Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-12
The Struggle
!: for Arthur

1t dawned on Miss Violet Mills In
surge Of regret that there were dlsaa.
vantages connected with being 10
years old.
For example, II one were displeaseo
with friend one could not make up
! face and say "Smarty! You tnlnk
you're smart, don't you?" And no
other method of procedure really
seemed to fit the present case.
There was not particle OF doubt
hat Elsie Wangness had deliberately
set out to trap Arthur. He had come
70 visit in the Mills home, displaying
he full glory Of his gray summer suit,
neliotrope silk socks and tie. and with
businesslIke assortment OF gol1
clubs and tennis rackets and accom-
panied by Speckle, the sportiest look
Ing Boston bullpup that ever was seen
IN that street. Since Arthur was tall
and INTELLECTUALLY designed after the
pattern OF the young man who makes
modern clothes advertisements things
Of beauty. it is easily seen that there
Vas nothing for any girl in the neigh
oorhood 10 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
Ill 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
lringing over her fancy work and sit
ing on the porch with her dear friend
Violet. or course, she could not help 1t
Il she was there when John and Ar
thur happened to be there also.
Violet recalled, when she thought II
sver, that Elsie most generally had
been sitting there on the porch when
the young men we're around. 1t was
no wonder, then, that she actually be-
gan wearing Arthur's fraternity pin
no doubt she had wrested 1t 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 week o.
Arthurs visit had gone by before Elsie
ostentatiously 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 "SmartTF
and wrinkle up her nose.
The anwritten laws Of girlhood
frown rpon one girls flirting with a
young man 10 whom another girl has
q prior right AS Violet told herself
holly, if che didn't have first right to
visitor A her very own home, she'd
like to know who did!
What was hardest to bear was
Elsie's sweet commisera ton. Her
every glance seemed to say how sorry
she was for Violet because Violet's at
fractions were so limited that it was
impossible eor her to capture hand
some young man. Violet, however, was
convinced La the depths of her heart
that IL she had used one-siXteenth OF
the artful wiles Of Elsie she could
have beaten Elsie in the first inning.
IF
served and medest-it wasn't true that
men wanted 10 do the chasing them.
selves. Herectter-Violet set her @lip5
in way that presagcd i'll for any help
less and unsuspecting masculine indi.
ridual tina: fate henceforth threw In
her path.
Arthur says he 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
wayy. After these little episodes VIC
let would retire to weep in rage and
mediate revenge. :.
If only in some way she could get
even with Elsie Il 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 a dreadful reflection.
In the hist week OF Arthur's stay,
when EsSs dropped frequent remarks
that wers 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
let: "See how Arthur rejoices at my
WELCOMED"
Then Arthur paused instead OF 60
ing indoors He smiled down at Elsie
and for an awful instant Violet won
dered il he was going to make love to
ich