The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-25
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AAA~S SNNRl1CO AA4tO LIE C4CoEl,
emerged with white dress over her
arm. Yes" she said. You'll find
you have lot of clothes if you do
much modelling. Of course, lots of
these are old. You can't tell when
an old dress is going to come in
handy, SO never throw anything
away. And I manage to pick UP
quite a few bargains. If you know
how to mend and clean things that
are a little shopworn, you can do
that. The best-looking clothes
have are from the fashion shows.
After dresses have been woren in
show, they usually let the models
buy them for half price. That's
how I got this white one-regular
$3.50 and it cost me $19.75."
II
CHE held the dress up before her.
- What d'you think of it?"
Its beautiful! But do you think
it will fit me?"
Easy enough to find out" Har-
riet said. TRY it on"
Of came Toby's own dress, and
over her head went the soft folds
of satin. Harriet snapped the fast
eners, stepped back and eyed the
other girl critically "Well," she said,
you can see for yourself. There's
a mirror"
Toby moved to the mirror, stared
at the image reflected. "Oh-i" she
said, and then again, Obi" She
couldn't believe, for an instant, that
the girl in the mirror was herself.
The cleaning white satin nodded
her figure in manner that was
witchery-alluring, demure. 1t was
a dream dress, dress to make
dreams come true. Never, in her
widest 1maginings, had Toby Ryan
supposed she could look like this.
Harriet asid softly, "I1l have to
sell 1t to you, Toby. After seeing you
IN that dress I'd never have the
nerve to wear it again myself. It
was made for you! Of course it will
have to be turned up about an inch,
but that's easy. Wait, I'll get the
slippers"
Il II
n N hour later Toby departed,
L a carrying the borrowed evening
dress and slippers in a pasteboard
box. One hand on the door, she
halted. Toby said earnestly, "I'll
never forget what you've done for
me-"
We'll" said the other girl "if
that's true it'll be a record-in
this town. But I'm glad we hap
pened to meet this morning, Toby
There's something about you I
don't know what it is-but I think
we're going to be friends"
II hope sol"
Toby said goodbye then and
hurried down the stairs. She had
20 minutes to reach the studio and
Harriet had told her it was i'm
portant, never, under any circum-
stances, to be late.
She worked until midnight that
night and earned $17.50. Two
days later she spent a morning
posing as a housewife making a
bed. IN the afternoon she stood
for three hours while a photog-
rapher made picture after picture
of her feet, clad in smart footwear.
At the end of the week Tobys earn
ings had mounted to $4630-more
than three times what she had
earned at Bergman's.
Il
CHE paid part of her registration
~ fees at the Models League,
brought herself pair of black
pumps and paid Harriet Holm? $40
of the SIS they had agreed upon as
the price for the white satin dress.
She still had more than her old sal
airy left.
1t was almost, Toby told herself,
as though she had stepped into
new world. She felt that she had
been going about with her eyes
closed. There were so many new
things in this strange world-new
people, ne wplaces, new things to do
and to think about. She met other
models, photographers, artists, adj
vertising saelsmen, art directors. She
caught glimmerings of the workings
of that most complicated of modern
businesses, advertising.
1t was all absorbing, exciting.
Toby worked hard and enjoyed it.
Her eyes sparkled more gaily; her
smile was brighter. Each morning
she woke, eager to see what the day
would bring. At night she dropped
into bed, tired but content in the
knowledge OF days work done.
And then-just when Toby felt
that she had never been so happy
something happened that changed
everything.