Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-03-11
BY KATE UPSON CLARK


BY KATE UPSON CLARK.
Copyright, 1905. by Joseph s. Bowles)
Miiiicent had often remarked that
she could not bear" young Henry
Dunn. When, therefore, that gentle
man was heard to remark that he was
at Miss Millicents house almost every
evening, there was naturally some sur
prise felt.
When Millicent was asked about the
matter, she colored a little, and said:
Yes, he is here good deal"
But you said you did not like
him"
oh don't dislike him so very much.
And. you see. If the parlor isn't pretty
| well filled with young men every night,
the impression gets abroad that one
| isn't popular"
Then you encourage poor Henry to
come simply because he counts one
| To make up the crowd?"
"Yes-that is about it But can't
see the harm. He has a good time.
He generally has an ice or some lem
onade-or some of his own candy
'sthaf SS',S.4.Ts,s' d, ll:.s'e7-arS W. are al'
nice 10 him.
Il suppose you must have some
young man on hand all the time,
whether you like him or not?"
Well" argued Millicent, defensive
ly, you don't think il is very agree
able for a girl tor act as if nobody
liked her. do you? And if you haven't
any beau at all-why-what a forlorn
thing you seem to bel"
Then when the one you really like
comes along, you drop the dummy
SO to speak?"
Yes" admitted Milhcent, ingenu-
ously.
But how does the young man feel
who has been dropped to make way
for the conquering hero?"
"Oh. he doesn't mind" averred MILL
cent, with nonchalance
1t is, of course, silly to insist that q
young girl cannot receive visits, and
even small tokens of regard, like flow
ers. confectionery and books, from young
men toward wnom she has no warmer
feeling than a friendly regard. Young
men who are asked to dinner and other
entertainments by young women or
| their parents. can properly recipro-
cate by such tritling attentions.
But when a young man goes two or
| three times a week to see a girl or
take her out. and the girl allows these
constant services, with smiles and ap-
| parent satisfaction, he is quite justi-
| fed in thinking that she has more
| than a merely friendly feeling for him.
The young man, too, needs a warn
ing-but this article is designed for
| the girls, and the advice to him is
"another story"
1t may be g source of comfort to the
devoted youth to learn in the end that
he has been the means of, as ii were,
bolstering up the girls credit until she
| could secure the attentions OF some
other young man whom she likes bet
ter. Eut as he is gradually retired
TO the "outer circle" and sees a rich
er or handsomer or more gifted man
receiving the favors to which he has
been accustomed, the substitute
lover" as he might be termed. is like
ly to find the consciousness of his past
usefulness a rather bitter husk.
A certain Serena to whom this mat
ter was preached, remarked illuminat-
ingly: Yes, Emma is all for Jack
Horner now, and poor Tom Perry, who
has been most faithful for the past
year or so, just has to sit around and
suck his thumbs. 1t is too bad-but
Jack is really nicer than Tom, in ever
so many ways-and you can't blame
Emma for trying to catch him.
"Oh, that is all right. But why did
she so long and in such marked ways
encourage Tom?"
| why, don't you see, a girl has go
to have somebody-and maybe IL Jacl
had not come around, or anybody bette
than Tom-Emma might have takeI
Tom, in the end. You seem to thinl
that a girl always knows whom sh'
is in love. Now, she really doesn't
II fellow is kind and generous, AM
pretty popular, a girl naturally ike
to have him walt on her-and she doe
not know that she 10 capable OF lik
ing anybody any better, till suddenly
presto, the real hero appears, and he
soul flies toward him. AS that deli
cious western Mrs. Malaprop says
It Is Exit homo and, in This case, 1
IS In q double sense"
But she was so really pleased, ap