (After, of course, spending the most delightful two weeks of her young life in noted specialty shops and cocktail lounges.)

#1

It was in the taxi that the devastating blonde leaned back and with all the decollete emotion she could muster, began her campaign. "Dear me, she sighed in that watered silk voice. "It must be pos- itively thrilling to be a cab driver. I certainly wish I were a man so that I could do some thrilling work like this."

The driver in the best didactic style of all cabbies, turned around and said, "Wow, are you nuts, lady! If I looked like you I wouldn't be pushin no hack."

And in her hotel she announced to the bellboy, "Oh, if only I were a man. It must be romantic to have a job like a bellboy in a large and cosmopolitan hotel."

The bellboy staring at the expensive velvet smoothed over hips of swelling magnificence said, with all the poise of disgruntled romantics everywhere, "Wow, are you nuts, lady? If I looked like you I wouldn't be hoppin' no bells!

And

**

in all the eateries and nighteries, all low dens and high, this beautiful blonde, this creature of gilt and satin, made the comment: "I wish I was a man.

same

+1

In one establishment she did not even stay for a drink. The One whom she sought would never be found in such a place as it appeared the patrons were already damned. As she left an epicene young gentleman in a mauve sweatshirt lazily lifted the face of his wrist watch to Antares and said, "I'm glad SHE'S leaving! If I looked like THAT I'd shoot myself!"

Finally, in a saloon to which everyone sooner or later came she kept a morose vigil at the bar sighing constantly, "Gee, I wish I was a man.

The bartender, with a dyspeptic scowl, said, "You nuts, lady? If I looked like you I wouldn't be tendin' no bars!" And since

"

18.