Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-01-29
The Struggle.
y for Arthur

1t dawned on Miss Violet Mills in
surge OF regret that there were disad
vantages connected with being 16 |
years DID,
For example, if one were displeased |
with a friend one could not make up |
a face and say 'Smarty. You think |
you're smart. don't your 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
a 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, 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 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 al, 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 it
| if 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. 1t 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 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
prior right AS Violet told herself
hotly, if 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
Elsies sweet commiseration Her
every glance seemed to say how sorry
she was for Violet because Violet's at
fractions were so limited that it was
impossible for her to capture hand
some young man. Violet, however, was
} convinced in the depths of her heart
that if 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-Violet set her lips
, in way that presaged i'll for any help
!, less and unsuspecting masculine indi
vidual that fate henceforth threw il
her path.
Arthur says he just loves brown
eyes, Elsie would confide to her Vic
let's eyes We're blue. Or arthur say:
he much prefers smooth hair lik,
mine" Violet's hair was natural,
> wavy. After these little episodes Vic
let would retire to weep in rage ant
z mediate revenge.
II If only in some way she could ge
il even with Elsie it would assuage thu
T bitterness ranking within her Tha
a she should have been such a simple
e ton as to let another girl get aheat
# of her was dreadful reflection
In the last week of Arthur's stay
$ when Elsie dropped frequent remark
q that were calculated TO show Viole
4 that Elsie expected to hear from Ar
thur frequently Violet broke six EN-
q '5roidery 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
. and Elsie, who had the chair neares
= the porch steps, bestowed her sweet
est, most bewildering smile upon them
, 1t was as though she said to Vic
ct: See how Arthur rejoices at n.
welcomed"
: Then Arthur paused instead of 60
ing indoors. He smiled down at Elsie
: and for an awful instant Violet won
lie aered if he was going to make love t.
N her before .Violet's anguished eyes
,e Then he spoke:
le Say, small GIRL he said from tn,
a height of his % years, don't forge
} that I'm going today and want my pin
back that you borrowed. You see