The Glenwood post., 1922-07-13
BEAuTYs BIDDING
3, ALICE J. FORSYTH

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q. 1922. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
Wednesday night just before l went
to bed, the big idea came, like an un-
expected gift of real gold. l was lean
ing on my elbows listening to Eva
Herrick dissertating about her favOrite
cold cream, and what Madame So-and-
SO had told her vas the proper way to
rub the stuff in. Three of us, hard
workers, lodged in the upper attic
room of the Fletchers boarding house
on Beacon Hill.
1t hadn't taken much ingenuity to
make it sort of paradise to return
to each evening.
We had each managed to acquire a
comfy chair, and in these we were
severally reposing preparatory to
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 it? 1t is
right down mean of you to have such
wonderful color, and me here talking
so fast about acquiring it. Look at
her, Nell ~ .... sH
lunged forward until my face came
opposite the cheval glass, and looked
at myself. We all looked hard. We all
agreed that I was mighty lucky. And
then things began to buzz in my head.
l 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, clever young clerk, had been
shouting around all day about chaps
getting out on his own, and not work
ing for salary, even if he took TO
farming something the other fellow
had abandoned. 1t is strange how
easy this money making sounds when
you hear the other fellow talking
about 1t.
Make the most of your collateral
Jim Bryant had said "Size up your
assets"
Now, II do say it as shouldn't, my
only assets are my beaux yeux as
Madame So-and-SO would call them
Well, why not? l smiled slow, cheer
full grin, and somehow the girls knew
that 1 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 1 was busy, too,
strange as 1t may seem, but the
strangest part of all was getting used
to the name of Mile Pretty.
Mrs Gibson came first, with q repu.
tation as 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 envlously and sighed
and I knew Just what was in her
heart, and did my best for her.
But why go over the list3 Every
body knows what the right kind Of an
advertisement will do. There were
eight the first day, not so bad for a
beginning.
1t took a heap Of tact. 1 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 fatiguing
and only make one look hustered. l
helped her cultivate a very delightful
repose. congratulated myself on a
very genuine success, deserved be-
cause 1 had put my heart into my
work.
All my visitors thought our room
quite unusual and exactly what they
had thought SO often 4 beauty parlor
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 Bryant's married sister had
been overriding hospitality that win
ter, and Mrs. Gibson brought her to
me, without previous notification.
Grace Bryant, who had sometimes
called at our office to steal Jimmy for
a tea dance or to help entertain some
girl visitors, recognized me at once,
as was natural, since l am, as said
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 becoming shade
Of blue. I wondered If she thanked
me down deep in her heart.
While Betty Enderhurst got the
reputation for outdoing the Baltimore
bellies in their lazy ease of manner,