Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-12-14

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any of the other boys. You take me
and don't let them know you're my
father. None of these boys know you
and the lights won't be bright. I'll
call you Carrots cause you've got
auburn hair and it's u fad you know
to call the boys some such name. Car
rots~ Clay-that's a nice name. No,
you don't have to dress-come just as
you are and while you're putting or
your hat and coat I'll just telephone
in case Goggles and Nellie haven't
started and tell them a friend of mine
who happened to be. having dinner
with me is bringing me, and If they
have started and do come, why, MANI
my, you tell them that ] started on
with a friend of mine, who was
anxious to take me, and tell them
you're so glad it happened just as it
did because this friend of mine was
anxious to take me. Dad, you're a
peach. Nanny, don't be lonesome
there's a DEAR"
Carrots Clay-alias Bab's Daddy
alias just plain Steve Nowell-did as
he was told, filed meanwhile with a
thrilling consciousness that he was to
be young again. He wondered why
Bah hadn't asked him to don his We
ming togs-perhaps young men didn't
dress for small dances in Babbette,s
set. At any rate he would dance with
the girls and they would all be young
and warm and glorious like Babbette.
1t would be q renewal of his youth,
only a youth more youthful and thrill
ing than his own had been because
these girls of the present generation
were more magnetic, more primitive
than girls had ever been before. Just
for a night he would be young and
then-he WINGED a little at the idea
he would come back and spend the
rest of the nights beside the table with
Bah in the gray dress with the capable
white hands.
Having no eight cylinder Carrots
took Babbette to the house where the
party vas to take place in the street
car and so fully was he taking the part
thrust upon him, that when passen-
gers in the car looked with unfeigned
admiration at the beautiful creature
beside him, it was with the pride of
a youth for a maiden, and not with
fatherly pride, that he received the
attention.
Its funny I didn't have to wear
evening DRESS" Carrots remarked.
'Don't they usually for dances?"
Then it was that Babbette explained
that 1t wasn't to be a dance he was
taking her. 1t was to be a fraternity
meeting, and all Carrots and the other
boys had to do was to sit in the down
stairs reception room-they could
smoke If they wanted to-while the
girls had the meeting upstairs. 1t
wouldn't be more than an hour or so
and If there were any refreshments
left they sometimes sent them down to
the boys. The boys usually waited
right there instead of going home in
the interval, because sometimes the
meetings adjourned later and some
times earlier.
At half past nine that night Carrots
had been sitting in a chilly, dimly
lighted reception room for an hour.
From above came the delirious, intoxi-
eating peels of laughter and music
from girls like Babbette. Beside him
sat Goggles. In q straight-baek chair
across the room was Shorty, who had
come late with the hope of taking Nell
lie home eventually in spite of Cog
giles. Other detected young men sat
on other straight-back chairs.
They had talked in ~monosyllables
from time to time, but not to him.
They seemed to regard him with sus-
picion and distrust. Eventually Cog
giles broke the o~stracism. you're new
at this, aren't you"
Carrots said he was.
"You get used to it," commented
Goggles. you got to do tiff you
don't somebody else will. There's al
ways somebody else waiting-just as
you were tonight-to take your place,
and that always makes you SORE"
'sIt must have been nice," unused
Shorty from across the room, Gin the
days when our fathers and mothers
were yo~ung-before girls had fraterni-
ties and things. Ih1S way, Tor every
dance they let you go with them you
have to sit out an evening like this.
But you have to do 1T"
"Must be nice to be an old fellow
and to have the girl you've been sitting
around for all to yourself-sitting
somewhere near you while you are
home and comfortable" That was
from Goggles.
"You bet" agreed Carrots.
An hour later Carrots and Babbette
found Bah still sitting in the glow of
the lamp. A neat pile of socks and
Babbette's gay silk stockings were be-
fore her. Her eyes were heavy, but
she smiled r%adiantly at their return.
Steve pulled off his hat and before
taking his coat off, rushed to her,
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