The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-04
Daisy'sHero
He Proved, Too, He Was q
Real One
BY cLlARIsSA MAcKrE

where ber pretty daughter, Daisy, was
engaged IN animated conversation with
q good looking. athletic young man
Daisy Is 30 inprudent," murmuxed
Daisy's mother ~ she nearsd tho
chairs. 's,aere h poor Hal eating hts
heart out, and that naughty girl II de-
voting herself to young Pearsonr
She smiled coldly at Ben Pearson ~
he arose promptly at her approach and
arranged her chair. When she was
seated and the rug tucked about her
feet Mrs. Howard glanced significantly
at Daisy.
my dear, did you know that Hal
was waiting for you? You promised to
play accompaniment for him"
ION, mother. forgot all about ttr'
cried Daisy as she arose and settled
the blue cloth cap ON her bright hair.
mr.. Pearson was describing the great
Yale-Harvard game-you know he was
halfback on the football teamw Daisy
cast an admfrtng glance at Pearson's
broad shoulders.
Mrs. Howard smiled perfunctorfly,
and she was nettied to observe that
Ben Pearson accompanied Daisy IN her
search for Hal Denison. Just AZ she
was congratulating herself that this
Mediterranean tour, with all its pleas
ant intimacy Of ship life, must bring
about an engagement between Daisy
and Hal Denison, the son Of her old
friend. why. who should appear but
this football hero. Ben Pearson. and
promptly put poor Hal out Of the rum
ming.
Why they called Hal Denison Poor
Hal one could not tell, for, although
he was not big and brawny Ike Ben
Pearson, he was not frail looking un-
less one especially noted the inteilectu-
al face which had certain dsflcacy Of
feature and expression Otherwise,
although Hal Dentson was small tn
stature, he WIS wiry and strong. He
had never gone In for athletics. He
was a musician, and even now there
came the dreamy strains Of ia Sere-
nade'' as he played on his Violin 10
Daisy's sympathetic accompaniment
Later the music ceased for awhile.
and then Parsons deep bass voice
songs
Dusk was settling down over the sea
when Daisy came along the deck quite
alone and slipped into her chair with
unusual quietness-
~Hal played beautifully, my dear.
murmured Mrs. Howard sleepily.
Il suppose SO, mother" returned
Daisy; then. hesitadngiy, she added.
! You don't Hike Mr.. Pearson, do you r
II don't admire him. my dear, hat /
cannot say that DISLIKE him." return
ed Mrs. Howard.
IT like him very much" said Daisy
simply.
mot better than Hair demanded
Mrs Howard. throwing caution to the
winds
Daisy hesttated. and that tnstAnf's
hesitation told Mrs. Howard that the
girls love was waverfng beween the
two men. Which would she choose
There was little doubt, for Daisy was
a hero worshiper. and she plainly ad-
mtred the burly football player.
~Oh, mother" she cried impulsively,
you know I'm fond OF Hal, but he's
more like girl, don't you know-quiet
and dreamy and fond OF simple things.
One could not imagine Hal doing any
thing heroic. now, could oneT'
Some people rather thought 1t was
heroic for Hal TO give his cousin Ned
three-quarters of their uncles estate,
when the uncle had purposely cut Ned
Off In a moment of anger; that's an ex-
ample OF moral courage 1t was coura-
geous Of Hal to submit to a transfu-
sion of blood in an effort to save his
brothers life three years ago. In my
opinion, Hal Denison is q hero"
But, mother, dear, that IN al very
we'll, but that isn't the sort Of courage
] mean There IN a certain charm in
physical courage, don't you know.
Jeopardizng ones life to save that OF
another. couldn't imagine Hal doina
that"
"How about gtving his blood far izaz
brothsrf He has never been nm wei
since then"
Y know, but the kind Of hssuasxu
that mean il born Of an tmpul,e, the
sort that leaps to stop a runaway
horse, that plunges ovsFbsard 10 saxo q
drowning persoo- Oh. yeu know!"
Mn. Howard smiled.
"A spectacular hsroasn," shs sud
dr5ty.
II can't imagine Hal doing suytnns
Of that sort" went On Datsy. "He y u
deliberate IN all his actinns- He would
want to stop and think the matter owe,
whether there might not b a safs
and sane way Of accomplishing the
end. DO you know, mother, that Mr.
Pearson has saved eight people from
drowning In the past ten years7"
Il didn't know It, Daisy. but an
sure 1t Is a very credftable record. DID
he tell you Of his acts Of heroismr
NOW, Mother Howardv' Daisy
laughed rather shamefacedly. "He did
tell me, but only because urged him
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