New-York tribune., 1921-05-15

three noses since last Yom Kippur They
amt worth it, ] say"
1t was true that the figures didn't look as
though they would bring much trade in the
door. They were not only fast losing any re-
semblance to the human race but it hardly ap-
peared as if there had ever been much like
ness. Besides being shopworn and dowdy,
their faces were flat, their features broad and
their hair .barbaric. They were, manifestly
very low-browed wax figures. Still, there
could be no harm done in hearing their story
They hadn't much to tell They were un-
Travelled and uncultured. No one of them had
ever been north of Fourteenth Street. They
thought Harlem was the country and Coney
foreign land. Their big day came the time
they were sent up Second Avenue on approval
They were back the same night, vetoed by
one-eyed gent who couldn't recognize class
when he saw it.. But they bore no grudge
against life. They expected little and were
glad to get it.
How much do you want for the lot?''
asked the dame in charge.
What do you want 'em for?"
GAS q souvenir of Division Street."
Go chase yourself she sad and it seemed
an suspicious moment to withdraw
With the interviews thus crossed off the
list, felt free to Seek out the home of the
wax figures, to penetrate their Latin Quarter.
1t lies east and west Of Fifth Avenue, south of
the Dead Line, bordering on Greenwich Village
but not intruding. There is, for instance, Joe
Spieles on West Fourteenth Street
To be exact, there are Joe and Mrs. joe
They have their studio back of tailor shop
up one fight. Joe has been in the business,
on and off, for nearly thirty years. He makes
new figures and repairs old ones running
what might be called general utility shop.
Joe is something of an internationalist. At the
moment of being discovered at his workbench
he was fastening the final doodangs to China
mans queue
"Yah," said Joe, "it don't make no difference
to me. make 'em all, sooner or later in wax
use live models, do you?"
Joe nodded.
"Who, by chance" asked, Sis that pippin
over there behind the stove, the one with the
bent neck and the yellow hair?"
Immediately Joe was on his guard "What
you wantin' to know about her for?' he de-
manded.
"Just for the romance of it, She doesn't
look as though she belonged-weu. down
here behind the stove Not meaning any harm
about her.
Joe hesitated It was plain that he was con-
Quoting mental debate with himself on the
professional etiquette of revealing to COM
plete stranger the Identity of his prize pupil
Sure you're not going to put anything
about her in the papers?"
Holding up my right hand l promised
"Well, it's this way" said joe showing
eagerly ahead into the story he had been dy-
ing to tell ever since the subject had been
brought up. "That's Kitty Collins, daughter
of plumber by rights, but Kitty don't men
tion that often She set for me the first time
five years ago tomorrow, Kitty did. / told
her then she was going to be a winner some
day, but she just laughed and told me to cult
my kiddin'.
Il done Kitty natural as life and sent her
out to the trade, and the response was what
you might call amazin'. Everybody liked
Kitty right away and wrote in for more
models. There was something about her look
and her shape that got folks proper Dis
played prominent in corner window Kitty