Ted Strongs Motor Car | Page 8

and
Mrs. Graham.
Bud had just returned from Soldier Butte, where he had been spending
the afternoon.
"What's devouring you now?" asked Ben Tremont. "Or is it just one of
your weekly sillies?"
"Who are yer alludin' at?" asked Bud loftily.
"As you were going to say--" suggested Kit, looking at Bud.
"Boys, thar's goin' ter be a 'rent rag' in the Butte ter-morrer night, an'
we all have an urgent bid ter be present."
"A what?" asked Stella.
"A 'rent rag.'"
"Who tore it?" asked Stella innocently.
At this the boys laughed loud and long, then apologized when they saw
Stella's embarrassment.
"It ain't tore yet," said Bud, "but it's lierble ter be before ther rosy
dawn."
"What are you talking about?" said Stella impatiently. "I never saw
such provoking boys. You say such strange things, then cackle over it
as though there was a joke in it, which nobody seems to see except
yourself."
"A 'rent rag' is a--'rent rag,'" said Kit, trying to explain.
"That sounds as sensible as the conundrum, 'Why is a hen?'" said Stella.
"Must I ask the question and get caught? All right, here goes. What is a
'rent rag'? Now, don't tell me, some one, that it is a rag that has been
torn, for I exploded that one myself."
"A 'rent rag,'" said Bud slowly and carefully, "is a rag for rent.
A--a--er--well, it's a--"
"Tell me, Ted," said the girl, turning to the leader of the outfit, who was
leaning back in his chair smiling at the ridiculous conversation.
"Well, as near as I can make out it is a bit of slang that means this: The
word 'rag' is the slang for a public dance. When a man in town who is
popular enough falls behind in paying his rent, through some
misfortune or other, and owes so much he cannot hope to pay it, he
hands out a flag that he wants help. In other words, it is an invitation to
his friends to organize a public ball for his benefit. It depends upon his

honesty and popularity whether or not they do so."
"That's the strangest thing I ever heard of."
"Well, if the thing goes through, a hall is rented and music is engaged,
the cost of which is to be deducted from the money taken at the door.
Then the man for whose benefit the ball is given and his wife prepare a
lot of sandwiches, fried chicken, and other eatables, and a tub or two of
lemonade, and help their profits along."
"So that is a 'rent rag,' eh? Who is the man for whom the dance is to be
given, Bud?" asked Stella.
"A feller named Martin, whose wife has been sick all summer,"
answered Bud. "From what they say, I reckon he's all right. Jest ter be a
good feller I bought ten tickets, at one bean per ticket."
"Is that all they are?" asked Stella. "Only one bean? Gracious, they'll
have to dispose of an awful lot of tickets to get enough beans to sell to
pay their rent with! Why don't they make it something else? I'd like to
contribute a dollar, at least. A bean a ticket, pshaw! How awfully cheap!
I guess he doesn't owe much."
At this remark the boys fairly cackled.
"Now, what are you laughing at?" cried Stella, almost angry. "I seem to
be more humorous to-night than I ever thought possible. I can hardly
say a word but you all start to laugh at me."
This was too much for the boys. They couldn't restrain themselves and
went off into peals of laughter. When they saw the danger signals of
two bright spots in Stella's cheeks, they realized that they had gone too
far, and all hastily tried to explain. But Ted was before them, and
quietly told Stella that in the expressive, if scarcely lucid, language of
the day a "bean," in the sense in which Bud had used it, meant a dollar.
"Such silly slang," said Stella, restored to good humor once more. "I
don't mind slang if it's clever and reveals or conceals or twists a word in
some sensible way, but a bean for a dollar--no, it won't do. The fellow
who invented that should try again. The only fun I can see in slang is its
aptness."
The boys murmured something to the effect that it wasn't a particularly
witty bit of slang, but they continued to grin at one another.
"Suppose we all go to the 'rent rag,'" said Stella suddenly. "I never saw
anything of the sort, and I'm crazy to go."
"It's likely to be pretty rough, and break up in a row before its natural

time," said Ted.
"We'll only stay a short while," said Stella. "But