The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-07-29
CHAPTE Err TX.
The Beauty Prize

Il ne following sunday Rome mad It's
yonder--a specially wonder
lone in three colors on the front
)age OF the Sunday sup. There was
demand for the Chronicle at the
function depot after the one.ten train
nd at the postoffice news stand which
'!old out every paper and the agents
elegraphed to Burlington for more
There was none in Earlvilie. the two
owns forgot their chickering's and
sazed-many Sunday dinner was
delayed while they gabbled about
Aurelie Lindstrom's picture with its
,hree-color' border of cupids and
hearts ana darts and young men in
svening clothes tangled in spiders
webs and all the sort OF thing that
publishers use TO embellish whatever
hey print about girls
As Mr.. Curran OF the News often
'emarked, as he fingered the maya
ines at the postoffice news stand and
opened his Sunday paper, the Ameri.
an people were perfectly crazy about
girls if,their art and literature went
or anything. But Rome, Iowa, wasn't.
Young men that sunny Novemb Der
Sunday drove their sweethearts out
he quarry road. feet on the dash.
boards, chewing their gum, gazing
at Miss Lindstrom's picture. peering
turtively al the Lindstrom house. and
then drove back no wiser than be.
fore Not glimpse OF the three
color beauty winner did they get And
on all the buggy rides and walking
home from the young peoples ser
vices 1t was agreed that she was pre-
posterously oyerrated. And in all
|'the comments-sarcastic, belittling,
cruel-ran the note OF inquiry: what
would the bootlegger's girl do now?
Aurelie sat In a sort of bewilder.
ment when Knute brought the first
Sunday Chronicle home. When John
came back from church he saw II
On the floor and tore the offending
picture from the page Then he or
dered her harshly To go to her room,
and the girl obeyed In the chill of
the tiny chamber she sat staring at
the little silver crucifx hanging over
her mirror Old Michigan crept in
after a while, when the buzz OF silly
neighbor women grew too much for
him in the kitchen. He sat on the
edge OF Aurelie's little white bed and
drew her down until her hair was
tangled In his shaggy beard.
Done come up-river," he whis-
pered Ito occupy the land, Reckon
So Don't mind. John. my little girl
He's hard with his religion. but he s
meanin' we'll Law done drove him
TO his bitterness and exile, and give
him hate stead OF love. But my girl
he can't change a hair Of your head,
Or the pink of your pretty cheek"
And then she cried as Aurelie rare
ly cried; and crept 10 the old whisky
peddler and all the afternoon they
huddled together TO keep warm. while
Mrs. Lindstroms silly chatter TO the
neighbor women went on, and the
boys sat apart in awe as II some
tragedy had fallen on them. The Cos.
sip OF the town went on The next
day young Butts OF the Mercury
Journal drove from Earlville to in
J terview her. and met gaunt fever
ish-eyed man who ordered him away,
his shotgun lying handily across the
rail fence. The correspondent saw
two ragged tow-headed children and
lean-hipped COW or two beyond the
forlorn shanty and that was all Be
yond was the corn patch. and the
other implanted cottages OF the quar-.
rymen, and then the gray bluff with
Its never.ceasing roar and dust cloud
from Thad Tanners quarry.
Some curious town people tried TO
call Lindstrom gave them the same
grim welcome. And all the week the
town seethed with curiosity. Prim
misses read the newspapers more as
siduously than ever before; and the
Chronicle felicitated itself and
spread" with more details OF vAu-
relies Enthusiastically setting loose
horde OF canvassers all over the
state to work up subscriptions. Civ.
Ing away a half-tone OF the beauty
winner with each.
What does II mean" Illuminated
the Chronicle. for this little country
girl to be announced as the most
beautiful woman In the country? In
the first place II means admiration.
love. Tha' Is first in every woman 3
heart OF hearts. Hundreds OF thou.
sands OF men have gazed on her pic
ture and felt their hearts moved
Thousands have written declaring
hey adored her. Sincere. honest men.
some OF them laborers, some million.
aires. have offered their hands to the