Argosy, Vol. 111, No. 1 — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

154 efficiency expert. We can show injury. Just look at all the employers who will read that article and refuse to employ any but blondes. Look at the hardships and suffer- ing it will cause among brunettes! This thing grows on me the more I think of It. Of course, if we were commercially inclined, we might corner the peroxide market and make a fortune. Just think of a world filled with ravishing blondes.” ‘“No! No!” exclaimed Kenneth. ‘I am not interested in all that. I only want to prove that she is talking through her hat; that brunettes have it all over blondes in every particular, intellectually and other- wise.” “TI get you,” Littleton assured him, laughing covertly. ‘“‘ We have recourse to history. Let us look to the famous fem- inists of all ages whose locks are of a golden or a raven hue. To name only a few there are: Xanthippe, Millie N. Bustle, Lot’s wife, Teresa Gamba Guiccilt, Fatima, Mrs. Noah, The Gibson Girl, Helen of Troy, Pocohontas, Neva Bungay, Little Red Riding Hood, Lola Montey, Joan of Arc, Delilah, Mother Hubbard, Cleopatra, Molly Pitcher, Mrs. Solomon, The Vestral Virgins, Venus de Milo, Mme. Bovary, Polyxena, Marie Antoinette, Jeanne Du Barry, Mary Stuart, Athena Parthenos, Empress Josephine, Catherine the Great of Russia, Nell Gwynne, Eve, and Mrs. Grundy. ‘Which of them are brunettes?” asked Kenneth. ‘Take your choice,” said Littleton mag- naninously. ‘* Your ‘guess will be as good as any one else’s.”’ ‘Marshall, this, is a serious matter with me, but you refuse to regard it in that light,’ complained Kenneth, as he arose to leave. Littleton followed him to the door. ‘“Who is she, old man? Tell me about her! She must be some girl to get you all het up like this.” ‘“Oh, Marshall, she is beautiful beyond your wildest imagination,” said Kenneth fervently. ‘‘I only saw her once; I prob- ably will never see her again, but I will leve her forever and ever.” ‘You certainly have been hard hit,” said THE ARGOSY. Littleton, not without sympathy, but when Kenneth had left the room, he muttered: ‘‘ damphool.”’ Kenneth glanced at his watch and dis- covered he had missed his chance to-day to watch the traming stunts of Young Sullivan, and thé dansant now seemed to hold forth littie promise in the way of adventure. He wandered around discon- solately until late in the afternoon; then he hurried along Michigan Avenue. Per- haps he could obtain some first-hand data at Morrie Samuels’s. A Broadway atmos- phere greeted him here. The reception- room was crowded with vapid-faced chorus men, bright-eyed and _brilliant-cheeked chorus girls. The principals in the cast of the new show sat quite aloof in one corner. Basil Keane and Lorna Donaldson, local favor- ites, were to be the featured players, but there was much speculation as to who was to furnish the necessary cash for financing the enterprise. Musical comedies are costly; Morrie had discovered that for him- self when he dropped twenty thousand dollars on a previous production two years before. The wise ones knew he was not risking his own money, if he had any left, on this new show. Kenneth attracted no particular atten- tion when he entered the room; the con- fusion of tongues at Babel was. intelligent jargon compared to the shrill chatter that here assailed his ears. Good listeners .were at a premium. Every one was excitedly trying to tell some one else of certain sundry exploits of-his own. Kenneth stood by the door and his head and heart nearly burst from the excitement of being in such close touch with these people of that fairy world behind the footlights. Blondes and brunettes, real and unreal, swam around before his fascinated eyes. The door to Morrie Samuels’s private office opened. At once the vocal confusion subsided and there was a mad and con- certed rush in that direction. There is no such thing as precedent in things the- atrical. First seen, first heard is the rule. But Morrie waved them back as ke held open the door, and bowed eceremoniously over, the hand of a charming young lady. GommiGcbyoo O SS (CO)