Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-12-04
Toilet
By CEClLY ALLEN.
Copyright. 1907, by E. c. PARCELS.
By cEcILY ALLEN.


Bring on the hot rolls, Violet" said
Mrs. Brent In her sharp. decisive tones.
The tall. angular girl thus admon-
lshed returned 10 the kitchen and then
the deluge Of merrimenti
Young Graham, the superintendent
OF the beet sugar factory, bit bis lip,
then choked over an infinitesimal scrap
Of breakfast food. Professor Kinds of
the high school faculty cleared his
throat, then, with fork and knife up
raised in an attitude much decried IN
! the modern books on etiquette, stared
blankly after the retreating figure.
Bessie Layton. the stenographer at the
Sampson Implement Offices, she OF the
fluffy pompadour and retrousse nose.
giggled. then hastily swallowed a
spoonful OF coffee which promptly went
down her Sunday throat" and this on
Thursday morning. And simultaneous
~ gale of laughter swept around the
circle OF boarders az Mrs. Brents select
and "homelike" establishment.
To the accompaniment OF this laugh
ter Violet passed the hot rolls from
boarder 10 bOarder, little dreaming
that she was responsible for the unto
ward merriment Not that laughter
and merrlment were uncommon at Mrs.
Brent's. The cheerful atmosphere Of
her boarding house as much as her
own good cookery kept the same circle
Of guests there year after year. Only
Professor Kinds. the new principal Of
the high school, and pretty Grace Saun-
ders were newcomers this season. And
Violet-yes. Violet was the new wait
ress Violet
AS she thrust the delicious rolls I'M
der Fred Graham's shaking shoulders
he remembered, coughed and ex-
claimed:
THAT was the best story YOU ever
told. Mrs Brent"
Grace Saunders shot him grateful
glance, but Professor Kinds looked up
blankly as II trying TO remember the
story that had never been told. Then,
as Violet again disappeared through
the kitchen door. he murmured
"Most incongruous Never saw any
! thing further removed from a shrink
ing. delicate violet in my llfe-six
feet. if she's an inch. Funny how par
ents do select such inappropriate names
for their children! Violet. Ought to
have called her Sunfowerw
But. professor. You must bear in
mind that the name was bestowed
when the girl measured perhaps twelve
inches. Babies measure about foot,
don't theyT' And young Graham gazed
inqulringly at his fellow boarders.
Probably was one of those dainty.
fragile sort of babies that shoot up
like bean poles later ON. Did that my
self, my mother tells me-"
Half an hour later Grace Saunders
returned to the dining room intending
10 ask Mrs Brent some questions re
garding the best stores in the town.
She found Violet darting about the Ia
hle clearing away crumbs setting back
chairs. etc. with n worried look on her
face. Mrs. Brent came In from the
Kitchen.
There. Violet don't you try 10
straighten up the whole place. You'll
be late to school. It's five blocks Ia
the business college. you know. and
you've got your dress to change yet"
"Oh. are you going to the business
colegeT' inquired Grace. The tall.
slender girl stopped untying her apron
al the cordial note In the boarder's
voice. II am so glad because l am
going there too. Today Is my first. and
II will be so nice TO see familiar
face"
Then as suddenly az II had awaken
ed the expression OF delighted antici-
patton died I'm Niolet's face. She re-
membered. She was the waitress at
Mrs Brents waitress for her board
and room, and Miss Grace Saunders
was the daughter of millionaire
ranch owner and cattle raiser IN the
southern part OF the state. Mrs Brent
and the rest OF the help I'm the llitch
en- had said II was most remarkable
that a girl with such father should
not be studying In an eastern college
instead of an unknown business col
lege in an obscure western city.
But Grace Saunders was not the sort
of girl TO be snubbcd. When school
closed that afternoon Violet Andrews
found that Grace could keep pace with
her and would not accept the excuse
that there was work awaiting the pm
Pill waitress in the Brent home
"Come into my room tonight and We
VIII go over those dreadful curlycucS
together" Grace urged as she turned
into the front door at the Brent house.
while Violet wheeled TO the walk lead
ing TO the kitchen. Something told her
that shadow had come into that girls
life since morning. that here was Il
chance where she herself might be
tsirfa III ~-sr tC1Y e.trx-d
I'm the class OF girls who simply must
be Of cheer and service TO their fe-
low creatures.
The curlycues were not gone over
however for within two minutes after
Violet had entered Miss Saunders
room they were talking OF more per.
sonal matters.
II know now why the men all laugh
ed at the table this morning. II was
me. They laughed at the business col
lege too. What is wrong with mef"
Grace glanced up at the angular yet
passionate quiverlng figure. A high
pompadour crowned long narrow
face. and enormous black bows stood
out on either side OF her long thin
throat like bat wings. Her frock was
absolutely tight fitting. accentuatlnc
every angular line