Smyrna times., 1929-07-24
When Cupid Chooses
a Model
BY LEETE STONE

Hudson river hamlet.
All week she typed letters in her
fathers real estate office. Sundays
she revelled in the world of her
dreams-New York-mirrOred for
her eager, supple mind by the sun
day paper.
Betty retrieved the scattered
sections of the paper after her Ia
ther had flung it on the floor four
ways from his morris chair, sort
ed it into sectional sequence, and
carried it to q silent, leafy dell IN
the woods nearby.
Sparkling eyes rejoiced with
"Peachy j. Flagg of Borough OF
Manhattan" whose address was
wanted by Glasgow solicitors. Wait
ing at the lawyers office, surely,
was a good-sized golden plum for
Peachy from a renegade uncle, per-
haps, whose family had burned his
picture when he skipped with the
church funds and lost himself in
the diamond fields of Kimberley.
Keenly imaginative, Betty never
missed these public notices. They
were her first dreams. She built
a story round each one, complete,
with cast of characters, fitting Sc
quence and a climax, sad or glad,
at the dictum of her mood.
Ever since reading the story OF
Dorothy Blaine, describing how
Yates Chandler, famous young IL
illustrator, had found her pale and
hungry, crouching on subway
bench, and lifted her TO such fame
as a model that her face became
a familiar feature of every news
stand and library table in the land
ever since then Betty had re
solved to 90 to New York and be-
come an illustrators model. And,
if possible, Yates Chambers model.
1t would be so much more inspir-
ing than typewriting.
How to do this without eStranging
her parents? They definitely dis
approved of Betty's dream, and
there had been many a family
"scene" over it.
An idea popped into her head
from a bright blue sky. Why not
write him frankly and simply and
explain her dream? Send him one
of her high school graduation pic
lures which every one admired
Finally, ask him to have heart-to-
heart talk with dad when dad went
TO New York next time.
Both letter and photograph were
posted to the Chandler studio ad-
dress. For week Betty tremu-
lousy anticipated reply. But no
response
,,,on+t, aftor bor diSapnOint
ment Betty and her friend, Miriam,
were motoring in Miriam's small
roadster one Sunday afternoon.
The lacing of low hills that fringed
the tiny valley town on the river
was the color of q gorgeous car
pet of Bagdad, for autumn was
early.
The girls were nearing a sharp,
dangerous downgrade curve. 1t had
been sprinkling for ten min
utes and the road was ripe for skid
ding.
Miriam, driving, approached the
splay of the curve carefully, her
right side wheels in the gravel
shoulder of the road. Suddenly
the rear end of a long roadster was
disclosed just ahead, its nose
damned into an immense pine tree
that lowered majestically alOOf
from its neighbors on the exact
edge Of the highway.
Miriam showed both brakes into
tight grip, knowing that the shoul-
der Of the road would prevent skid
ding, and choked off her gas. The
little car stopped in thirty feet, al
most touching the rear of the biz
roadster, which was skewed out at
an angle well into the roadway.
Quite evidently a narrow turn,
sudden braking, and a swift skid,
with the pine tree for a bumper,
was the answer to this accident.
Hello, there - A somewhat un-
steady voice reached the girls as
they hurried from the car. They
saw a tall, well-dressed man rising
rather shakily from the low under
brush behind the big pine.
Il call that stupid driving, don't
your" He smiled and came to them.
"Chucked me right over the wind
shield! Wonder if you girls could
squeeze me in with you and take
me to the nearest garageY
Betty's heart almost stopped be-
fore it sent the blood thrilling
through her body in a wild, en-
tnusiastic rush. This fine face
she recognized in the fading light
belonged to Yates Chandler.
AS they started off in the little
car. the artist regarded Betty with
close scrutiny.
Haven't l seen you some
where"
II sent you my picture six weeks
ago. I'm Betty Lee Of Grangerville,' =
Betty answered simply.
"What luck p Yates Chandler
positively beamed. Lets bow to
the great god Of Coincidence" I
was on my way to call on you and
your mother and father this after
noon when / met the pine tree so
forcibly. / could see from your
picture that you were an unusual
type, and | want you for a new
series of illustrations.
Chandler's charm and sure sin
cerity won Betty's parents to happy
acquiescence in her dream before
supper was over. Later the artist
and his new model strobe together
down the quaint Lovers Lane that
followed the broad lead of the