Evening star., 1939-12-31
REVENGE IN "A
BEAUTY SHOP
Continued from poss five

Mrs. Whittaker's breath stopped as she
stared into the mirror to meet Madame
Rubin's eyes, grave and steady All the doors
and windows we're open now, but the light
within burned low.
Eyes, ma am," Madame Rubin said. MY
husband has teached me English - word by
word - how each letter sounds in Hungarian,
written down. But he don't spik English so
good, too. And went to a night school for
deaf and learned the lips. I'm smart enough"
Mrs Whitaker did not speak. She could
not. While she sat, Madame Rubin's voice
changed to cheerfulness:
Nov some oil, ma am, and then is wash
and wave and you are like new!"
The strong firm white hands kneaded Mrs.
Whittaker's scalp. and presently Madame
Rubin s voice began, gay again, above her head
Nov, though, ma am, do kinda hear. If
there's noise, hear it good. Like the
telephone, or somethin' goin' on in the shop,
like. So don't complain
Mrs. Whitaker did not lift her head again.
She did not want to see Madame Rubin's
face She shut her eyes tight under the soap
suds and terrific scrubbing Hands of iron,
this woman had!
She felt her head lifted and rolled like a
ball between towels: then the same touch
shaped the waves about her head and then
drier roared about her ears She sat, her
thoughts whirling in the noise and heat, until
in less time than she had thought possible
she was out again, and the same quick firm
ness arranged her hair.
Nov, then, ma am, please"
She looked and saw what she had always
hoped to see and never had, her hair in soft
neat waves, shaped plainly to her head.
why, it's exactly right" she murmured
"Yes, ma am" Madame Rubin said quietly.
Illus had begun the long alliance between
Mrs Whitaker and Madame Rubin. Nothing
had threatened it until now, and even now
it had taken all of Europe to do it. For
Mrs. Whitaker, herself a secretly timid and
somewhat desponding soul, could not bear
sadness in her environment. 1t had been bad
enough to have it at home during the depres-
sion, with Mr.. Whitaker gloomy from Wall
Street, but then she felt it her duty to endure
that, though Madame Rubin had been cheer
full even in the depression.
Business is tair-ra-ble" she had said
regularly to Mrs. Whitaker in her deep
dramatic voice. "Mr. Rubin says to me,
Smile, for the Lords sake! The house is like
thunder if you don't smile. ask you, why
l should smile? These girls readin' the maya
zines buy for customers, gettin 'em dirty!
The permanents used to do - four in day
now don't get one! don't smile, thenk
you!" And yet she had smiled, even as she
said it.
But now over the shop was spread a real
shadow, and the headlines from Europe in the
days newspapers determined its depth and
density. Europe Mrs. Whitaker felt, it was
not her duty to endure. She was getting very
tired Of it.
And, of course, it wasimpossible for Madame
Rubin to keep anything to herself. 1t was not :
in her nature Though she nailed determined
smile to her face to greet an old customer like
Mrs. Whitaker she had not seated her in the
chair and taken up the brush before the
smile fell from her face and she shrugged her
shoulders to begin: II don't know where we
come to, that's what don't. Good people the
world don't need no more"
She brushed vigorously as she talked. The
gloss on many womans hair during this
time came from the European situation.
Madame Rubin put it on with the energy of
49, TO-