Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-09-01

AT Tic rear Oh tne Wnlte StaT
Hotel lobby, just opposite the dining
room and near the foot Of the stairs,
was a door with sign:
MISS SONIA HENKEL
BEAUTICIAN
II you were a guest of the hotel,
this sign would not surprise you,
inasmuch as you would long since
have found a card on your dresser
divulging the same information,
with this added: that Miss Henkel
was expert and experienced, that
she cheerfully and efficiently dis
pensed shampoos, finger-waves,
marcels and facials; that her prices
were reasonable and her work swift.
But residents of Beverly had not
yet recovered from the shock of
Miss Henkel, nor quite allayed their
resentment.
This resentment had been, at first,
a purely commercial thing emanat-
ing from the second-foor beauty
salon owned and operated by a
maiden lady named Trelane. Ethel
Trelane. Miss Trelane had a per
manent-waving machine and other
impressive accessories and ever
since the commencement of the era
in which ladies ceased to keep secret
their guest for additional pulchri-
tude, Miss Trelane and her shop
had been regarded as the ultimate
of Beverly urbanity.
But with the opening of Cathedral
Gardens and the sudden and bewil-
dering influx of tourists, Miss Sonia
Henkel had come. Mr.. Robbie
Morse, proprietor of the hotel. was
reputed to have made the entirely
uncivic remark that Etheps handi-
work might be good enough for these
here local DANES who never was
accustomed to nothin' better, but
female tourists had got to have
class.
Shortly after being ushered into
the world some, twenty-five years
since IN Brooklyn, New York, Miss
Henkels very poor and rather hon.
est parents had christened her Sa-
die. That name had irked the iuve-
nile Miss Henkel until the first year
OF high school-whereupon she had
abandoned high school and all that
went with it, including the name
Sadie.
Sadie Henkel left home without
particular regrets on either side.
The following day Miss Sonia Hem
KEEL applied for-and obtained-a DO
sition as cash girl in a New York
department store. Thereafter, her
career was interesting, if not totally
immaculate. She acquired gentle
man friends, the nickname of Babe,
an intriguing dance technique and
an intimacy with life which COM
pleted her education in an exceed
ingly practical way.
Thereafter she had been many
things to many persons. Cash girl,
Seventh Avenue dress model, Gus
toners party girl, manicurist, stu
dent at a beauty school-and finally
full-fedged and rather expert
beautician. And in the course of
her travels she acquired an interest
ing sophistication, certain exotic
beauty, a husky voice and the pro-
tectve friendship of Kirk Reynolds.
Kirk and Babe were excellent
friends.
AS a matter of fact, Babe Henkel
was very deeply in love with Mr..
Reynolds. She admired his virtues
and his vices; she adored him for
what he was-no matter what. She
had come to Beverly to relieve his
boredom; she did not permit soggy
sentiment to intrude upon their
friendship.
This afternoon she had been busy.
but the last customer had departed
when the telephone rang. It was
Kirk: his words close-clipped as usu-
al, his tone authoritative.
"Busy?"
"No."
"Come up"
Babe inspected herself in the mir
ror. She saw woman slightly
above medium height; well and
firmly rounded. Her face was oval
and framed by sleek black hair
brushed tightly against her head.
her eyebrows were commas, her
mouth wide but well shaped: an
interesting mouth with frame of
scarlet lips. She closed and locked
the door, walked up to the second
hoor-not unconscious of admiring
masculine glances-and knocked on
the door of Kinks room.
He passively accepted the kiss she
bestowed upon him. He said, "Sit
down, Babe"
She settled her figure into a chair
opposite.
What's on your mind, kirk"
PLENTY. Can you take it?"
Two tiny, vertical lines appeared
briefly on her forehead. She said,
Lets have it,"
He said, 'I'm married."
Dark lashes, lashes which were
neavy with mascara, rose swiftly