The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-09-28
BEAUTY'S BIDDING
BY ALICE J. FORSYTH

| Wednesday night, just before l went
% bed, the big idea came, like an un-
expected gift Of real gold. l was lean
ng on my elbows listening to Eva
Iderrick dissertating about her favorite
.old cream, and what Madame So-and-
So had told her was the proper way to
trub the stuff in. Three Of us, hard
workers, lodged in the upper attic
oom of the Fletcher's boarding house
N 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
comfy chair, and in these we were
Iseverally reposing preparatory to
seeking sleep. Eva declared that
Iproper attention to ones looks meant
Ia terrible lot to the working woman,
lwho got too little out-of-door exercise
to keep the natural pink in her cheeks.
IShe looked at me critically for few
moments, her hand poised in the act
of the proper upward rub under the
fright eye.
"Say, Belle, how do you do 1t? 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"
l lunged forward until my face came
opposite the cheval glass, and looked
at myself. We all looked hard. We all
agreed that l 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 1 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 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 it.
make the most of your collateral" :"
Jim Bryant had said "Size up your
assets"
Now, If l do say 1t as shouldn't, my
only assets are my beaux yeuX, as
Madame So-and-So would call them.
Wen, why not? smiled slow, cheer
ful grin, and somehow the girls knew
that | had hit the nail on the head.
That's the way 1t started, my busi-
ness of creating beauty for others. The
following Sunday mornings papers
blazoned an awfully cute advertise
ment. and from then on, our delight
ful nest In the attic became my place
of business. And / was busy, too,
1 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 a 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 a dinner that night, where she was
to meet somebody quite special" She
} looked at me enviousy and sighed
, and | knew just what was in her
heart, and did my best for her.
But why go over the list? Every.
body knows what the right kind of an
, advertisement will do. There were
eight the first day, not so bad for a
beginning.
!, Ii took heap of tact. l 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 fatiguine
and only make one look fustered.
helped her cultivate very delightful
repose. / congratulated myself on {
| very genuine success, deserved be-
, cause I had put my heart into my
, work
: All my visitors thought our room
quite unusual and exactly what they
had thought so often a beauty parlOl
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
I been OVERRIDING hospitality that win
J | ter and Mrs. Gibson brought her t.
me. without previous notification
Grace Bryant, who had sometimes
called at our office to steal Jimmy fol
tea dance or to help entertain some
girl visitors. recognized me at once
as was natural, since l am, as l 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 a becoming shade
of blue. l 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
| stood on the edge of failure. watch
ing my fine, fat bank account slipping
slowly away into the haze OF ruin
Then again l awoke to the possibil
| itias of aven this situation INSPIRED