WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 62, 4 September 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen"). £16,000 A YEAR FOR BEAUTY. SECRETS OF A WEST EXD PARLOR ''COMPLEX lOX GIRL" IN DISPUTE. London, July 9. A romance of a West End beauty shop, at which the total takings were at the rate of £IO.OOO a year, was disclosed in a remarkable action for damages heard before Mr. Justice Bray and a special jury. It was a claim brought by Mrs. Helena Titus, of Grafton street, W., carrying on business in London and Australia as a "complexion specialist," under the name of Rubenstein, against Mrs. Louise Winterfeldt, of Fifth Avenue, New York, a wealthy American woman, who was formerly a client at the Grafton Street Beauty Parlor. Mrs. Winterfeldt was attended at the beauty parlor by Miss Dora Isabel Stock, a "complexion girl," and when she returned to America it was agreed that Miss Stock should accompany her for three months, £l5O a month being paid to Mrs. Titus. Miss Stock was under a three years' agreement in Grafton street at a salary starting at 7s (id a week, but at the end of the three months she did not return to Grafton street.

Accordingly Mrs. Titus brought this action to recover damages against Mrs. Winterfeldt for "enticing away" the complexion girl. Mis 9 Stock, who was the central figure in the extraordinary case, sat by the side of Mrs. Winterfeldt during the hearing. In figure and appearance she was in striking contrast to Mrs. Winterfeldt, who is tall and thicK-sct, with a mass of auburn hair. Miss Stock is now Mrs. Winterfeldt's companion and secretary. She is a dainty, petite figure, with fluffy ringlets, and was dressed in blue, with a straw hat to match.

Some intimate details of the beauty culture establishment were given by Mr, Horace Walker. K.C., in opening the case for Mrs. Helena Titus. "My client carries on an extensive business in specifics for preserving and protecting the complexion." he explained. "She also gives electric treatment in certain cases, and has many aristocratic and wealthy clients.

"About October, 1908, Mrs. Winterfeldt became a customer of the Grafton street establishment, and in all she went there 36 times. On 26 of these occasions she was attended by Miss Stock. "At the end of 1008 Mrs. Winterfeldt contemplated returning to America, and wishing to continue the successful beauty treatment, arranged to take Miss Stock with her. Mrs. Titus after that went with her husband to Australia and other places to which her business extended.' At Vancouver she heard to her great astonishment that, although the three months had elapsed, Miss Stock had not returned to London. "On learning this Mr. and Mrs. Titus went to New York and interviewed Mrs. Winterfeldt at her country house, but the only result was that' Miss Stock burst into tears, and they had to leave her, saying, 'We can't take you back to England by force.'" COMPLEXION GIRL'S WAGES. Mrs. Helena Titus, with a swift glance towards Mrs. Winterfeldt and Miss Stock as she passed them, went into the witness-box. She was a fashionable figure in a neat blue costume and beehive hat, with a nodding yellow feather. "I took Miss Stock into my service without a premium," she said. "She was to have 7s 6d a week the first year, las the second, and '2ss the third,' but although she was only with me nine months, she was getting l'2s Cd a week when she left for America."

She added that she charged from one to six guineas a visit, and spent £20,000 a year in expenses.

"What is the staff at your beauty establishment, madam?" asked Mr. F. E. Smith, K.C., M.P., politely, rising to cross-examine.

"Let me see," replied Mrs. Titus. "I have live complexion assistants, three typewriter girls, three girls making beauty ereams and preparations and one ladv doctor."

"Supposing my learned friend went to have his complexion treated," asked Mr. Smith pleasantly, "how much would you spend on him':''

"It depends." replied Mrs. Titus, with an amused glance across the court at counsel.

ell, suppose he went in for a guinea treatment, what proportion of the guinea would have to spend on preparations for him—a few pence or a few shillings':" "A few, shillings,'' said Mrs. Titus amid laughter.

"What would bp the net profits on the year's takings?" "It might be £2o—and it might he £looo,'' was the reply. "And it might be a million," flashed counsel.

"My first year in London was not a financial success," confessed Mrs. Titus. "I havo three businesses, and from one of them J lake £.">000 a year." LARGE TAKINGS.

Some interesting details of the takings at the ''beauty .shop" were next given by Mr. Langton, a chartered accountant:

Takings for complexion treatment (18 months). £10,005.

Takings from sales of beauty specifics (same period), £12,823. Reckoning five assistant*, these figures worked out at £27 Mis 3d each week in treatments for each assistant, and £"27 8s a week each in sales. "We do not Maine Miss Stock," cried Mr. Walker. K.C., ''but the temptress who took her away." After Mrs. Vfinterfeldt had gone into the witness-box and explaiued that she "took a fancy" to Miss Stock, and knew nothing of the agreement, the jury returned a verdict in her favor. A CHILD'S ADVOCACY. The American boy prodigy of ten who lectures at Boston to petrified professors on the fourth dimension has been matched by a child of the opposite sex in another profession in this country. The other day the officials of Whitechapel County Court were paralysed with astonishment (savs a New York message published in the London Daily Mail) at the spectacle of a small girl of twelve, of Hebrew appearance, who led her blind father by the hand to a seat and then boldly climbed into the witnessbox. ]t, appeared that her name was r.sther Cohen, and that she was acting as counsel on behalf of her father in ii suit against a man for a debt of £l, which had been obtained, as Esther contended. by the sale of benefit tickets. The little damsel told her tale without any beating about the bush and without any hesitation. She was asked by Deputy-Judge Brooks whether she had been _ present at the transactions she described. Her answer was given pat: "Xot during a part of the conversation, because it was inside a publichouir, and, of course, I was not allowed inside." "Von are a charming liUb: advocate." interjected the deputy-judge, "but voiir evidence is of no value." '-'Let me speak,'" replied the pertinacious little

lady. And speak she did. She crossexamined the defendant as to the sale of the tickets in the finest Old Bailey style, with reminders at every turn in this wise: "I insist on having an answer"; "I am entitled to an answer"; "'I must press you for an answer." Finally her spirited advocacy carried the day and won the case, though the judgment was for a much smaller amount than her generous claim. The episode ended, and the lively maiden disappeared to collect, the cash. It seems that she is saving money to send her father, a tailor, who went blind two years ago, to a Vienna oculist, and that she aspires to dressmaking, not advocacy, as her profession in life.