Show aft alse faa cs I 1 ETTY PRICE dabbed a spot of BETTY athe rouge on each cheek touched the places lightly for a natural effect then dipped in the perfume bottle and rubbed the back of her small ears tilting back the blurred mirror mirror she surveyed herself critically critic aUy the effect seemed entirely satisfactory betty sighed ecstatically 1 I look like a million dollars she breathed 1 I I 1 can almost convince myself that I 1 am a great lady tonight carefully her silver feet descended the narrow stairs she must get away as quickly as possible what would the unromantic mr and mrs james barstow say if they saw the cinderella of their kitchen arrayed in garments like these betty chuckled at the thought thou glit they would think she had gone crazy if they found out that she had spent a whole months salary to rent the things she was wearing and to buy a ticket for the opera but they never will find out she told herself as she carefully closed the back door behind her at the corner she waited for a cab on the way down she heard the voice of christmas everywhere she saw its symbols in shop windows in arches of green and red her prince was standing in the doorway his evening clothes replaced by clean blue overalls strung across the streets she told herself it must be the christmas feeling in the air that made her do this daring thing it was utterly ridiculous to dress up like a great lady but one had to be different at christmas and life had been pretty dull for betty since she had to accept the work she was doing it offered very little inspiration the story of the opera took her back to a medieval world in a few moments she was completely lost in its atmosphere so much so that she failed to notice that the man seated at her right was sending admiring glances in her direction when the curtain went up he leaned over and spoke 1 I love this he said simply 1 I do too betty answered with a little catch in her voice it seemed incredible that he was speaking to her he was really acting as if she belonged by the time the curtain went up again they were calling each other prince and princess taking the names of the two leading characters on the stage As the great drama moved to its close betty tried to hurry away she want her prince to find out what an impostor she was but he had taken hold of her arm we go and have some coffee he suggested 1 I know im a stranger to you but but its christmas and 1 I should say no betty told herself 1 I should even tell him the truth about myself instead she accompanied him to the coffee shop across the street she deny herself this one hour of happiness after it was over well betty would not let her thoughts go further she almost forgot that she was playing a part as they sat together they seemed to have so much in common he had read widely the type of books she liked he took an interest h i so many things she med liked seemed to be as romantic and visionary as herself but he spoke no word to indicate that he wanted to see her again she had been foolish to expect it gloom enveloped the world for betty next morning As if to add to her humiliation and misery a clogged up drain was sending oozy brown water back into the sink her feet dragged across the floor as she answered the plumbers knock then the world spun dizzily around her for a moment A rush of joy of wonder lifted her heart her prince was standing in the doorway his evening clothes replaced by clean blue overalls his good looking face wrinkled in bewilderment 1 I I 1 thought you were he stammered and I 1 I 1 thought you were betty earned in an anver arvar ver we p 0 er a arc pcs s sicre ere I 1 tile the ti t x ceremony SI sel vice |