Evening star., 1926-03-21
Open Wider, Please
BY SHIRLEY SEIFERT
Mathlde Considered Herself One of Those Plain Girls

growing away from her and that her
alteration would thin out into haunt
Ing dream.
RUT that wasn't why she had gone
~ to work in Fred Madden's office
when he had come back to be a sur
geon-dentist. At this point in her re
Election Mathllde turned uneasily IN
bed. Miss Henrietta Madden's blum
dc ring comments were unfair In their
implications. Before DR.. Madden had
come back Mathilde had been wish
ing and wishing that she could find
something to expand the life in that
little brown cottage. She wanted &c
do something" Then DIR. Fred had
come back and let 1t be known that
he wanted q town girl to help him IN
his Office. And suddenly. quite apart
from her devotion to her hero. Ma
thilde had known that here was the
thing she could do. And her instinct
had been right. The little details Of
this job appealed to her and she was
q born helper.
She did do well. Moreover. she
developed a pride In herself that took
the sting away from her envy Of tho
beautiful girl whose picture stood on
DIR. Fred's desk in the outer Of
flee. 1t was inevitable that DIR.
Fred should some day marry some
such person. He was SO handsome
himself and had always liked pretty
girls. Mathiide had seen Miss Blair
In the flesh as well as In q photo
graph. She was about perfect. She
had bright brown hair. waved very
close to high, proud head. shin
Ing with expert professional atten-
ton. She had bright blue eyes that
looked sauarely at anything she
not care to see she turned her
hack upon. She wouldn't go into DIR.
Fred's inner Office. for instance. She
ioathed dentist offices and preferred
to think Of her lover In other than
his professional aspects. 1t was an
exquisitely gowned back that she
turned. The very seams OF her
clothes looked expensive. And with
her always came wonderful fra
GRANGE. Mathilde wondered II IL
was a drop of liquid extract or the
one thing about her Mathilde didn't
like. Her nose. 1t was very straight
and pointed. almost sharp. Always
II seemed too bossy. But. then. 1t
was exactly the kind of nose to go
with success.
DR.. Fred would marry this hand.
some person. He'd been coming
to that, but not she nor any other
wife that he might have chosen
would have of DR.. Fred Just what
Nathilde had. Precious gifts he
would pile at his wifes feet. but
never would his wife know the JOY
of working by his side day in and
out. of helping him to be the man he
was, of just handing him things. the
right things always as he wanted
them. This proud wife wouldn't
hear him cuss softly under his breath
when he was eXasperated or 1ubilate
over silly little triumphs.
Come here. Miss Matilda. and look
at this!'
And she'd have to come and peer
appreciatively into the gaping Jaw
That's wonderful"
IAN right, Miss Matilda. II you pass
on III"
The Joy of that! And she had
come to think when her work had
gone so we'll that perhaps DIR.
Fred had chosen her, remembering
the good qualities she possessed and
anticipating her value to him: at
least had picked her out OF friendii-
ness.
And now Miss Henrietta Madden,
his own aunt, and perhaps all of the
town of Meidon, knew that he had se-
lected her for the place because his
sweetheart had approved of her home
illness, her dowdiness, had feared the
attraction of a prettier girl placed in
similar intimacy. That was just as II
vandals had gathered up mud from