Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-13

cd, QuItt as II aCCUStOmGu 10 De Sought OUT
by portrait artists for my beauty. But
He will be greatly disappointed if you
do not consent" urged the man. His
heart is really set on taking some thor
oughly good pictures of you. Pardon me
for saying it, but really, madam, it is a
shame for those parodies on your looks TO
be going about. OF course. you could have
, as as many for your own use as you desired.
Florine only wishes the portrait for his
studio-to add to his collection of beauti-
ful Chicago women
When does he want me to conner
asked cautiously, for / would not seem
eager, though at heart I was flattered be-
yond all bounds at this recognition of my
beauty. Il am a very busy woman
Set your own time, madam, was the re-
ply. ''F'lorine will accommodate his time
and his other patrons to your convenience
With show Of reluctance. / set day
| the following week, for it will not do to let
people feel that they are doing you favor.
But when he departed l allowed myself a
| little dance around the room me? Johna-
phene Henning? The wife of grocer? The
little bashful Kansas maiden? What will they
all say? Although for that matter, none of
them shall ever know that did not pay a
round price for my pictures"
Just as was going forth an hour later
to a committee meeting, l met another
caller in the hail.
only a moment of your time" he said
Il represent the publishing house Of Blank
Brothers, who are getting out the finest
book on Modern Women that has ever
Deen puDllS0eQ. VI course, YOU must be
represented In it. May l not take your
name and have your picture-a fine one
for the book?"
Il am just going out" I answered icily,
for 1t pleased my dignity to be reserved at
that moment; Il have not a moment to
spare. Perhaps / added with an access
of graciousness as the young man turned
| to pick up his hat, perhaps you would
10? l am about to have some pictures
done by F'lorine," with careless air as
If this was common occurrence-"and i
might be able to give you one later
He thanked me and promised to call next
morning-and l hurried to the committee
| meeting. On my way home 1 stopped at
an exclusive tailoring establishment, where
the new shirt waists in the window at
tracted my attention Here, too, l was
known.
rs not this the president of the Nota
Bene Club?" asked one of the proprietors
who CHANGED to be standing near as l ex-
| amined the waists. Il thought go. 1 was
at the 'gentlemen's night as a guest. No,
my wife is not a member, nor is my daugh-
ter. We just happened to be the guests of
a slight acquaintance of my wife's-Mrs
Dillingham;"
/ knew her and recalled that the people
for whom she had purchased tickets had
failed her at the last minute, and that she
had bestowed the tickets upon a neighbor
1T was brilliant occasion" he pursued;
Il must congratulate you, madam, on the
ease and graciOusness of your bearing
While presiding over the after-dinner eX-
ercises. l never saw it better done. 1 am
delighted to have you call on us, madam
Jenkins, bring out that box over there on
the right. No, not that. Mrs. Henning
does not care to see cheap waist. The
one at the very top. Yes. Now, madam,
| is not that pretty waist? We fiatter
| ourselves We have gone just a trifle ahead
OF any other store in Chicago on waists.
I will attend to Mrs. Henning. Madam. I
that is, the firm-will take 1t as a favor
if you will take three Of these prettest
waists home, or let me send them; we are
want to see them on the right persons.
AS said, it will be favor to us as
firm. If you will let me send Them
blushed and hesitated. The tempta-
stylish than anything Chicago had yet
seen. and nobody need know. After his
offer, I did not like to ask the price, but
one could see they were expensive.
of course. no one beyond my partner and
myself would know they Were gift he
went on. seeing my hesitation. I'm fact.
we should not consider them a gift, but
rather that you. paid for them over and
SO doing show them far better than we
could
Since you put it in that way" 1 began
FOR the waists were appealing and my
pocket book was thin just then, you may
send them. But it would not 90 to have
T. known"
1T certainly would not do for U.S." he re-
piled with an inscrutable smile, for We
should hardly want to give every club wo-
| man in Chicago one of these waists
bsde him a gracious adieu and hurr' ed
home to lunch. But that very afternoon
brought me a note from a prominent shoe
firm, asking permission for the manager
to call in person at an early date.
Now l am seeing what the perqu'stes
OF office are l told myself with a smile
But wrote by return post and set an hour
for the second morning after.
The Modern Women" representative
came saw and conquered to the extent of
getting me to subscribe for twenty-do!lar
book and furnishing him with plenty of
material for a sketch. j also promised him
a ''Florine" picture, and bound myself to
pay for the engraving which was to adorn
the volume. The waists came home and
fitted so beautifully that 1 felt sure they
would be the envy of all the younger wo-
men in the Nota Bene; and on the morning
of the second day came the shoe manu-
facturer-a handsome, agreeable person of
polished manners
which we have been al work for two years
past" he explained, land we want your
opinion Of it,
Miner 1 asked in some surprise for my
footgear had never been the means of maxi
ing my opinion on the finest shoes in the
world of great value.
Yes, yours he answered with a smile
Fastening to add: You see, after studying
by no means sure that we have got the best
yet; and it is nothing short of the best that
we must have. We are asking several Of
the most prominent women here to let us
make them few pair of these shoes, in
order that they may give them a thorough
trial. That is what we are asking you to do
for us-simply to wear some of our differ
ent Styles and to let us know frankly after
a few weeks, just how they fit and how
they wear. In a word, if there is any way
by which they can be improved, you will
be doing us a favor if you will show 1t to
us. May not take your measure and have
some of our fine shoes sent yOu-simply as
trial? 1t commits you to nothing and
we should appreciate it as a kindness.
"Since you put it that way" 1 said II
see no reason why should not try your
shoes. l am sure you were very good to
think of me at all. There are so many 9TH
ers whose opinion would have more
weight"
That's as one looks at it," he replied in
his smoothest tones. I'VE came to you be-
cause 1t was your opinion we priced not
some other womans," and he produced a
small measure from one of his pockets.
May / take your measure here?"
l slipped off my low shoe and put out my
foot. It was a shapely one. i noted
afresh with some degree of satisfaction.