The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-05-11

she practised typewriting, and in time
obtained fair speed and accuracy.
Little by little she began enlarging
her own work. She began to handle
their publicity. taking it out Of the
hands of an earnest but incompetent
young woman. She kept track of mes
sages from one member for another,
did much of their investigating, made
out reports and found hundred ways
to be useful
Millie, meantime, was exploring the
city, and shopping and going to thea
tres. In the process of getting settled.
many pieces of furniture had to go,
many others had to be bought. At
last, though, they possessed a charm
ing, if very tiny home.
Mile found herself free, as she
called it, for the first time in her life.
When her mother would go with her
which was rarely-she gladly took her
| along. Otherwise, she went alone, ex-
cept when Patty accompanied her to
the theatre
my clothes are all wrong" was one
Of her first comments.
That week she shopped-at first as
! tonished at the high prices. later fas-
| Grated by the clothes in the cheaper
! stores
/ They're just as fashionable and
don't cost so much" she said produc-
ing an embroidered suit at $16.68 val
ue 90 $50, and a dress of thin satin
covered with gaudy beads.
This continued until Mile had a
j wardrobe of what she called really
smart garments. Everything she saw
on the streets she wanted She revell-
ed in an exaggeration of the mode She
copied every shop girl or chorus girl
| she saw, and began doing her hair
with great puffs over either ear and
wearing dresses that chung to her with
| shameless fidelity.
you look shabby beside me-" she
complained to Patty do go and gel
fall suit
Patty realized that her gray tweed
was showing the wear and travel toe
much to be really good. So she bought
! a suit of rough dark green that made
her pale gold hair shine like concen
trated sunlight, and a snug little tur
ban of what Mile derisively termed
rooster feathers, whose irridiscent
|, blue-black and green set off her com
plexion in a way envied by everyone
of the Civic Committee.
J, Mile. as first soothing at what she
: called Patty's "old maid TASTE" begaI
! to see. after a few months, that Patt!
J was right and she was wrong. Be
: sides, her cheap clothes lost their pi
: quancy of line, and the cotton backs
: showed through the silk surfaces.
I'm going to throw them all ava,
7 and get new" she announced.
eve can't afford it." Mrs. Parke oh
. jected
/ We'll, when my money goes, I'll ge
job Mile answered. So far sh
> had been much too busy to think O
2 working.
;, And the first wardrobe went to tn
janitress, whose 18-year-old daughte
= was delighted. The second wardrob
was better in quality, if not in KIND
= But this was late in the winter
! One of the first activities in whic
: Patty worked was a benefit for a hos
pital that the Civic Committe
= mothered. One member secured
real grand opera star, another a yer
+ good violinist, another paid a we
known dancer whose commercial sens
was stronger than her charitable on
. A group of young girls. who's
dances and parties filed the societ
columns of Sunday papers. agree
! to appear in ballet, and Patty foun
her greatest work in keeping them u
to the mark, making them reach r,
| hearsals on time, making and breal
ing engagements for them when thes
II social affairs interfered with tho r.