Capitalists and financiers -- Fiction; Chicago (Ill.) -- Fiction; Psychological fiction
A hint was more than sufficient for Aileen, though really it was not
needed. On arriving at Chicago she had sought and discovered a French
maid. Although she had brought plenty of dresses from Philadelphia, she
had been having additional winter costumes prepared by the best and
most expensive mistress of the art in Chicago—Theresa Donovan. Only the
day before she had welcomed home a golden-yellow silk under heavy green
lace, which, with her reddish-gold hair and her white arms and neck,
seemed to constitute an unusual harmony. Her boudoir on the night of
the dinner presented a veritable riot of silks, satins, laces,
lingerie, hair ornaments, perfumes, jewels—anything and everything
which might contribute to the feminine art of being beautiful. Once in
the throes of a toilet composition, Aileen invariably became restless
and energetic, almost fidgety, and her maid, Fadette, was compelled to
move quickly. Fresh from her bath, a smooth, ivory Venus, she worked
quickly through silken lingerie, stockings and shoes, to her hair.
Fadette had an idea to suggest for the hair. Would Madame let her try a
new swirl she had seen? Madame would—yes. So there were movings of her
mass of rich glinting tresses this way and that. Somehow it would not
do. A braided effect was then tried, and instantly discarded; finally a
double looping, without braids, low over the forehead, caught back with
two dark-green bands, crossing like an X above the center of her
forehead and fastened with a diamond sunburst, served admirably. In her
filmy, lacy boudoir costume of pink silk Aileen stood up and surveyed
herself in the full-length mirror.
“Yes,” she said, turning her head this way and that.
Then came the dress from Donovan’s, rustling and crisping. She slipped
into it wonderingly, critically, while Fadette worked at the back, the
arms, about her knees, doing one little essential thing after another.
“Oh, Madame!” she exclaimed. “Oh, charmant! Ze hair, it go weeth it
perfect. It ees so full, so beyutiful here”—she pointed to the hips,
where the lace formed a clinging basque. “Oh, tees varee, varee nize.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account