The Washington times., 1921-09-11

graphs for permanent exhibition at the
Boston Salon. The photograph of Miss
Fischer was unanimously picked as the
best. ~....
Someone said enthusiastically, she is
the best-looking girl in America"
And Immediately the phrase and the pho
tograph, reproduced here were sent wide
spread all over the country.
It made no difference that at Miss
Fischer's request the Associated Photogra-
pliers sent earnest letters to the news
papers, emphatically declaring that they
had not called her "the- most beautiful girl
in America"-that the prize had been Is
sued for the photograph. Denials never
caught up with the original story. The
few brief. .half-angry interviews that she
gave were expanded more and more. She
had become celebrity And there was
nothing she could do to stop 1t,
The letters of wooeys who had never seen
her began to arrive within a few days o;
the original vote on the photograph. With
every mail their number increased. At
first the girl was inclined to consider It all
a huge joke. She showed the letters to
her girl friends. They giggled over them
together But after some weeks the re-
cipient grew very tired. It became annoy.
ing to find that every time she met friend
she was asked, How many proposals have
you now?' The thing ceased to be joke
and became a nuisance. Miss Fischer got
the Associated Photographers to seek
correction in order that the annoyance
might come to an end.
But the flow Of letters continued-and a
curious reaction to them began. Miss
Fischer was fond Of dancing and parties
and she was popular with the boys Of her
set. The advertisement she had received
made her more popular. Boys who had
been more or less casual now gathered
around her at every opportunity. 1t came
to her that they were Boosting Of the mum
Der of dances they had had with her. 1t
became something Of distinction to- know
"the prize beauty" ....
Some of the tactless youngsters said as
much at times! -
And the parents of Miss Fischer found
that this was more than annoying; 1t was
subtly undermining their daughters youth.
full viewpoint on life. ..~
Before the incident of the photograph
Miss Fischer had been accepted for her
own worth among her friends, Of whom she
had many She was undeniably good look
ing-but so were other girls in her set.
Young men bad sought her company in
genuine admiration for her beauty and
charm; they liked her comradeship and
their compliments we're natural and spon-
taneous.
But Il began to dawn on the girl during
the FRS. year after the Indianapolis con-
yention that this old, friendly relationship
had changed. Even some OF her old boy
friends, the boys most eager to be seen In
her company, were stiited and extravagant
when they tried to say mice Things" to
her They took her to dances and strutted
as she walked beside them. She had
ridiculous feeling that she was being
placed on display. and she resented 1t.
In the meantime the letters continued TO
come. and somehow Ter friends. heard Of
them even long after she had lost all APP
probation of The joke. The letters by this
time had Become a scourge. They repre-.
sented a constant reminder OF the old days
when she was Just Gertrude Fischer, and
not a prize beauty" Sometimes she read
them and laughed at the ardent protesta-
lions of love from men she had never seen
nor heard Of before. Another times. she
threw them into a trunk with the others
after glance had shown her that they
were mash notes" ~
A major In the American army was ono
Of the most persistent letter writer's. The