The Penn's Grove record., 1916-06-09
MEN WANTED
BY JANE OSBORN.

and on a certain cold day in Febru-
airy, having no prospect of business for
the afternoon, he had strolled out to
the suburban vicinity of that institu-
ton. There were reasons for Mr..
Hatch's mood of Incidence and reasons
why his steps took him to the neigh
borhood of the college. Still even to
himself he would not admit them. 1t
was really Betty Picket's fault-little
brown-haired, blue-eyed Betty Picket,
the lovable little doll of a girl to whom
Botsford had proffered his heart and
his hand only a few weeks before.
The worst Of it was Betty had &C.
cepted his suit in a timid sort of way.
Then some foolish little misunder-
standing had come and the end of it
all was that the time for the much
talked-about junior ball at the college
had come and Botsford had not been
asked.
1t was, as a matter of fact, the morn.
ing of the junior prom and Botsford
knew it. And now he was only a few
blocks from the dormitory where the
tantalizing little Betty abode.
He looked up at a high board fence
and beheld a large, red-lettered sign
that began with the words, ice Skat-
ing-Watch For the Red Flag" Then
another glance revealed the red flag,
and another smaller sign bore the sim.
pie legend-"Men Wanted"
Botsford rather absent-mindedly en-
tered the wooden door in the fence
marked Entrance" and, following a
group Of girls, bought q ticket and Sc
cured a pair of rather rusty, ill-fitting
skates. Then, still absent-minded, he
began to wonder why the sign had
read Men Wanted"
He strapped on his skates in the
shelter at the edge of the court.
There were not many skaters, and
most of those present were girls.
Twice had he gone around the court
when he was hailed by a fair-haired
young amazon on an improvised bench
at the edge of the ice.
Il am SO glad there are some men
at last" she said. What do you
charge an hour?"
THE regular price," was Botsford's
answer, and then cautiously and with
out delay the fair young amazon rose
and, with perfect self-possession, said,
Now we are off,"
Apparently, thought Botsford, he had
been mistaken for an assistant or in
structor.
Somehow he managed not to fall,
though after a half hours work he
found himself growing weary. But the
day promised no diversion more inter.
esting, and for some reason Botsford
always did enjoy being part of a harm
less misunderstanding.
Going to be here this afternoon"
she asked as they neared the edge of
the court. 81 am going to stop now,
but / may be back this afternoon"
For the lack of anything better,
Botsford said that he intended to stay
all day. The girl thought a moment as
she sat on the bench. Come to think
of it, l shan't want you this afternoon,
but I may want you tonight. It's jul
nior ball night and l don't want to
skate away all my enthusiasm for
that"
Here she lowered her voice as If
she did not want the other skaters to
hear what she had to say. But men
are scarce even at dances. You have
no idea how scarce, and / think l might
want you for tonight. 1t opens at
nine, but you had better be around at
the dormitory at half past eight. You
dance. l suppose, though that isn't alb.
solutely necessary. I'll pay your price
of fifty cents an hour and the addi.
tional price of rent for an evening
suit"
He agreed to the proposition. In
fact, he said, he would be willing to
put in the entire evening for two dol.
lars.
"All right" said the girl as she left
him at the entrance of the court. Then
she whispered again: "One thing you
must remember. I'll introduce you as
my brother and you must keep up the
bluff. No one must know that / have
employed you in this way. It's a rath.
er sore point sometimes when girls
don't have any men for dances"
OF course, Botsford thought that he
was going to be the amazon's escort.
1t was with decided surprise that
Botsford beheld the radiant splendor
Of the girl of whose name he was still
ignorant. Then, as he was recovering
from the surprise of this rapid change
of appearance-it was in the crowded
reception room of the dormitory,
where the girls and their escorts were
assembling before the ball-she led
him up to a man whom she introduced
al Mr.. Smith, my iance.'
He was wondering why he had been
employed-since she was amply sup
piled with an escort in the stalwart
form of Mr.. Smith-when she began to
speak in a whisper.
you are to be the escort of a little
friend. The man she intended to ask
4 dicoDnNtp%nd hor f,- -,k L-.@