Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 21, 1922 — page 56: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

46 are comparatively new—that every one of them is right in the mode now? If she’s left these behind, I’d like to see what she’s taken with her!” ‘But what on earth did she buy them for, since she never wore them?” puzzled Hallie. ‘‘ She always looked like a frump! Gaze on these!” she went on in perplexity as she revealed an array of evening slippers of every color and description—walking pumps, sport shoes, boots of varied styles and leathers, all of the costliest makes. “It’s beyond me!” confessed Marie. ‘“ But I’d like to borrow this hat to wear to the dance on Thursday.” “ And this gown!” seconded Pauline as she tenderly fondled a gorgeous thing of crépe and silver brocade. Then the telephone rang and they heard Jane answer it. “Deed, no, Mr. True- man,” she was saying, and the girls pricked up their ears. ‘Ah, can’t say when Miss Alice will be back. She’s done gone to New Yawk.” That capped the climax. What had Alice been putting over on them, and what were they to learn next? Til. But the solution of the mystery was all very simple. Bobby Trueman was a fiend for golf. It was not that he had wished to play with Alice the girl, but with Alice the golfer; and he was genuinely disappointed to learn of her absence. Alice did not know about that; but.she did know the an- swer to the other mystery. The girls had imagined she did not care about clothes—that she either had no taste in dress, or else was too close-fisted to buy herself pretty things. But the truth was that she reveled in lovely lingerie and pretty frocks and shoes; and when her inheritance enabled her to make her own selection she had gone on many a shopping spree, visit- ing the most. exclusive establishments in the city. However, the butterfly was not ready as yet to emerge from the chrysalis stage. In fact, if it had not been for Pau- line’s remark at the Country Club Alice might never have done so. Ever since the frumpy frocks of her ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. mother’s designing had been laid aside she had longed to appear in public in her new finery. But the old diffidence would not permit her to do so. She could not bring herself to face the charge of dolting herself up in “ war-paint ” and splendid “ scenery ” to counteract her homeliness. Yet, day after day, and night after night, when she was alone at home, she had slipped into these pretty things and had reveled in the soft luxury of their feel and the’ pleasing reflection of her mirror. Self-consciousness had prevented her wearing these hidden treasures in public. The underlying cause of her fear was a childlike notion that she might be subject to comment. Certain natures enjoy being conspicuous, but Alice shrank from the sen- sation. And when she went to New York she wore the simplest of traveling suits, and purposely registered at a small and very quiet hostelry, exclusively reserved for women. Yet, m her new mood, she had enjoyed writing that letter to Hallie, and she was in- ‘wardly elated as she visualized the scene her imagination. had conjured up as_ being bound to occur when the girls would act upon her request. It was but the beginning of a series of surprises she was shrewdly planning for East Morton, and she meant to shroud her schemes in mystery until the very end. The next step was to analyze herself phy- sically. She did it in the hotel room with the aid of her mirror and the cleverness of her awakened mind. Her swarthiness and oriental type of features suggested possibili- ties of adornment that would be denied to many women. Her first experiment was with her hair. When she had hit upon its new arrangement it might have been a Tar- tar damsel who peered into the glass. Long earrings of jet or jade would add to the picture, she decided, and resolved to pur- chase them promptly. Personal appearance, however, was but a part of her plan. She meant to make her- self the most talked of girl in East Morton and now she knew how she was going about it. Early the next morning she convinced the forewoman of Gailliard Freres’ special- COMmiclboo SS C©