The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-24
POWDER PUFF.
Maisie F. Birmingham. III Parsons
street, Brighton.

street, BrlgntOns
Copyright, 1921, by The Wheeler
Syndicate, 1nc.)
Just before the dinner gong
sounded, while the click of the type
writer's were still pounding their
busiest, the unbelievable happened.
Powder Puff cried. 1t wasn't a
pretense, for there she sat, with
her little brown head bent piteous-
" over her silent machine that US
uaIly moved so merrily and so
swiftly at the urging of her little
fingers. She was trying desperate
ly to hide the shame OF a woman's
tears in a business Office.
There was no apparent reason
for the sudden outburst. Indeed,
everyone else was smiling at the
time, for Buster, the Office funny
man, had just sung behind the
boss back side-splitting serenade.
"A Rose, A Rose, A Red, Red Rose"
to salute the blooming flower that
he wore SO unsuspectingly in his
buttonhole. The effort had met
with much silent applause and con-
cealed merriment And 1t was just
at that moment that Powder Puff
had cried.
Miss Pauline, whose first youth
had passed, but who refused OBJ
stinately~to acknowledge it, looked
disturbed. Under her frivolous
manner was hidden heart Of gold
and q wealth of sympathy. Scorn-
ing the furtive eyes Of the monarch
at the front desk, she took her way
to the weeping girl and spoke in a
gentle undertone:
whats the matter? A falling
out. between you and your baby
boy"
The brown head lying sc abjectly
PROSTATE on the inactive tipping ma
chine lifted SLOWLY, while one tear
filled eye looked warily out. After
quick inspection the eye was
again concealed but the head bow
ed brief acknowledgment.
Billie, the college graduate, who
was addicted, it was reported, to q
constant reading of Shakespeare in
his spare time, turned on his seat
in front of Powder Puff to scowl
upon the two beligerently.
Her Baby Boy!" he mumbled,
half audibly. "Such tomfoolery for
grown~women in the goth century.
And yet they have the vote. Heaven
save the country"
This fervent prayer was lost in
the hurry-scurry caused by the
noon hour release. Miss Polly seat
ed herself by the now quiet girl In
the deserted Office and looked con-
templative.
Il know I'm not much for conso-
lation in a case like this" she ad-
mitted awkwardly. II had only
one affair Of the heart and it came
out all wrong. It caused such q
hole in my life that / never had
the courage to try another. But II
l lived to get over it, you surely
CAM"
At that, Powder Puff raised her
u02u Auu AOOACV otIoA6ut up lutO
the eyes Of her kindly comforter.
Her face. usually so rouged and
powdered. looked strangely altered
now that the tears had wiped away
those aids to beauty. There was q
wonderful, wistful appeal in the
girlish eyes that were softened by
their bath in sorrows waters.
1T isn't any quarrel with any
body but myself" she confessed al
most breathlessly. You see, I'm
Just discouraged. I'm not really
iust a Powder Puff When. I was
at home everyone said was bril-
liant and bright, so I studied 90
hard to be clever and famous and
amount to something. Sometimes
/ thought people laughed at me be-
cause I was SO much in earnest.
Anyway, / lost faith in myself.
thought when my stories were
praised by people they did it Just
because they knew l. was trying
beyond everything"
$50 you wrote stories" breathed
the listener excitedly. All traces
OF her imitation Of thonHhtless
youth had yaniahed Ghs seemed