Over at Slimmy's table, where the weaker sex predominated, the talk was along lighter lines. Mollie Squint spoke in condemnation of those harem skirts at Coney Island.
“What do youse think,” she asked, “of them she-scouts showin' up at Luna Park in harem skirts? Coarse work that—very coarse. It goes to prove how some frails ain't more'n half baked.”
“Why does a dame go to th' front in such togs?” asked Slimmy disgustedly.
“Because she's stuck on herself,” said the Nailer, who had drifted over from old Jimmy and the Wop, where the talk was growing too heavy for him; “an' besides, it's an easy way of gettin' th' spot-light. Take anything like this harem skirt stunt, an' oodles of crazy Mollies'll fall for it. Youse can't hand it out too raw! So if it's goin' to stir things up, an' draw attention, they're Johnny-at-the-rat-hole every time!”
“We ladies,” remarked Jew Yetta, like a complacent Portia giving judgment, “certainly do like to be present at th' ball game! An' if we can't beat th' gate—can't heel in—we'll climb th' fence. Likewise, we're right there whenever it's th' latest thing. Especially, if we've got a face that'd stop traffic in th' street. Do youse remember”—this to Anna Gold—“when bicycles is new, how a lot of old iron-bound fairies, wit' maps that'd give youse a fit of sickness, never wastes a moment in wheelin' to th' front?”
“Do I remember when bicycles is new?” retorted Anna Gold, resentfully. “How old do youse think I be?”
“Th' Nailer's right,” said Slimmy, cutting skilfully in with a view to keeping the peace. “Th' reason why them dames breaks in on bicycles, an' other new deals, is because it attracts attention; an' attractin' attention is their notion of bein' great. Which shows that they don't know th' difference between bein' famous an' bein' notorious.”
Slimmy, having thus declared himself, looked as wise as a treeful of owls.
“Well, w'at is th' difference?” demanded Anna Gold.
“What's th' difference between fame an' notoriety?” repeated Slimmy, brow lofty, manner high. “It's th' difference, Goldie, between havin' your picture took at th' joint of a respectable photographer, an' bein' mugged be th' coppers at th' Central Office. As to harem skirts, however, I'm like Mollie there. Gen'rally speakin', I strings wit' th' loidies; but when they springs a make-up like them harem skirts, I pack in. Harem skirts is where I get off.”