The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-09-29
BEAUTYS BIDDING
BY ALICE J. FORSYTH

Wednesday night, Just before went
to bed, the big idea came, like all UNI
expected gift of real gold. was lcan'
ing on my elbows listening to Eva
HerrIck dssertating about her favorIte
cold cream, and what Madame So-and-
So had told her was the proper way to
rub the stuff In. Three OF us, hard !
workers, lodged In the upper attic
room Of the Fletcher's boarding house
on Beacon Hill.
II hadn't taken much Ingenuity to
make il sort OF paradise TO return
TO each evening.
We had each managed TO acquire a
comfy chair, and in these we were
severaly rep0slng preparatory 10
seeking sleep. Eva declared that
proper attention to ones looks meant
terrible lot to the working woman,
who got too little out-of-door exercise
to keep the natural pink In her cheeks.
She looked at me critically for few
moments, her hand poised in the act
OF the proper upward rub under the
right eye.
"Say, Belle how do you do III II is
right down mean OF you to have such
wonderful color, and me here talking
so fast about acquiring 1t. Look at
her, Nell !"
lunged forward until my face came
opposite the cheval glass, and looked
at myself We all looked hard. We all
agreed that | was mighty lucky. And
then things began to buzz In my head
| had worked pretty hard at the Office
that day, and nothing had gone just
right, besides which | could not see
that It was getting me anywhere. Jim
Bryant. a clever young clerk, had been
shouting around all day about chaps
getting out on his own, and not work
ing for a salary, even II he took TO
farming something the other fellow
had abandoned II is strange how
easy this money making sounds when
you hear the other fellow talking
about It.
Make the most Of your collateral"
Jim Bryant had said. "Slze up your
assets"
Now, If do say 1t as shouldn't, my
only assets are my beaux yeux, MS
Madame So-and-So would call them.
Well, why not? | smiled a slow, cheer.
ful grin, and somehow the girls knew
that / had hit the nail on the head.
That's the way 1t started, my bust
ness Of creating beauty for others. The
following Sunday mornings papers
blazoned an awfully cute advertise
ment, and from then on our delight.
full nest in the attic became my place
of business. And | was busy, too,
strange MS It may seem, but the
strangest part of all was getting used
to the name Of Mile. Pretty.
Mrs. Gibson came first, with a repu.
tation rs a professional beauty to pre-
serve though her soul perish Then
little Betty Enderhurst, tagged from
last nights late supper dance, rushed
in and demanded to be made ready
for dinner that night, where she was
TO meet somebody quite special She
looked at me cnylousy and sighed,
and | knew just What was In her
heart, and did my best for her
7 But why 60 over the list? Every.
body knows what the right kind of an
advertisement VIII do. There were
eight the first day not so bad for a
beginning.
II took a heap Of tact, | finally got
Mrs Gibson to leave off wearing pink
shades and to wear only blues. Little
Betty had to be told that haste and
too much enthusiasm are faiIguing
and only make one look fustered.
helped her cultivate very delightful
repose. l congratulated myself on q
cause Ind put my heart into my
work.
All my visitors thought our room
, quite unusual and exactly what they
, had thought SO often a beauty paror
should be like They did not suspect
that on several occasions two girls
were hidden behind the big screen
getting pointers, and almost choking
with laughter.
jim Bryants married sister had
, been OVERRIDING hospitality that win
: ter, and Mrs Gibson brought her t,
me, without previous notification
Grace Bryant who had sometime,
u called ut our Office to steal Jimmy fol
, tea dance or to help entertain some
girl visitors, recognized me at once
as was natural, since / am, as | sale
before, not altogether ugly. Her ideas
, like those Of my ancestors, were along
narrow plane. Mrs. Gibson never
came again, but whenever saw her
she was wearing a becoming shade
" of blue. | wondered If she thanked
! me down deep in her heart.
i While Betty Enderhurst got III,
!. reputation for outdoing the Baltmor,
bellies In their lazy ease Of manner
!, | stood on the edge of failure, watch
Ing my fine, fat bank account slppin.
slowly away into the haze of ruin
Then again | awoke to the poSSihil