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,>A SImL_.._,———

day,

1932

The landlady spied on him
through the key-hale and
‘saw Virginia standing, tall
and graceful, in a green
gown, with Allied kneeling
at her feet.

CANADIAN Home Jourrn/”_

- ll them so, Alfred. I don't like the looks of

I .
lb

SUDDEN pity for her smote
Alfred then he saw her standing
apart from the others, so beautiful
and so alone. The strong electric

{ht from above brought out a metallic
een in her bronze—gold hair that was so
uutifully swathed about her small drooping
vnd. A sheen, almost metallic, fell across
re bent bare shoulder. She was slender to a
igility but the curves of her neck and face
re beautiful. Her expression was serene
cl the long-lashed eyes that stared straight
fore her, were almost incredibly inno—
nt.
She had on nothing but a scant silk slip,
k stockings and high-heeled bronze shoes.
as that Marks, the window dresser, had
dered her to be put aside, no one but
fred paid any attention to her.

Marks had said, irritahly—”'I‘hey‘re
ways sending me more figures than I want
d I can't and won't have my windows
owded. This is one too many and you can

   

r. I can't see her showing off one of these
art evening wraps, can you?”
The two men turned appraising looks on
r. Marks’ became contemptuous. "N0."
Tepeflted, “I've no use for her. There's

"T|€tl1ll’|Z about her that I just don't like."

nd he asked Alfred again for his opinion.

4: was the window dresser of Usher St Usher's depart-
lent store and Alfred was his assistant

"Well." answered Alfred, rubbing his chin which
ceded shaving, "she's got a pretty figure."

"H’m~I suppose so. But she locks expression.
m] I can't take no interest in dressing up a figure that
git‘ expression. Now all these others,"and be cast a

ifl: glance over the elegant group fllmldy dlfllwfied in
he window, "make you feel one way or another when
on look at them. But that one," and his disparaging
lance again fell on her, "don't make you feel anything
lit tired. That's because she's got no expremlon,

 

 

  
  

BY MAZO
DE LA ROCHE

 
  
 
  
   
  
   
   
    
   
   
   
   
 
  
   
   
    
   
   
   
   
  
   
    
   
   
   
   

see? New in modern life there's got to be expression in
everything!"

But she was beautiful, Alfred thought, upproaelring
her, beautiful in her serenity, her stately disregard for
Marks and all the rest of them, She was like no other
window figure that Alfred had helped to dress. He was
even more thoughtful than usual as he moved cautiously
among the figures in the window handing the delicutely~
coloured velvets and cbillons to Marks, watching his
masterly arrangement of folds. The others were poor
things beside her, he thought. and he pictured her the
centre of the window wearing thegolrl-L-mbroideredwrap
that Marks was now so meticuously arranging about the

shoulders of another. There should be no
other figure in the window with her. She
should stand ulune surrounded by beautiful
things, a throng of admiring faces against
the glass.

"Take her away," said Marks, testily.
when his work was done, “and put her where
I won't see her. Tell them down there I
haven't got no use for her. Tell them that she
lacks expression and that if my models lack
expression, I can't give expression to my art,
see?"

LFRED placed her on the little hund-
truck and trundled her through the lung
aisles between the counters to the distant
room where the dummies were kept. It was
early morning and there were few shoppers
about, Scurccly one had u glance for hcr us
shelnuguished past them like a goddess on a
float.

At the door of the room Alfred stopped
the truck and took her in his arms. He
carried her inside and stood her gently in a
corner by herself moving out of the way the
figure of u large-bended child with sausage-
like curls. He then closed the door and stood
regarding her, rubbing his chin that needed
shuvimz. Alfred, though a clean-living young
mun of punctual habit.-4. always had an
unkempt look. lvlis coat was wrinkled. his tie
up at the buck und his thick (lurk huir refused tn lie down.
lie luitl u look of dreamy surprise in his blue one in‘
though his spirit were always in the net (wt uwukirrg and
staring ubout it in wonder, He had spent ull his lifc
in ugly surrounding-r~ugly little rooms, drcury streets of
L-nervntlng similarity, ugly (lepurtmunt stores in which,
after ten years of labour, ho had l'l!l‘|’l to the position of
assistant window~dre§u-r. Usher dz Uslu-r'.s was u -:m.ill
estulrlislnncnt but ambitious and the window dressing of
Marks who was ignorant of grammar but half an l‘_Vt‘
for line nnd velour, was already drawing the attention of
the public to it.