Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-02-04
Chapter 1
BEAUTIFUL YOUNG PROBLEM

None of which was to Hopes cred.
il. God gave her her looks. her par
ents supplied the money. and the
other girls of the distinguished West.
chester settlement gave her the
doubtful compliment of genuine envy,
Hair the color of buttercups is sci.
dom a drawback to any girl. Hope
had hair like that, and knew how To
cut il so that 1t formed a tousled
ripping halo for her inpudeat. ii
somewhat wissful little face. She
knew how to brush that hair until
il cleaned like CLOSED silk. And best
uf all. she knew what hats to bus
and at just what angle to wear them
the better tc disconcert you with,
my dear.
Her hair being the greatest of
Hopes natural resources. 1t took
time before one noticed other at
fractions about the sophisticated
young upstart. The sassy mouth, for
example; or the sprinkle OF grubby
little freckles, which. having been
acquired In the days when Hope was
a tomboy, uninitiated to the wiles cf
lipstick and Orchidee Bleue, hal val
iantly and resolutely chung to her
cheeks and her abbreviated nose, he
coming vulgarly vivid whenever HOPE
cried.
Not that Hope cried very often.
Were sorrow and tears made for one
whose fair skin Tin spite of the freck-
lesl, reminded folks Of clover fields
and scented linen and good fresh
soap Or whose cuddly little figure
thoroly disguised the endurance of
an athlete N the nervous strength
of a lady tiger? A nice lady tiger, It's
true, but a lady tiger just the same.
Up TO the age of seventeen, Hope
had the grandest and best parents in
the world. What they did to their
precious offspring at that tender age
Is the cause of this story. But prior
70 nat time they, adored, petted,
spoiled, admired and exclaimed with
delight and approval, Even when
Hope was naughty, the good
Mama and Papa Ross were Sec
reilly proud and amused.
They remembered how at fourteen,
Hope had suddenly turned right
about-face and resolutely concern
trated upon becoming grown-up.
The tomboy was locked in some
dark cell of Hopes skip-jack wis
dom and n observed clean finger
nails with a haremish henna polish,
a sultry, restless questioning in the
hitherto unafraid and challenging
blue eyes, and an affected husky
drawl in the erstwhile hoydenish
BY the end of one year of high
school, Hope invested in her first
floppy picture hat, its back brim
weighted with a huge pink satin bow.
The effect quite completely disarmed
fapa Ross. whose boastful grin turn
ed into a blissful and shy ownership
OF this amazingly beautiful young
problem.
She had suddenly realized her true
mission in life, and was lust as sud-
denly altering her entire mode and
manner of behavior.
Gone. quite suddenly, were the vel
vet tam-o' -shanters that had flatten-
ed Hopes hair. Gone. the blue serge
gym-bloomers, the MILDLY blouses. the
scurvy raincoats. and the leather
smelly UNDERGRADUATES. Gone. gradu-
ally, We're the fine hand-embroidered
batiste and linen undertakings, the
gum-soled brogans, the wooden sports
dresses that smacked of the
Junior Misses"
Papa Ross's charge accounts suf-
fered painfully as a result. With the
avid curiosity of a castaway explor-
the wonders of a strange and
lonely island, Hope nosed thru the
mazes of New York City shops. learn
ing the lure of lace, OF chiffon, of
sheer clocked hose. of h~igh-heeled
and blended fftr skins.
BY the end of her sophomore year,
Hope had achieved the dignities of an
a makeup box amply
filled, a date book, m-onogrammed
be-taffeted and mirrored, with every
drawer and every closet lined with
quilted blue satin that was loaded to
The seams with delicate sachet.
Like many a queen before her,
Hope became heady with her Prov
sss. Her days were bounded on the {
north by notes and telephone calls. Z
On the south by exciting n in !
-riguing romantic quarrels, and on
he east and west with the growing
'lsion Of newer and more daring |
male ~conquests.
1T is" said Mama Ross Whitley :
o her husband, nothing short of {
iisgraceful. Hope is boy crazy!' !
Now, Mother" Papa Ross chewed
N MS after-dinner cigar and used {
lis most modifying tone. TITS just a !
'hase. A perfectly normal. healthy
'hase, that | suppose every normal q
'irl must go thru 2
on; you do suppose that?" echoed c
hrs. Ross with neat cas- well, {
gu don't see Goody making a fool
i herself, do your" I
Their eyes met for a moment, and I
lrs, Ross flushed slowly. Papa Ross [
tared at her, and then took refuge I
his handkerchief to hide the three c
'ornered smile that might further t
his wife. :
Living in the shadow Of Hopes t
ndiess parade Of admirers made 1t b
.ouDiiy difficult for the older girl. For
II that Goody pretended to be en- h
'rossed IN her literary pursuits (pro- i
-ucihs whole volumes of free-stride o
erse' into which she poured her hum
soul), the girl was human. A lit |.
ie too human, to suit Papa Ross. For b
oody was becoming warped by her
eed OF flattering attention, and had l
lNen vent to frequent spitfeul and c
etty reVenges on her young n en- u
led sister, Goody was given to tale b
attilng' and Papa Ross had more o
aspect Tor a good thuggy bank-rob- n
er than he had for a ta~le-tattIer. e
Mrs. Ross cleared her throat ner-
ousiy, ana, realizing the painful sub n
ecu sne had inadvertently touched,
uTTled on with her arguments. "
Il didn't behave that way when / b
as Hopes age" she announced with
wave OF her jeweled hand that Ii
eemed to settle the argument. Be D
eve me ! didn't. OF course Hope il
very different from me, in many c.
dice. .
She doesn't begin to be the girl n
adnt become vice president of two v
But really, Mother, there's no harm t,
4 her splashing about a bit. In =
wv years she'll settle down" lo
Yes! If she HASN'T made a little s,
Dol OF herself before thenl ] never
oes on with" ii
Mr.. Ross let his tongue play with j
Is teeth in an effort to hide another W
mile. il
All men. SO they say, have some b
articular and pet insanity; n Mr. t.
.oss had been simple minded over h
Iope from the day she would quit 81
w
"
c,
power which came to him, 81
means of serving his coun- Il