The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-09-28
A BIT OF COLOR
BY FANNY RICHARDSON
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MADAM, would not advise buying
this haiti does not harmonize-some-
how"
"I'll have none of your back talk,
young woman" said Miss Elite, twist
ing her slim neck to get a better view
of herself in the mirror.
The salesgirl opened her mouth
| again and would have said more, but
Miss Elites defiant expression meant
| scene and Ethel detested scenes.
After all-what was the use? 1t was
| the same old story over and over
middle-aged woman pirouetting un-
der sixteen-year-old's sunbonnet, or
sixteen-year-old under purple pan.
| sizes.
| Last week it had been Miss Prouty
| and she had called the fl0orwalker
because Ethel said large picture hat
| accentuated her chins. And the week
before it was Mrs. Graham, who had
| would never come back, because Ethel
| had said pink hat did not become
| her navy blue dress Well, it did seem
as If something uncomfortable would
! happen if the floOrwalker received any
! more unfavorable reports.
SO Ethel stood silently watching the
movements of her customer, as she
twisted and turned and patted and
fretted, until she had achieved what
she considered stylish angle, and
jumping up. exclaming, "It's all right
just what | want. How much?"
"She wouldn't be half bad looking
If she'd only show her eyebrows and
hair" thought Ethel, as she made her
way to the cashier with a crisp $50
bill. "But that eye-ugh-and the
dress and the shoes Oh, why do they
make such fools of themselves"
Ethel pondered the problem over
and over in her curly head during
the rest of the day, but she found
no solution. Vain, of course, they
were-these women-all women. They
wanted to look young, or they wanted
to look old.
In desperation, few days later, she
buttonholed the proprietor and led
him to a quiet corner.
WHATS the matter with me?" she
pleaded. 81 don't want to sell these
hats to the wrong women, and yet /
do 1t every day. It's always the wrong
hat. You'd say so yourself, If yo,
saw them wearing 'em. THEY'RE
sights! And yet they will not listen
to me.
Ethel fairly shrieked the words in
to the proprietor's ear.
But he gave her little satisfaction.
He simply patted her hand and said. |
Don't you bother your curly head
about them. You can't sell 'em some |
thing they don't want If you don't
make 'em want it,"
"Yes, I've got to make 'em wan |
It," she said, land I know there is |
a solution"
And ii came sooner than Ethel had |
dared to hope. 1t came next day. |
Miss Elite had come back to buy an
other hat No, she had never really |
cared for the red one besides
Mr.. Blackstone had said it made her
pink and white blondness pasty look
Ing No, there was absolutely moth
ing in the show window she wanted
. they weren't the right style.
Had she anything which would bring
out the color of her skin some
thing with a bit of color with an
angle?
EthePs heart skipped a beat. Her
eyes took In Miss Elites brown COS.
tune, her neat oxford shoes-she felt
old for her years-and wise.
Did Miss Elite want hat which |
would bring out the delicate tints of
her skin-something with an angle?
Certainly-but there was only one In
the store for her.
Slyly the girl went over to the show
window and took out large, dark
brown hat softly shaded with dull
towers, She hastily retreated to the
sewng-roOm for scissors and bit of
bright blue ribbon. With trembling
myers, she gave one corner of the
nat an almost vicious tweak. and in.
serted the ribbon behind the flowers
90 that only an occasional piece |
showed, The effect was dashng. chic.
llmost charmingly attractive.
She hurried back to her customer.
Who was by this time rather lmpa,
lent But when she saw the hat, her
arge eyes glowed, and she stretched
ut her hands eagerly. The salesgirl
hook her head roguishly.
"One moment. Let's go over there
where there Is better light"
She led the way to long, full.
ength mirror in the front of the slsre
'here the daylight streamed through
he large windows. TITS wonderful
reclaimed Miss Elite, critically ap
raising her neat brown figure. Ilel
yes, beneath carefully trimmed
rows, resembled liquid pools IL
fishy eyesT who could hay, III
imagined such n comparison? Hei II
olden hair glistened through the sofl
lesh OF the crown.
'Why, IL looks as though Il vert
lade for me-" she breathed.
ut was" said Ethel softly as sh.