Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1909-07-22
BILLY THE BORE.

But among the girls OF the college these
qualities counted for little, for they Wor-
SHIPPED al the shrine Of the poet and OF the
halfback. The poet had long hair, and so
had the halfback, but otherwise they had
nothing in common except that they both
loved Dulcie Drayton.
Billy loved Dulcie, too. But he hadn't
half chance, for the poet wrote sonnetS
to Dulcie'S eyebrows and the halfback let
her shine in his reflected football glory.
Now and then she consented to make
Billy happy. eyes. | will walk with
you," she told him, graciously, one Octo-
ber day, "only we mustn't go very far,
for have an engagement with the half
back"
"All right" said Billy, and promptly
forgot his watch.
The halfback was raging when they
finally reached Dulcie's home. "We have
missed the game," he said. "Of course,
if had been playing | couldn't have
waited; but, as it is, | have hung
around"-
"Billy forgot his WATCH" Dulcie apol-
ogized, land we didn't realize how late
il was"
al should think he would bore you to
DEATH" the halfback said, when Billy had
left them. Chow can you stand that fel-
low ?"
Giles not bad," Dulcie defended. "Of
course he hasn't such an awful lot OF
brains, and he hasn't done such wonder
full things as you have-but he's got an
awfully good disposition"
And the halfback, rememberinghis own
grumbling and growing, said, ooh well, "
uncomfortably, and wondered 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, land
wanted you to sit out those last two in
the conservatory with me. had new
poem to read to you. twas about young
October's golden eyes-and it is dedicated
to you''-
"Read it to me now" said Dulcie, "l'd
love to hear it.
"The atmosphere isn't right" the poet
fretted, mot here on the campus, but last
night there was little moon, and there
were red roses on the lattice"
"Billy is an awfully good dancer" Dull
Gle reflected, which, as the poet generally
got tangled up even in two-Step, was
not tactful
For several days after that, however,
the rivalry between the poet and the half
back was so intense that Billy was left
completely in the background.
The poet sat up half the night writing
verses, and the theme was Glove, love,
love-" and he claimed every spare mo-
ment of Dulcie's time TO read them to her.
"He writes about my hair" she told
Billy, land calls it 'soft-spun silk shim-
mering in the sunshine -
"a don't see the use of Stringing out
lot Of shinmering, sunshine sentences,
when your hair is too beautiful to be de-
scribed," said Billy bluntly.
Dulcie smiled up at him. "After all, |
like the way you put it. Billy" she said,
"and I'm glad you like the color of my
hair"
81 love it," Billy stated, land love
you, Dulcie."
"Oh oh, you mustn't" Dulcie protest
ed.
"Well, not now if you don't want me
to, but shall tell you again, Dulcie, F"
Billy answered.
"And he WILL" Dulcie told her most in
innate 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"
s'1 am not sure that Billy deserves that
nickname" said Dulcie. ale doesn't
talk noonshine like the poet, or brag OF
himself like the hafback, buf he does say
some nice, sensible, good-hearted things,
and he has lovely SMILE"
The intimate friend sat up and looked
at her. "Well, OF all things" she said /;
al believe you are half in love with him.
How you can think OF him when you
have the choice OF two such men as the
poet and the halfback is more than can
understand"
"But are they really in love with me2"
Dulcie demanded
"They have asked you to marry them,
haven't they?" Marion asked.
"Yes. But somehow it seems to me
that they are always thinking of them
selves-but Billy thinks of me-"
"Oh," Marion said softly, 81 know
what you mean. If you married the poet
or the halfback you would have to wor-
ship at their shrines, while Billy would
worship at yours"
"Yes," said Dulcie, 'that's it-and a
man who loves you that way can't ex-
actly bore you, can hep"
"No, he can't" said Marion, "but o.
course you can never tell how long il will
last"
Sometimes have thought ! should
like to put them to a test-as ladies did
with the knights OF DID," Dulcie medita-
ted.
+ "But what test?" Marion demanded,