The Democratic advocate., 1909-07-23
BILLY THE BORE.
Ne Was Very Different From the
Poet and the HaIfback.
ey TEMPLE BAILEY.

Mo college these qualities counted for
rttle. for they worshiped at the shrine
- the poet and of the halfback. The
.ont had long hair. and SO had the half
hack but otherwise they had nothing
N common except that they both loved
Dulcie Drayton.
RiIly loved Dulcie too. But he hadn't
half a chance, for the poet wrote SON.
,ets to Dulcies eyebrows, and the half
bsck let her shine in his reflected foot
ball glory.
Now and then she consented to make
gnIy happy Yes, l will walk with
Won +" she told him graciously one Oc-
tober day, "only we mustn't go very
far for have an engagement with the
haIfback."
GAN right" said Billy and promptly
fsrgot his watch.
The halfback was raging when they
apally reached Dulcie's home. eve
have missed the game" he said. "Of
course if 1 had been playing couldn't
have waited; but, as it is, have hung
2round"-
"Billy forgot his watch" Dulcie apol-
Aeized. land we didn't realize how late
i was"
81 should think he would bore you to
DEATH" the halfback said when Billy
had left them. How can you stand
nlat fellow"
Hes not bad,' Dulcie defended. "Of
aourse he hasn't such an awful lot OF
Arains, and he hasn't done such Won
derful things as you have, but he's got
aa awfully good disposition
And the halfback, remembering his
svn grumbling and growing, said
sOh, WELL" uncomfortably and won
dered if Dulcie was hitting at him.
A few days later the poet took
Dulcie to task about Billy. "You
danced with him four times last
night" he said, "and wanted you to
sit out those last two in the conserva-
tory with me. l had a new poem to
read to you. 1t was about young Oc-
tober's golden eyes. and it is dedicated
to you
"Read it to me now" said DuIcie.
I'D love to hear it"
"The atmosphere isn't right" the
xoet fretted, mot here on the campus,
but last night there was little moon,
and there were red roses on the lat
Nce"
'Billy is an awfully good dancer"
Dulcie reflected, which, as the poet
generally got tangled up even in
tWostep, was not tactful.
For several days after that, how
ever, the rivalry between the poet and
HE halfback was so intense that Billy
was left completely in the back
ground.
The poet sat up half the night writ
ng verses, and the theme was 'foVe,
lDve, love-" and he claimed every
sDare moment of Dulcie's time to read
Hlem to her.
"He writes about my hair" she told
Billy, "and calls it soft spun silk
shimmering in the sunshine
Il don't see the use of stringing out
lot of shimmering sunshine SEN
ences when your hair is too beautiful
to be described said Billy bluntly.
Dulcie smiled up at him. "After
al, 1 like the way yod put it, Billy"
she said. ''and I'm glad you like the
color of my hair
81 love it, Billy stated, "and love
yea, Dulcie.'
sOh, oh, you mustn'tp' Dulcie pro-
tested
'WeH, not now, if you don't want me
tO hYt 7 shall tell YOU again, Dulcie,"
Billy answered.
"And he WILL" Dulcie told her most
intimate friend that night. HE will
ask me over and over again"
''Well of course you couldn't marry
him," said the intimate friend calmly,
mot such a bore"
81 am not sure that Billy deserves
that nickname" said Dulcie. lie
doesn't talk moonshine like the poet
e. brag of himself like the haItback,
but he does say some nice, sensible,
good hearted things, and he mas a
lovely SMILE
The intimate friend sat up and look
ed at her. We'll, of all things" she
said; i believe you are half In love
with him How you can think or MIN
when you have the choice of two such
men us the poet and the halfback is
more than l can understand
But are they really in love WIN
me-" Dulcie demanded.
"They have asked you to marry
Hem. haven't they?" Marion asked
Yes. But somehow it seems to me
hat they are always thinking OF them
selves. But Billy thinks of me-"
oh" Marion saida softly, Il know
what you mean. If you married the
poet or the halfback you would nave
to worship at their shrines. while Billy
would worship at yours"
Yes said Dulcie. "thats it, and a
man who loves you that way cant
exactly bore you, can he?
"No. he can't" said Marion, "but OF
course you can never tell how long
It will last"
Sometimes have thought l should
Like TO put them to test. as ladies' dlu
fTith the knights of DID," Dulcie meol-
tated.
"But what test" Marion demanded
could you have in modern days?
''In the old times it was a test o1
strength and SKILL" Dulcie stated. "5u;
Today there is one god, Marion-money'
You know I have a lot in my own
right. And the boys know 1t, all OF
4 hnl