Middletown transcript., 1915-07-24
CHAPTER v.

Suddenly she sat up and looked
round toward the office. She was
keenly alive again, Immediately. If love
made her stupid and sluggish, hate
could revive her. Rosamund Gale!
The sight of her stang Flodie like a
whip. Here she was again, now, OF
all times, when everything was askew, |
Rosamund Gale, the professional
model, Rosamund the beautiful, Rosa
mund the arrogant, the spoiled! Flo
die disliked her, from her hair to her
heels, disliked her name, her man
ners, her reputation, and, most Of all,
her photographs. Hall Bonistelle used
her often for his commercial pictures
which he sold for advertisements, for
magazine covers, for art supplements.
"Spring"-Mlss Gale In damp cheese
cloth with apple blossoms; "The Suf-
ragette"-Miss Gale in tailormade suit,
gesticulating; and so on-Flodie al
ways slapped the prints angrily with
an irritated "Choo!" before she put
them away. She would have been glad
to slap Rosamund. Hall posed her, ar
ranged draperies, touched her hair,
moved her hands-all exquisite agony
for Flodie.
Say, where's Hall?" Rosamund
made a picture Of herself in the door
way. Golden fair, highly colored. pic
turesque, even voluptuous, always in
striking original costumes daringly
artistic" Rosamund, with all her
dlmples, her curls, her lines" and
her strange colors let Flodie have the
full disconcerting effect of her beauty.
She had the air of one who is quite
used to being stared at and admired.
Flodie rose, her face set. "Mr.
Bonistelle is busy, Miss Gale" she
said, and walked toward the Office. as
If to brush the visitor back.
Rosamund, however, would recog-
nize no mere menial; she swept into
the studio as if she owned the place.
"All right, I'll hang round a while till
he's free. Say, Miss Fisher, fish me
out a couple of those last poses, will
you? l want to give one to gentle
man friend. Here-take this boa out
there and hang it up, while you're go
ing. dyou mind?"
"Oh, certainly" said Flodie, took
the boa and-an apparent accident
dropped it. Rosamund made an angry
gesture. "Oh, pardon me, I'm so care
less" said Flodie. Then carrying II
artfully, so that a full foot Of II
dragged along the floor, she marched
out Of the studio, chin up.
Rosamund looked about for a ciga
rette, and found box on a tabouret
"Oh, Miss Fisher!" she sang, bring
me a match, will your" Then SHE
yawned, and threw herself lazily oI
the couch. She began to whistle.
Flodie, returning, noticed that Rosa
mund showed too much silk stocking
also that one stocking had begun t
run" She noticed that RosamundI
shirtwaist was not quite fresh, notices
that her nails though highly polished
we're not absolutely-well-chas
One heel was a bit run over; he
moonstone ring needed cleaning; lace
part real and part imitation; eyebrow
lengthened a little with the pencil
tiny rip in her glove. There was moth
ing an ordinary man would have seen
nothing that would have hurt, for him
the whole effect, even had he seen it
hut Flodie saw and damned and sal
no word.
Here are the matches, Miss Gale
I'll look up the prints this Afternoon
when l have more time"
"Oh, thanks. Have cig7" Ross
mund held them up impertinentlI
ooh, don't you smoker" Very sarcai
tic was Rosamund's tone. mo, yo
don't look it, exactly" She laughe
easily, confident of her own superio
appearance.
Flodfe's lips grew white; 1t woul
not take much more to make her or.
"Oh, I'd hardly expect you to unde
stand" she managed to say. an
turned to go.
"Oh, / understand you all right
guess. Say. what are all those fanC
evergreen wreaths doing out in the O
fee, anyway" She was blowing RIM
very p-ettily.
"oh. Mr. Bonistelle is going to hay
a party tonight"
Really? I'll have to ask him abol
that" She examined her finger nail
"I believe I'll come"
"I'm sorry, but the invitations wel
all sent out over week ago. Mi
Gale"
Mine must have been address,
wrong"
'I don't think ever make that XII
Of a mistake"
aNIon said Rosamund deliberatel