Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1914-04-17
Decline and
Fan

= Amt like that beau Of yours. the
=. NO called last night Asrtis."
~ the young woman's grandmother.
- "a cone on . visit. Il don't take
= lin 1t ALI"
WY, the ideal" exclaimed her
-..xSsurhtsr In surprise. "Mr. Jar
-. h one Of the most popular men
nav, He's asked everywhere and
4. pays any attention to = girl ev'
=, az takes her up. OF course he's
s,;sr than int . mere boy. but I'm
surs he IL well bred and entertaining
s,i- :.
N. can bs al that" interrupted
~. rslatiye, land even then sha'nt
ant 10 welcome him 20 . member oil
n. family! It's because he reminds
:. 40 Of Artemus Milkins-I guess
~ nsyer heard Of him. Artemua
- one Of the best.looking youns
NJ. IN two states and all the girli
vsrs crazy about him. they were al
v.vs getting into quarrels over Arte
.u. and they watched one another a.
..ta watch mice, waiting to see which
~sv they were going to Jump. be.
ssuss they were 90 afraid they'd get
Seatep out when II came to marrying
lin. :,
aArtemus must have had wonderful
endurance and q constitutional disre-
ARA for sleep for otherwise he never
could have stood up under all the din
pera and dances and balls and otheI
f,,volIties to which he was asked
Once when he had the grip and stay
"A away from party II was just ruin
al for the girls all went home early.
There wasn't q house In town where
the mother wasn't more than willing
TO III up nights finishing her daugh
tsrs new frock II Artemus was going
to take the girl anywhere.
Naturally. after few years the
frat crowd Of girls gave up and mar
risd lesser lights. but there always
was q new crop Of girls for Artemus
to DO the idol Of. and. tell you. they
burned incense!
He kept getting handsomer. too.
After a girl has been out ten years
shs may be pretty and all that. but
she hasn't the charm Of youth that 10
10 fetching. With a man II Is differ
emit A man keeps right on being
good.looking and popular and when
they begin calling him one Of the
bachelors II really adds tone to him.
Fancy It's adding tone to q girl when
they begin referring to her az one
Of the older crowd!
Everybody wondered why Artemus
didn't marry and settle down. but !
knew II was because he was having
too good time What's the use OF ty'
Ing yourself down to one slave when
you can Just as well have twenty OF
more!
We'll, for years and years Artemus
was our most popular bachelor. an In.
stitution, an aggravation. Q sighed.for
prize, an ornament to our parties. His
decline was very gradual and unno
ticeable. don't think any Of us no
uced II for q long time after Artemus
did. ! presume when the tailor added
i've inches to the girth Of his new
dress suit waistband II made Artemus
CIT up at last and take notice and
think.
When man thinks he grows senti
mental. Artemus decided II was time
Tor him to get married. He must
have enjoyed lining up the girls and
selecting the favored one. because he
picked out the youngest and prettiest
OF that years debutantes and very
gently and kindly informed her that
she could marry him. You see, we
heard all about these things. because
nobody felt II a breach OF confidence
TO talk about Artemus' doings.
1t must have been a shock to Arte
mus when Inez failed to burst into
Tears OF Joy. Inez blushed and STAN
msred and said; No, thank you In a
scared way and then glided from him
glsgling That night she told Tom
fi'tt all about II as they sat in the
hammock Tom said, why. the old
oonkey! and kissed her Indignantly.
Artemus called next on Serena
rhlpps. Serena was 20 and popular,
Out inclined to be a highbrow. Arte'
mus remembered how she had looked
a him when she was IS and he re.
neeted that possibly his GOODNESS had
criVen her to economics and social re.
form When to proposed to Serena
sne regarded him 90 though he were
Dug. Then she told him frankly
,nat she wouldn't marry him because
10 wasn't her ideal OF man. and she
was no more In love with him than
sne was with the weeping willow tree
outside. and would he please shut the
save when he went out. so that the
soss wouldn't trample the flower beds
There were two after that, both
o'oer than Serena Artemus seemed
~ decide that years might bring more
appreciation Of LIES blessings. Meth
~ o. the two seemed to yearn for =
no'essing In the shape Of Artemus.
one OF them had eyes that almost
Sossed. too. Her refusal must have
enasrined him deeply.
ne began to look haggard and he