The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-11-28
~
The Struggle !.
Il J. for Arthur

-
face and say "Smarty! You think
you're smart. don't your" And no
other method Of procedure really
seemed to At the present case.
There was not 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. tits 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
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 or 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 It
over, that Elsie most generally had
| been sitting there on the porch when
the young men were around, II was
no wonder, then, that she actually be-
gan wearing Arthur's fraternity pin
no doubt she had wrested It from
him by main. force! Violet had OBJ
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
Arthur's visit had gone by before Elsie
| SYSTEMATICALLY 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 q
young man to whom another girl has
prior right AS Violet told herself
holly, IL she didn't have first right to
visitor In her very own home, she'd
like TO know who did!
What was hardest to bear was
| Elsie's sweet commiseration. Her
every glance seemed to say how sorry
abe wa for Violet because violets at
! fractions we're so limited that 1t was
impossible for her to capture hand
some young man. Violet, however, was
convinced IN the depths OF her heart
that II she had used on e-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-Violet set her lips
in way that presaged Ill for any help
less and unsuspecting masculine indi-
vidual that fate henceforth threw In
her path.
Arthur says he just loves brown
eyes," Elsie would confide to her. vio-
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 it would assuage the
bitterness ranking within her. That
she should have been such simple
ton as to let another girl get ahead
OF her was 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-
broidery needles. Arthur had said moth.
ing about writing to her!
The day the visitor was to leave Ar.
thur and John came home to luncheon
and Elsie, who had the chair nearest
the porch steps, bestowed her sweet
est. most bewildering smile upon them
II was as though she said to Vic
LETT See how Arthur reioices at my
welcomed
Then Arthur paused instead OF 90
ing indoors, He smiled down at Elsie
and, for an awful instant Violet won
dered IL he was going to make love Il
her before Violet's anguished eyes
Then he spoke:
Say, small sirl." be said from thu
height of his % years. don't forge,
that I'm going today and want my pir
back that you borrowed. You see
there's a lady back east that I've giver
that pin to-she's going to be Mrs
Arthur some day. She just loaned m,
the pin to wear on this trip! Thanksl'
Fastening on the pin, which Elsi'
had torn from her dress feverishly, Ar
thur went whistling into tho house.
Violet drew long breath as she RI
covered from the shock. She smile,
happily now, for she saw her revenge
why, how surprised you seem L
be@ IN hear that Arthur's engaged