The Tale of Tune Town

The girl at the ticket office coldly counted out my change and I walked past the doorman into the dance hall. The hazy blue smoke of Tune Town engulfed me and I felt the familiar excitement stirring within me.

The swinging doors shut out the city and served to isolate this tiny world of fantasy. On the floor dancers were swaying and shuffling, obedient to the musical commands from the band.

I edged my way through the crowd on the sidelines towards the bar. A friendly hand grasped my shoulder and I turned to confront my Tune Town buddy, Al Ross.

"Over here, I've got a table," he said and led me to a little chrome mushroom he had captured. Al ordered me a beer while I looked about to get my bearings. The little blond seated alone on the long settee looked appetizing and lonely. I made a mental note and gave my attention to my host. We exchanged the usual small talk. I asked, "how was the insurance business?" and in response to Al's polite inquiry, told him about current business conditions at the machine shop.

We turned our eyes and talk towards the milling throng on the edge of the dance floor. The stags were stalking to and fro on their ageless quest while the girls mostly stood or sat in place, coolly returning the furtive glances of the hunters.

"The dopes, why are they knocking themselves out? They spend time, energy and money seeking the company of some lecherous female only to discover they've been defrauded. It they only knew it, the fellows that strike out are the lucky ones."

"Do I detect a somber overtone in your voice?" I queried. The blond on the settee met my glance and I lost the first few words of Al's reply.

"...at least be honest about it. It takes no detective to understand what the fellows are after. But look at those treacherous females. They pretend to be virtue personified yet who know what lusts are hidden behind the facade of those innocent seeming faces."

"A good point," I agreed, "but are you going to allow your philosophy to rule your behavior or will you go on enjoying these disgusting pleasures of the flesh?"