Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1922-09-15
The Turquoise
Frame
BY JESSIE DOUGLAS


times Decor" hc spoke tu hcr Hut IT
last. meeting him on the iru.tA land
inc. he said ''Gnnd-ainrui"g :" and
PASSED "n down the stairs That WAS
what he always dill. pass
Nellie sho"k her head prrtly and
said, "Wel, See" But the Struuge
part of ii waS the man on the floor be-
low continued /" speak when he saw
her. ANA continued 10 pass her by.
1t was pIzzling. She WAS the pref
t!r>t girl that worked in Johnson 4
hughes offices. And she knew it.
Almost without exception every clerk
had made some kind OF advance u her.
She could I" out every night if She
CHOSE. ana even old Mr.. johnson him
self had given her thratcr tickets
The girls in the office envici hrr in
their quiet way. She had the palrSt.
tluHi">t hair, and She did il in the
most elaborate style. So that any one
would HAY" stopped to admire its in
tricacir> alone. She rouyrd. OF course.
Perhaps II little too much, but habit
du!'S perception. Her light blue eyes
We're the c"!"r II fnrcrt-mc- her
laNhcS cold-tipped. but Nellie Dwish
saw that they came out jctty black.
Her lips were pretty and soft. if
slightly aided by art. She was pretty.
startlingly pretty. and she would have
been foolish virgin If she had not
known II. There was never the slight
est doubt In Nellie's mind about her
charm. and she played up to 1t every
second Of her life. Her blouses were
the most elaborate. her stockings the
sheerest she could buy.
SO 1t was no wonder that she lifted
one piucked eyebrow a trifie and eyed
askance the girl who had just knocked
at her bedroom door.
According to Nellie's standards, she
was worse than plain, a regular old
maid. no: bit Of makeup. and her
blouse, Of irreproachable cut, wns
opaque. Her hair. it was true. had a
beautiful luSter but 1t was arranged
SO simply that anyone could have done
lift she had time and patience.
Il beg your PARDON" the girl ut the
door said. Il realize its rather queer
of me. but my brother and I have seen
feel know You. I'm going away for
two weeks ana I'd be grateful if you'd
keep this picture for me-
Sh" held out Il picture in n turquoise
frame and Nellie without looking at
ii. laid il on her bureau and answered,
"tilad Ia. I'm sure" and then con-
tinued I" rouge her other check with
the greatest nonchalnncc
Nellie did not really bother To look
III the picture until she came in from
the movies that night. She SAW that
1t was photograph of low stone
house. ivy-cirllrd. with charming
view OF garden and woodland behind.
and She guessed shrewdly that il was
the girls home. The little frame of
oddly cut fiat turquoise was faScinat-
ing in itself; and then she realized
with Il shock the girl had said. Her
er"ther.' Why, that must mean the
man on the stairs.
Nclli" put the frame in the center OF
her bureau and eyed 1t with fresh in
tereSt. But something was the matter.
1t didn't seem somehow 10 go with her
bright pink bureau set nor with the
artificial geranium that she had stuck
In her hatpin holder.
Slowly she removed the geranium
and still studied the effect. Some
thing was still wrong.
She had decided to buy herself one
OF those new green hair ornaments.
but that noon she found herself In.
stead ut the toilet goods counter. That
ivory set would go we'll with the tur.
Gu"iSe frame-She heSitated and then
plungcd-and she found herself wait.
ing for the five o'clock whistle.
1t did &" well Somehow the fur
QuoiSe frame seemed to rest against
that creamy background. and Nellie.
eyeing the bureau critically. realized
that something still was the matter.
The imitation lace cover. with the
pink Satecn underbody, struck a wrong
note.
1t was queer what happened in the
next week; first Nellie had to get n
linen cover IN suit her bureau. instead
Of the green slipper buckles she had
been counting on. Then her keen eye
>;lw Ia" bureau stood out Ike an
island in her tawdry room. The pic.
lures on tn" wall somehow did not
fit: that calendar with the black-pycd
Chcruh that advertised John and
Hughes. the chrome Of roses and pnn.
sizes that was So gaily ColOrCd seemed
t" hart the quiet bureau. She took
down h"i' pictures But now the room
was too quiet.
Another noon found her purchasing.
Chlntz with quaint pink blossoms on II
cream ground, and when she had made
curtain for her window and some
cushions for her coach, even back
for her wicker chair, she glanced hur.
ricdly over ut the turquoise frame.