Sharp County record., 1911-12-29
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The Struggle
for Arthur

1t dawned on Miss Violet Mills in
surge of regret that there were disad
vantages connected with being l6
I years old
/ For example, if one were dspleased
with a friend one could not make up
a face and say "Smarty! You think
| you're smart, don't you?" And no
other method of procedure really
+ seemed to fit the present case.
There was not a particle Of doubt
that Elsie Wangness had deliberately
set out to trap Arthur. He had come
to visit In the Mills home, displaying
the full glory of his gray summer suit,
| heliotrope silk socks and tie, and with
businesslike assortment Of golf
clubs and tennis rackets and accom-
/ panied by Speckle, the sportiest look
ing Boston bullpup that ever was seen
on that street Since Arthur was tall
and architecturally designed after the
pattern Of the young man who makes
modern clothes advertisements things
OF beauty, it Is easily seen that there
was nothing for any girl in the neigh
| borhood to do but fall desperately in
| love with him.
/ After hrJhurs arrival there began
a perfect surge Of girls toward the
| Mills residence. II appeared that they
all loved Violet half to death and we're
sitting up nights planning entertain
| ments for her to show their devotion
entertainments TO which she was re.
quested to bring along your brother
| John-and his guest"
But Elsie Wangaess was the most
! devoted Of them all, for she took to
bringing over her fancy work and sit
! ting on the porch with her dear friend
! Violet or course, she could not help It
! If she was there when John and Ar
! thur happened to be there also.
/ Violet recalled, when she thought II
| over that Elsie most generally had
| been sitting there on the porch when
J the young men were around. It was
no wonder then, that she actually be.
gan wearing Arthurs fraternity pin
no doubt she had wrested It from
him by main lorce Violet had oh,
served that pin two seconds after Ar
thurs arrival and Instantly wild hopes
Of wearing It herself before his depart
ure seized upon her Only a week Of
Arthurs visit nad gone by before Elsie
ostentatIouslv displayed the pin and
also a maddenIng air OF ownership OF
Arthur before Vio!et's very eyes Any
one can see, therefore, that Violet was
justified in longing to say "Smarty!"
and wrinkle up her nose.
The unwritten laws Of girhood
frown upon one girls flirting with a
young man TO whom another girl has
a prior right As Violet told herself
hotly, If she didn't have first right to
q visitor in her very own home, she'd
like TO know who did!
What was hardest 10 bear was
Elsies sweet commiseratiou Her
every glance seemed TO say how sorry
she wa. for Violet because Violet's at
fractions were so limited that II was
impossible for her 10 capture a hand.
some young man. Violet, however, was
convinced In the depths Of her heart
that If she had used one-six'eenth Of
the artluI Sles Of Elsie she could
have beaten Elsie In the FIRST inning
That was what came Of being re-
served and modest-t wasn't true that
men wanted 10 do the chasing them
selves ereaiter-YIoet set her lIps
In a way that presagad III for any help.
less and unsuspeeting masculine ndt
yidual that fate henceforth threw In
her path
Arthur says he Just loves brown
eyes," Elsie would conAde 10 her VIo
lets eyes were blue or Arthur says
be much prefers smooth hair Hike
mine" Vio.ets hair was naturally
wayy After these little episodes vIo
lot would retire 70 weep In rage and
mediate revenge
II only In some way 8ha could get
even with Elsie II would aa8uage tho
bitterness rambling within her. That
she should have boen such simple.
ton as 10 let another girl get ahead
Of her was a dreadful reflection
Ia the last week Of Arthur's stay
when Elsie dropped frequent remarks
that we're calculated to show Violet
that Elsie expected to hear from Ar
thur frequently Violet broke six ON
broIdory needles Arthur had said moth.
Ing about writing 10 herl
TIE day The yiaItor was 10 leave Ar.
thur and John came home 10 luncheon
and elsie, who had the chair nearest
tho porch Steps, bestowed her sweet.
est, nest bowIlderins smile upon them
II was "a though she sald to VIo,
lett See how Arthur rejoieed at my
weleemoi"
Then Arthur paused lnstead Of 20.