The Washington times., 1935-06-27

room Sprang into life; girls
rushed in and with more than
ordinary viciouSneSs pumped the
long red hand of the time clock.
The operators then stepped
briSkly out Of their own clothes
into an AnaStaSia uniform, hung
In q paper bag on the outside
Of each locker and left there a
few minutes earlier by the laun-
dress.
The Anastasia uniform was a
tailor.made white broadcloth
dress (the girls paid for them
but the salon took care Of the
laundering. The passionate de-
sire Of every woman at the time
was to look boyish and tight
brasSiereS flattened their breasts
back so harShly that the long
wasted, short,skirted dresses in
vogue in 1921 made the Anas-
tasia beauticians look like so
many leggy, white-frocked little
Schoolgirls-fr ON the neck
down!
Discomfort
There was no lettering in the
waShroom because in winter the
room was five degrees colder
than the street and in summer
1t was a vapor bath. 1t was Bit
terly agreed by all that the
Rileys, who owned the AnaStasia
chain Of beauty salons, had pur.
poSely planned this fiendish dis
comfort to discourage lingering
In the waShrooms. Smoking was
Historically forbidden.
AS they dressed and changed
to the white shoes and stockings
that completed the outfit, there
was a wealth of colorful pro-
family on behalf of the Rileys.
They had, however, to be always
on the qui vive. One never
knew when q Riley would pop
in on them. This uncertainty
added spice and the thrill Of
danger to the most innocent
conversation.
Twenty-Five girls were now in
the cramped, alright vault of a
room, washing, changing and
making up their compilations
with cakes Of rouge. At each
door a sentry was posted to
keep watch and warn Of the ap-
proach Of one Of the Riley sis
tiers, daughters Of old Anastasia
Riley, for whom the business
was named. Fortunately, Miss
Stella Riley, who was in charge
Of this, the Forty-fourth Street
branch, could since her mar.
riage several months ago be de-
pended upon not to get in be.
fore 10.
There was a whole hour be.
fore the phone would begin it's
Strident buzzing and the ap-
pointmentS to flock in. AS soon
as the girls were uniformed
they slammed out of the wash.
room into the salon. All the
preparations for the day had to
be made in this one hour. They
darted back and forth along
the smooth floor, tiled like a
Roman bath.
The salon was a splendid
high-ceilinged room, about a
hundred feet long and half as
wide, on the fifteenth floor Of
the Federal Trust Building on
Forty-fourth Street at Fifth
Avenue. It had solid white
marble slabs for dressing tables
and glittering beveled mirrors.
The room was partitioned off
into isles Of cubicleS hung with
black and white rubberized silk
curtains. Each cubicle was a
unit Of glittering efficiency.
The manicuring tables thanked
the windows and the morning
sun cleaned on the shining ar.
ray Of scissors and files and
clippers. Now the beauticians
were stacking up towels and
linen sheets which were counted
and checked out by Dolly, the
Colored linen" girl, who was as
heavily keyed as q warden. The
seven manicuristS stacked UP
nests Of rose colored fluted paper
dishes for the finger dipping
bowls and checked in their
needs. These were then okayed
BY Miss Norma, in charge Of
supplies, who also waited on
the outside trade. There was
yet to be an operator who could
slip a cake Of nail polish into
her pocket for the kid sister
at home or fitch a tube Of hair
cream for her own use.
Common Enemy
From the doorway where Miss
Vera was on guard: rs. .sh. .
not so loud. I just saw a dame
who looked like Frozen Face.
But 1t wasn't. Anyway, pipe
down."
At the mention Of their COM
mon enemy it was as if a strong
wind Swayed them all together.
No topic Of conversation was so
aggreSSively stimulating as a dis
cusSion Of the Rileys. The four
Riley sisters, AnaStaSia Riley,
the mother. and Walter Riley,
the only man in the family, who
owned the shops, were an end
less and fertile fie1d for 0oSSin