Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-04-17
A Sympathetic Shop
girl Arranges Life
and Love for a Mil
liOnaire
IN TWO PARTs-PART ONE

for its cafeteria. The Croxton galleries.
The hungry artists do all the market
ing. cooking and serving, Just as the
newspaper boys tell 1t. The doors don't
open until 10. but Ronnie Croxton's q
democratic fellow. He won't mind II
you sun yourself on the steps and
wait.
I get my Florida tan right here on
Park avenue every morning before
60 on duty In the museum.
It's Ronnie:s hobby That's right.
Ronnie Croxton, the democratic play
boy millionaire. know him well.
can tell you the inside story-not the
one the newspaper boys publicize. Got
your ticket? Fine. This was once Rom
MES town house and the family heir
looms still furnish 1t. That's why you
have to write In for a ticket Of admis-
sion.
On the first and second floors, you'll
see some Of the best works of living
American painters. The cafeteria's In
the basement. The starving artists
serve by shifts-and naturally get well
fed themselves. The general public
focks to the cafeteria, but In art cir
cles. the most talked of wing Is the
one the critics call the chamber of
horrors.
In 1t you'll see some of the worst
daubS ever created In the name of art.
No. they aren't necessarily modern
tstic or the orgies of the subconscious
school. They are Just plain. ordinary,
bad paintings. Among his friends, Rom
ME just laughs and admits they are
terrible. He says he buys them as
penance-to punish himself for hav-
ing deceived a girl
She was salesgirl in the art ma
terial section Of a big department
store. Her name was Jenny. No. don't
know what her last name was, but
that's not important anyhow I don't
suppose she ever heard Of Ronnie Crox-
ton. She wasn't the wistful, Cinderella
type of shopgirl who reads the society
columns enviouSly and wishes she were
rich. Jenny considered her $3.50 a
week big money. She had a way with
customers and her nightly tallies made
her job pretty sure thing. She even
had tiny flat of her own. Oh, Jenny
thought she was doing fine.
There wasn't anything she didn't
know about yellow ochre or brushes
or the best oils for the price Not that
she bothered learning about art. She
didn't have time to visit art galleries.
On Sundays she was too busy washing
her clothes and cleaning her flat and
hobnobbing with her friends.
Yet in her way, Jenny was a patron
esS Of artists, especially the hungry,
shabby kind. Over the purchase Of q
paint brush or tube Of carnine, she
encouraged and cheered up many
poor fellow who was just about ready
to eat his paints.
One rainy afternoon, Ronnie Crox-
ton came into her department He's
the tall, lean checked type Of aristo-
crat. But he was wearing a shabby
raincoat that made him look more
like tramp than millionaire. He's
like that. Democratic in the quiet,
grand manner. Once he bought lum-
Der camp and for a whole summer
worked as lumberjack. Another time,
he paid 100000 for a yacht and
rounded up all his rich friends to run
it without crew. Probably his valet
had tried to throw out that old rain
coat half a dozen times. but Ronnie
still chung to it.
Anyhow, he was looking for the toy
llllCIlI " DuS q PoiiIiAi6 oulA4O
for his 6-year-old nephew and wan
dered up to Jenny's counter by mistake.
He didn't know anything about art
and even less about materials. His
questions must have been pretty vague,
and in his wet clothes, guess he
looked sort of lost. 1t was enough to
make Jenny pounce upon him, bristlng
with sympathy and craftsmanship.
..u4n c,, t,o ftn oNcf
complete stock in the CITY," she brag-
ged, proud of her department and her
store. THE most successful painters
buy all their material here"
She was so certain of herself and
her stock, so sure of pleasing him, he
decided he might as well buy the kids
present from her. She wasn't pretty,
Just a thin. dynamic little creature,
rather on the gamin type. But her big
mouth was very friendly and her black
eyes swapping with eagerness. Before
he knew it, half her stock was dragged
out for his selection.
Volubly she was explaining which
in her opinion-were the best tubes
and brushes for his money. She was
thoroughly happy and enthusiastic. He
didn't get q chance to confess he only
wanted to buy paints Tor youngster.
On her recommendation, he ended up
by buying an outfit a professional
painter would envy. Triumphantly she
handed him his package, taking it for
granted that he wanted to carry 1t.
And when Jenny took anything Tor
granted, customers just yielded.
While Ronnie waited for his change.
he studied her, much amused at the
way she had managed him. She stared
back at him frankly, taking in his tall.
lean frame, his thin, Whimsical face
and dripping raincoat, summing him
up with the warm hearted interest
that gave her such high tallies and
made each customer friend. At last
she smiled and announced with en-
couraging conviction:
II can tell you are a good artist. One
of those artists who is simply pound
to succeed"
What makes you think that?' Rom
ME controlled a chuckle at her mis-
taking him for one of those art TEL
lows.
The good artists go shabby. Tney
Ok