Iron County register., 1922-09-21
TRUE BEAUTY
BY ROSE E. BAKALAR
% BY Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)

AhdNS-VNCA suit.
"Wot's the grand rush?" languidly
chewed chocolate wrapperess.
I'm going to the boilermakers' third
annual tonight" she telegraphed, and
bolted. But that was not the main
cause of her excitement.
In all her twenty years she never
had INDUCED in real manicure and
massage. Now, ever since her ready
acceptance of Bennies casual oral in
vitation, two months ago, Fanny had
forsworn gum, lemon and lines, and
weekly serial thrillers, to save for this
dreamed-of luxury. Tonight she still
lacked petty cash to realize her fer
vent desire. She vowed to obtain that
deficit somehow, somewhere. Hence
the "grand rush."
Five minutes hurried walk from the
factory brought her into her home, on
the stOop.
AT small, secondhand table near
the back window, sat Joie. Opposite
him reigned plump Mrs. Zibin, con-
tentedly masticating some hot boiled
potatoes.
Fanny threw her late model on a
nearby chair seat and hastened into
the family bedroom anxiously re-
counted-only one whole dollar.
She scanned her healthy finger
nails, then peered at the worried,
youthful reflection in the half blind
glass.
Il just gotta, I just gotta, that's
ALL" she murmured. After carefully
relying her boarded treasure, she
thoughtfully walked into the kitchen.
"Why can't you give it to me, map
bringing up that subject again. "All /
need now is 40 cents"
Mrs. Zibin coughed dryly, and with
arched eyebrows and struggling shoul-
ders, mildly asked, "Forty cents?
Where should I get you 40 cents? 1 tell
you papa is right when he hollers. You
don't know what suffering is yet. SO
many people go around with their
hands in their pockets-with nothing
to do, and it wants you a massage. A
massage you want? A piece of hard
bread to put in your mouth, you should
be glad, yet you cry your eyes out
for massage"
II need it. l gotta have it. Just
this time, ma," she entreated
tits them new peoples" Mrs. Zibin
peeled another jacketed potato. "Such
noises what they makel It should only
clap them in their head. Three days
what they moved in, and every mantel
of mine they break. Go, Fanny. Go
holler on them. They should stop"
81 have no time. I gotta dress. Tell
Joie."
Our imbiber of written thrills and
soggy Jumps raised a shrewd counte-
nance. "You always tell me to go. /
won't go. You told her first"
Mrs. Zibin sighed heavily as she
peeled and aired her sorrows to no one
in particular. "Such children got"
Reluctantly Fanny tapped on the
noisemaker's door and entered. On
the bare floor crouched an exceedingly
thin woman, soothing a wailing child.
'Why do you make so much noiseW
indifferently.
'T can't help it," creaked the living
skeleton. "My kid bangs the floor
when he's hungry"
Fanny adored children.
Drawing deep breath, she plunged
"Here." She dropped her clinking cap
ital into the squatting, skinny lap,
then met the unturned, deeply sunken
eyes. A soul lay bare it's gratitude.
Fanny then descended as softly as
possible.
"a kid and his ma are starvin' up
stairs" quietly reported Fanny.
Mrs. Zibin lost her appetite.
'Ts it? No-o?' she gasped 'Tll go
get them a bite. Don't stand looking at
me. Go dress. It's getting late"
The faithful alarm clock on the
shelf warned seven.
Reused to action, an awakened Fan
ny quickly slipped off her made-oyer,
cheap serge, energetically massaged
her smooth skin with plain soap and
cold water, busted it with talcum, and
perfected quick manicure with a
common pinhead. Quite contrary to
her mood, she hummed, "Tve Got the
Blues"
With cheeks bearing a tantalizing
flush, such as no beauty expert could
hope to produce. and eyes sparkling
with understanding, she answered Ben.
MES knock. At sight of her he
whistled.
aGeel" was his pithy tribute, "you
look great !"
At the ball some said it was her ex
preston, but whatever the cause oi
her attractiveness, the majority ad
mired it, and forgot to notice the alb
sence of pink-paste-high-polish on hel
clean fingernails.
Quite long time later, we see Fanny
in her own comfortable home, hem
ming the party dress Of her listening
grownup daughter, and winding up hel
discovery of that whole-hearted serv
ice beauty secret, !" and at tha
ball your papa took me this Who'll,
silver candlestick won for beaut.
prize and don't forget / didn'
get my beauty massage and manicure
Il ~ f v . II 4