The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-04-18

Darling, you are nearly profess
sional diseuse. bless your heart. We
must work on that. I'll get you cos
tunes. Now come along"
Phina's shop was not like any
shop Iris knew: not like a shop at
all, indeed. An ostentatiously quiet
window with one hat and one dress
tossed on a chair; an almost in
visible sign.
Within. two large rooms. one with
paneled pale green walls. one fur
nished as a replica of one OF Marie
Antoinette's. so she was told later.
A handful of bright particolored
necklaces flung on one table. dress
or two across chairs. A fireplace
full of flowers at one end. with chairs
grouped about it; three or four
lovely young girls. types" drifting
about. gay and dociIe and fiattering
to the five or six women who were
being shown-as if ones relatives
did it, rather superior relatives
clothes from behind the panels.
An electric stiffening went
through the rooms with Phinas
quiet arrival. The customers be-
came excited; the sales people in
tensified their manners. whether
these were gay or scornful or coax
ing.
A tall awkward girl with face
that might have. been handsome if
it had been less tense. broke away
from her salesgirl and rushed over
to Pima Her attitude was that of
a schoolgirl toward a .worshiped
teacher. { T4O ~
"Oh. Miss PtTiEa. Oh. Miss'Phina!"
Her insisteht Voice rahg through
the room, and she stopped short.
embarrassed and frightened. Phina
spoke to her very much like a
teacher, Iris thought; kindly. little
reprovingly.
"Now. my dear Miss Camilla" she
said. looking brightly up at the girls
stopped height. you don't need any
thing more at all this spring. Your
mother would think you were hor.
ribly extravagant if let you go on
buying"
Iris. waiting at a little distance.
was sure she heard one of the ex-
quisite goddess blondes smoker.
There was some joke about the poor
girl.
"But - but Mother won't mind.
honestly she won't at ALL" said Ca
milla. jerking her shoulders under
the smart coat and flushing a dull
red under her unpowdered skin.
"IXTHAT you need is more time in
w the beauty parlor." Phina said
almost severely. "If you wear your
clothes properly. and look after your
makeup better. that's all you need"
But | do need one more evening
frock, anyway" pleaded this topsy-
turvy customer. Phina shook her
head indulgently.
Every well. if you must. but speak
to your mother first" she said.
"Oh. is this your niece? Is this
Owens sister? Oh. she's lovely"
said Camilla with her uncontrolled
voice "And she looks like him too.
You look just like Owen!" She
stared at Iris with the same devo-
ton she had given Pima. do come
see me! Or have luncheon with me
tomorrow.
The enigma was solved-poor girl!
1t was Ovens designs. Owen him.
self. in fact. that Camilla came for.
But the girl was so helpless. so
honest and inept in her schoolgirl
crush that Iris could only be sorry
for her. If this was a New York So
ciety girl, one needn't feel back
woodsyi
Pima made the luncheon engage
ment tentative. shifted Camilla
adroitly to the head saleswoman.
and beckoned. iris upstairs to the
| fitting room! ic3W s. F-."
"Is She" Iris began. half plying.
half laughing.
"She is" said Pima irritably. and
yet with an amused lifted eyebrow.
MY dear. that poor girl has every
thing; except personal attraction.
Her mother turned her over to me
to dress. in despair: and really was
doing well with her. All on earth
that ailS her is a complete convic.
tion that she is awkward and ugly
and nobody loves her. have told
Owen a dozen times that If he had
mercy on her and married her she
would bloom. She isn't actually plain
its her manner and voice. Iris.
you could help the poor child. Will
your"
"Oh. not to marry Owen!"
cit might be for his best in
terests." said Phina. "But l don't
mean that. foolish child. Don't be
romantic. In spite Of her money and
position she's the Poor Little Rich
Girl. She took to you-you can do
something kind there. Be her friend,
my dear"
(cosyrishf. I9;3-;6, Margaret WiSIsmsrl