The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-21
sNAPsHOTs AT LTrM

You see. virgie," said Kitty driv- ing home the remark about the man and his flowers, for still must have looked uncomprehendlng: These flowers would have netted you $30 al least. You can usually make fifty fifty bargain with the florist, some times a little better if you let him send back the same bunch day after day"
 Do you mean. Kitty, that I could send these flowers back and the flor ist would give me half of what they cost Theodore Stratton?" I demanded, wide eyed in surprise and with kind of admiration for the nimble wits of girls like Kitty.
 q mean just that and he would probably send the same bunch out the next day as long as they lasted"
 But it isn't honest, Kitty; 1t isn't honest"
 'Its business" asserted Kitty. determined to justify the practice, And besides 1t is very probable that the poor florist has been up against H. too. and he understands that the money will mean more to you than the flowers. He figures he is just as a melting pot between the mans vanity and your need.
 
 for the man who sends you the flowers when he takes you out for dinner, and he figures that he is getting his moneys worth. The flowers almost always decorate your beauty or your rooms and tell the world or your friends that your gentleman friend has money and an inclination to buy the best where you are concerned.
 Room rent. you know, would neces- sarily have to be a more or less anonymous gift"
 "Oh, l couldn't send Theodore Stratton's flowers back" I cried and I tried vainly to keep my voice from trembling.
 'Is 1t as had as that, Virgie? Don't you know those are not Theodore Stratton's flowers. He just gave his order and he probably ordered some sent to Maud Samson at the same time"
 Are Maud Samson and Theodore Stratton married?"
 Nobody knows but at least they are very good friends. I don't really think they are married because she Is extremely jealous of him. So look out, dear, look outl She is a very clever woman. clever enough so that for some years no one has been able to push her out of Theodore Strat- tons pictures"
 Well, you can't blame her for that, Kitty. She should try to keep her job. I would and so would you"
 q guess that is so. 1t is hard enough to make place for yourself anywhere. but that is nothing to try ing to keep 1t after you once get it. Someone is always trying to edge you out.
 And at that you don't find your worst enemy among your own sex, no matter what the world says. I haven't found woman's inhumanity to woman any worse than mans inhumanity to man or woman either. Everybody fights to get to the top and it Is Father Time that delivers the knock out in the end.
 Tn the moving picture business we start all dimples and smiles as bath ing beauties. Then someone tells us we are youth personified and gives us an ingenue part. But just when we get so we hope to be baby stars we are too old.
 "If we have brains we then try for emotional roles but when we get so we can put out heartbreaks into camera shots. Father Time has already swatted us in the face and no picture fan cares whether we have heart beat or not.
 Tt is a great life. virgie. if you don't weaken"
 T wonder If I am weakening7" I asked myself wearily as I turned my face to the wall after Kitty's cynical exposition of life.
 I heard her tiptoeing from the room but did not move. She closed the door softly-the hard knocks of life make one understand if nothing else.
 My frazzled nerves gave a little shudder and I thought of the old say- ing and wondered if 1t were really true that someone was walking over my grave. but concluded immediately that the. shudder was caused by the rustling bit of paper with which my hand came in contact. It was Theo- dore Stratton's letter.
 Slowly dropped 1t on the floor and picked up the large white envelope addressed in Eddie Montforth's boy ish hand. Just handling this letter seemed to send through my body an intangible something that calmed me and took out all that bitterness that had filled me almost to suffocation.
 I thought of Eddie on that night when I bade him good-by as we walked to the station in the moon- light. The whole world was so clean, so beautiful then. It was only now that there was a bitter taste in my mouth.
 "Oh. hope he will not be spoiled