The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-16
"A Virginian Page for Each Member Of the Family j
NOT A DANGLER
ny DONALD ALLEN.

waking to the fact that his pipe wa
dead. when step sounded in the
hall, and the door opened to admit
Martins rough black head.
Hello. there. Allan! What youI
moptng about2"
Hello yourself! Come in. want
to ask you something He rose sud
denly. put down hts pipe and took
of his hat.
Martin. are you and Mary Canton
engaged 7" He blurted 1t out. but
question of ofYense somehow Martin
stared moment. opened his mouth
to speak, and then took the defensive.
| "Confound you, suppose you
ask Mary? Perhaps she may like to
inform you'" THEN he deliberately
changed the subject. After a moment
OF comment on the weather, the two
went downstairs In the elevator, butt
at the outer door Reeves Allan turned
homeward
BETTER come with me to Cantons'
and ask Mary" advised Martin, with
laughter In his voice. But the other
young fellow strobe doggediy away. /
He resolved not to call that evening,
nor the next He had probably
queered himself already by being
everiastingiy under foot. He had
shown no dignity, no reserve. He
hated himself. Bob was quite right.
I WOMEN always, ana rightly. cUvetecT
the rare. the scarce--not what lay be-
meath their proud little feet.
Going. lover-like. to the usual ex- /
tremes, he worked himself In a few |
days up to q point where he was self
| conscious and miserable to a degree
that made him keep out of Mary's
sight. A week passed and he did not
go near her--and then another week. !
BY that time he dared not call for
lack OF an excuse for his detection
But the thought of her blue eyes and
quick laughter, her brown little hands
and soft brown hair, her grace of
speech and movement. would let him
neither eat nor sleep. His pipe was
his only comforter. Bob had begun
to watch him with real concern and
no longer gaves him railing advice.
At last one afternoon he did break
into speech again.
"Reevie, my dear boy, a dangler is
better than q sorehead, any dayi In
heavens name, dangle. dangie as OF
old. anything that will make you fit
to live with again And now--get
out OF this office! It's beastly hot
for April. you need air. and need
your room worse than your grouchy
company, Take a walk, dol"
! He obeyed. Once out In the fresh
greenery OF the new spring. the
young mans spirits rose. lie had
grown morbid. Bob was right--he
would walk ali this numb misery off
He started out. but something in his
feet took him oat to Marys. He re-
solved to saunter by. But 1t was not
easy. In fact. 1t was not possible. for
she sat on the piazza in the western
sun. and about her dangied WEIGH
and Harris and Bogue--and Fred
| erick Martin. who hailed him with
shout. He held up his head and en-
tered boldly.
Welcome. stranger" greeted Mary.
I Was her voice wistful, or YVES 1t
1 only that he wished 1t might be2
/ Martin laughed pitilessiy "Our
young friend, Reeves Allan. rising
| lawyer. Ii a very bad detective. He
) asks fiat questions of principals In a
case Not long ago he was straight
/ forward--to me--and / ma rank de-
gree! l referred him to Mary. Why
don't you ask her-now, Allan?"
/ Allan looked Mt him coolly. his
eyes aglow. his manner easy enough
! to deceive even Mary, who wondered
/ what 1t was all about. Allan stood
beside her. facing the others
!. II think l will ask her. since that's
what l came for" he rejoined boldly.
But l refuse to be tried before
jury of--my peers
E=.ponkeys alt t All donkeys,"
i chanted Bogue in his silly way.
i Mary. walk with me down the
lawn out OF earshot OF this foolish
;. eonglomeration, and let me ask you
In private what you really think of
j these--danglers. VIII YOU"
The girl laughed and arose. and
;! side by side the two walked away,
!. not even casting a glance back at the
!, others. They walked slowly, the man
talking Presently they disappeared
around the old summer house. The
i other DANGERS waited. They con-
i tinued to wait.
Then, Just AZ the sun set, the two
came sauntering back. AS they came
up the steps Allan took the girl by
/ the hand and led her to her mother.
1 who was coming out, and stood In
I the door.
"She's-~fritne," he announced sim
ply The others stood stupefied
/ moment. Then they crowded about
/ to shake hands.
Good work. Allan--good work."
Martin gave a long. slow wink at
/ Sylvia. who blushed deep and beau
! tifui crimson.