6. Would the wives, daughters, or fiancées of the members of the commission be hors concours?
7. At what age did a girl cease to be a Girl?
8. Should Morality be allowed to interfere with Art?
When the reporters called at the S. A. S. A. offices H. R. gave to each a typewritten set of the questions and said:
"The commission will hold meetings. They will be public to the applicants. Nobody else, excepting male reporters, will be allowed to be present. And you might add, gentlemen, that the commission considers the requirements for success so uncommon as to render unnecessary the lease of the Madison Square Garden to hold the candidates. The sessions will be held in a room not much larger than this room. And," added the diabolic H. R., "we have no fear of overcrowding. They have to be perfectly beautiful girls, beautifully perfect. Now, don't quote me, boys, but you might print, as a report on good authority, that the only one thus far chosen is Miss Grace Goodchild!"
Though all reporters are human, most of them are grateful. They duly published the "rumor" and Grace's latest photographs.
XX
Long before the tea was over, Grace Goodchild, two miles north of him, realized that H. R. was one of those detestable persons who are always right. A dozen of her intimates surrounded her in the Dutch room. They all talked at once. When eleven stopped for lack of breath the twelfth, who very cleverly had saved hers, asked:
"Did they really pick you out, Grace?"