Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-11-18
An Unintentional Hurt.

An Unintenti0nal Hurt.
/ thought a great deal about
what Gloria had told me as l
pulled my "built-in" bed from out
the dining room buffet.
My life had changed as COM
pletely in the last three weeks as
that bed which masqueraded as a
buffet in the daytime was a change
from the old four-poster which my
mother and other ancestors had
used for centuries way back in old
Virginia.
Vaguely / seemed to understand
that I had entered nito an entirely
new world-a world where 1t Is up
to the girl every minute "a siren
uous world where no one but the
girl herself can decide-a world
of opportunity beset by dangerous
temptation world where the
girl has to fight not only for her
! daily bread but for her very soul.
l wondered if Gloria and the
girls who, like her, had had to
fight these battles over and over
had lost any Of that feminine
charm had been tuaght to con-
slider woman's greatest fascina
tion.
! True, Gloria had lost every inti
nation of helplessness, but as
thought of her in her varying
moods, felt that she was the most
interesting little creature l had
ever met.
1 contrasted her with Naomi
my childhood friend, and the pic
ture was SO utterly at variance
that laughed aloud. This
brought Gloria back into the room.
She was picture of girlish
beauty. There was no charm miss
ing from that radiant face or
slender form which was thinly
covered by her null nightdress.
No girl who had lived under the
protection of home and family
could have had sweeter express
sion. She looked as though she
might have stepped out of pom
that had been forever hemmed
about with those who had kept
every shadow of adversely and so
phistication from her.
Her red brown hair had been
brushed until every strand of 1t
chingled about her face, frame
like.
She looked at me moment as
fas busily twisting my hair about
my fingers.
"oh, your hair is naturally
curly! How beautiful" she ex-
claimed as she touched one of the
curls that was hanging down my
neck.
"It is not more beautiful than
yours" I answered. I'm fact
I'like yours better; it is so nice and
wavy. While mine, you see, just
curls up in little wringlets."
"Virgie, you are constant
source of joy to me--you dear
child. Don't you know that my
hair has been permanently
waved?"
"what is that?"
"Oh, it means that it has been
baked and toasted for hours while
sat in misery, expecting every
moment TO be burned by the cleo
trio current which heated every
little pad about which it was
rolled. 1t cost me s25, but thank
heaven it lasts six months. And
you may be sure that no matter
how hot the day is your hair will
not come out of curl in the middle
OF picture. So
'Must girl in the movies have
curly hair?" l asked rather COM
placently as I twisted, some Of
mine around my finger.
why, my dear child, don't you
know that curly hair is'about' half
the stock in trade of a girl who
wants to make an impression upon
director? But what were you
laughing at as came in2"
Il was just trying to imagine
what Aunt Virginia and grand
father and Eddie Montforth and
all the rest would say about me. +"
"They would undoubtedly say.
virgie. that l was not fit company
for you. And yet. I am not sure.
virgie. that I am not better than
you are with all your ancestors.
You don't know yet what you viii
do under stress OF circumstance
1 do. You have never been tempt