Evening star., 1922-02-26

| "Ah, QUIZ" said the maid. "Msieu
Lafleur? Toute de suite"
+ + X \
| A ND. as Inez had hinted, he's the
most ladylike Frenchy you could
imagine. His frock coat fits him like
swallows wing, his hair shines as
! If it had been vanished. and no flap
per member of the Follies could do
! more things to her face than he'd
the lipstick. I'll say he was a
smooth article. But he skidded bad
1y when, after a quick glance from
one to the other of US, he picks me
| as the customer.
"Ah. ma'mselle," says he, how may
we serve?"
| Mrs. Trueman," says 1, nodding at
her. needs a complete outfit"
| He takes another look, gives a
shuddery motion with his shoulders,
and f1utters his long white fingers.
! think l heard him murmur some
| thing like "C'est impossible" too, SO
steps up and whispers in his ear:
"Rich widow from the tall sticks" !"
Those seemed to be the magic words.
! "Mais oui!" says he. 1--WE shall do
our best for madam"
| "And say" goes on, don't fritter
away any time showing US size six
| teen stuff. I'm told you have an
| heiress model here who's a perfect
| So. Let's see some street frocks on
her."
| "Certainment!" says he. his beady
black eyes lighting up. Mselle
! Inez. 1t shall be no other"
With that he parks US in couple
| of Spanish chairs, tucks velvet cush-
| ions under our feet, and spends ten
| minutes arranging the lights. Then
| he claps his hands, the curtains of
! the little stage slide back and out
| steps 1nez in a spiffy street costume
with fiat lines that drop straight
from the shoulder. OF course, Isknow
| that she weighs $50. and that she has
| hips; but in that dress no one but
an expert would guess it.
| For a minute or SO Inez doesn't
notice who is in the audience, but
+, when she does get sight of me and
! catch my wink she doesn't bat an
! eyclash. ] can tell, though. by the
| fiickery smile on her lips, that she's
enjoying the situation in her own
quiet way.
As for Mrs. Trueman, she simply
+, stared fascinated, like kid from the
country watching a circus parade.
Only after the third dress had been
| shown did she venture to whisper:
! Perfectly stunning! But do you
think, Trilby May. that 1 could wear
| such things?"
! Absolutely" says I.
But they are $3.50 short" she
. protested.
well. you haven't any knobs on
| your ankles, have you?" / asked.
Like those last two. do you? Very
| well, Mr.. Lafieur; we'll have a fitting
| on those and you may send them
| right away. Now some dinner frocks."
Those got her still more bug-eyed.
| but I insisted that she pick out q
! couple.
| I'm certain I shall not dare wear
| them," she whispered. "They-they
have no sleeves"
! Anything the matter with your
arms?' I asked. "And you're not
hump-shouldered. are you? Then
| that's all right. Send them, Mr..
Lafleur."
X X + x
AN hour later. after the filter had
finished with her and I had COL
lected the account from Lafieur, I
led her to writing desk and put a
pen in her hand.
''Now don't pass away" warned
her. /"Just shut your eyes and sign
your name. I'll fill In the rest after
! ward. That's the easiest way. al
though some prefer to take gas"
"Did-did those things cost an aw-
full lot?" she asked as We were driv-
ing back to the hotel
ut depends on what you're used
to-" says ]. 'Was the Judge q free