The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1911-11-25
The Struggle
for Arthur

q face and say "Smarty! You think
you're smart. don't you?" And no
other method Of procedure really
seemed to at the present case.
There was not q 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 intellectually designed after the
pattern of the young man who makes
modern clothes advertisements things
OF beauty. 1t Ia easily seen that there
was nothing for any girl in the neigh.
borhood to do but fall desperately In
love with him
After Arthur's arrival there began
a perfect surge of girls toward the
Mills residence 1t appeared that they
all loved Violet half to death and were
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 Wangness 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. OF course, she could not help 1t
II she was there when John and Ar
thur happened to be there also.
Violet recalled. when she thought Il
over. that Elsie most generally had
been sitting there on the porch when
the young men were around II was
no wonder. then. thai she actually be-
gan wearing Arthur's fraternity pin
no doubt she had wres,ed II from
him by main force. 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 week Of
Arthur's visit had gone by before Elsie
ostentatiously displayed the pin and
also a maddening air of ownership OF
Arthur before ViOlet'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 girlhood
frOwn upon one girls flirting with a
young man TO whom another girl has
a prior right. As Violet told herself
holly. II she didn't have first right to
a visitor in her very own home, shed
like 10 know who did!
What was hardest to bear was
Elsie's sweet commiseratiOn. Her
every glance seemed to say how sorry
she wa. for Violet because Violet's at.
fractions were SO limited that It was
impossible for her to capture q hand.
some young man. Violet, however, was
convinced in the depths of her heart
that II she had used one.sixteenth Of
the artful wiles Of Elsie she could
have beaten Elsie In the first inning.
That was what came Of being re.
served and modesto wasn't true that
men wanted TO do the chasing them.
selves. Hereafter-Vi0let set her lips
In way that presaged III for any help.
less and unsuspecting masculine indi.
vidual that fate henceforth threw 10
her path.
Arthur says be Just loves brown
eyes," Elsie would confide to her VIC.
let's eyes were blue. Or Arthur says
he much prefers smooth hair like
mine" Violet's hair was naturally
wavy After these little episodes VIC
let would retire to weep in rage and
mediate revenge.
II only in some way she could get
even with Elsie 1t would assuage the
bitterness ranking within her. That
she should have been such a simple
ton as to let another girl get ahead
Of her was a dreadful reflection.
In the last week OF Arthur's stay.
when Elsie dropped frequent remarks
that were calculated to show Violet
that Elsie expected to hear from Ar.
thur frequently Violet broke six EN-.
needles Arthur had said moth
ing about writing to her.
The day the visitor was to leave Ar.
hur and John came home to luncheon
md Elsie. who had the chair nearest
he porch steps, bestowed her sweet
st, most bewildering smile upon them.
I was as though she said to Vic. :
ct: See how Arthur rejoices at my ]
welcomed"
Then Arthur paused instead OF 70
ng indoors. He smiled down at Elsie
md for an awful instant Violet won.
Tered II he was going to make love to
Ter before violet's anguished eyes.
Then he spoke:
Say. small GIRL he said from the /
eight of his % years, don't forget
hat I'm going today and want my pin
ack that you borrowed. You see,
here's a lady back east that I've given
hat pin to-she's going to be Mrs.
Irthur some day. She just loaned me 4