Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-04-02

1t had become a byword in the col
lege town long before Gregson reached
his Junior year. There had been one
little love affair after another, none of
them very serious so far as Gregson
was concerned, but with just enough
sentiment and a few heartaches and
tears on the part of the young women
TO leave memories like those of deli
cately crushed rose leaves.
First there had been the demure
young daughter of Professor De
schelle, who was suddenly and not
unwisely shipped off to Berlin for a
years finishing. Then Miss Bowdoin,
daughter of n st. Louis millionaire,
came to nurse her brother through
pneumonia and after meeting Gregson
remained so long that her father
wrote inquiring whether they now
quarantined nurses in pneumonia
cases. The next little affair was more
serious so far as the elder Gregson's
purse was concerned and some of the
college men are wondering to this day
how much Tottie Vaughn of "The
Dazzlcr" company named as the price
of withdrawing her suit.
After three years Gregson had what
his friends irreverently termed "a rep"
as juggler with feminine hearts. The
newest girl in town was quite general
ly referred to at the end of n week or
so as ."Gregson's latest" and host
esses remarked to their young guests:
"Now, do look out for Harry Gregson,
my dear He is such charming fell 1
low, but an incorrigible, absolutely un-
principled firt"
Perhaps these same married women
and chaperons who shook their heads
over him and then smiled understood
and sympathiZed with him more than
they realized. In reply to their remon-
STRANGE he would say plaintively:
"Bless your heart, can't help it, now,
honestly. 1t is the girls who take this
so seriously. | never do. Why can't
they enjoy q dance, a few flowers,
boxes of candy, an evening at the the
ater and other little trihes without sex-
pecting n proposal tackled on the end
OF these attentions? | don't want to
marry them. | always tell them so,
and then they get mad and say I'm a
reckless hirt and I ought to go on the
stage where | could make googoo eyes
at the leading lady all the while. Now,
I tliink that's unjust. No one under
stands me- | just want to enjoy my
SELF to sip lightly of life's pleasures,
but these women take life so seriously.
II they want to be unhappy and hol-
low eyed and Ophelia-like and indulge
in a hopeless, undying passion, why, l
can't help that, now, can IT'
So 1t happened that when Gregson
decided to go home with Disbrow for
part OF the vacation the sensation Gre
ated was profound. Gregson away
from Newport and the country club, a
thousand miles from a yacht, buried
on midwest farm! What would the
girls do, and what would Gregson do?
The intimacy between the two men
was on the surface incongruous. Greg
son was typical city man, well
groomed. well dressed and absolutely
self contained. His grandfather had
been one OF the few mllionaires OF his
day; his father was now one of the
many. Disbrow came from n midwest
farm, from which he had wrung by
the literal sweat OF his brow n course
Mt the great eastern college. He wore
ready made clothes, cared more for
his books than his tub and was ex-
tremely self conscious, easily embar-
rassed. But between the two there
existed peculiar affinity.
n I,.ax IaI hA
his trunk for the trip: "Disbrow comes
from the stuff our presidents are made |
Of. He might be president some day,
and then I'd be glad to know him and |
get Il foreign post" Not for the world |
would he admit a disinterested affec- |
tion for this awkward chap toward |
whom he had been so strangely and |
unselfshly drawn. And SO he landed
at the Disbrow farm with selection |
OF clothing which, though n credit to |
ms good breeding in its simplicity, yet |
stamped him as apart from the men |
among whom he was to move for the |
next few months. Gregson would be |
we'll dressed In jeans and could give |
certain twist TO n bargain counter tie |
that made It quite his own. At least |
that was what Alice Davis had |
thought while he danced attendance |
upon her at the strawberry festival |
given by the Union church. Her eyes |
had told him this ana more.
ito was thinking 1t all over as he |
drove home alone, with the scent of /
loamy upturned earth bearing him |
company along the moonllt road. Alice
lacked atyle. lie could easily picture |
her as getting hopelessly tangled up |
In a trained gown. She displayed no
wlles, subtle or otherwise, but was |
dellciously ingenious. And those eycsl
Those perfect lashes sweeping peach
blow cheek! What was she doing IN |
this God forsaken eopntry2 He would
ask her the next time they met. No;
he would ask Disbrow when he got
home. Come to think of II, Dlsbrow
had had her picture, along with his
sisters and mothers, on his wall at
college Perhaps she was Il relative
too.
Disb'ow had stayed home. At the
last moment his mother had been TAX
en- slightly Ill, and he had explained to
Gregson that he hated to leave her In
that shape. She had worked so hard
Tint he might go to college. And
Gregson had not minded. He had met
and been cordially received by many
OF the neghbors Resides, u country
festival VAS q novelty TO him. Dis
brow was waiting up for him. and
they stopped for smoke on the small
porch, with masses of fragrant honey
suclIes
Pretty girl, that Miss Davis, ana
rather u good sort. | imagine" said
Gregson carelcssly.
Disbrow's pipe was suspended mid |
way in the air.