Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-12-23
TASK MAMMAL" By c. B. LEWIS.

"Sadie" in the chorus on the StaSe, ] and looked at the girl in the box With 1 him.
 He was Clarence Devoe, young
 man with a rich father. He had been
 invited to box party and Dorothy
 Davenport was one of the party Clar- l ence had cut dash, as some rich 1 mems sons do. He had smashed up l three or four autos, run in debt wher- 1 ever possible, had been almost expelled , from college and was proud of his career.
 Clarence had simply known that | there was Dorothy Davenport, and
 he had scarcely spoken ten words to | her on the way to the theater. All
 of sudden, as stated at the opening, 1 he turned and looked at her. She was
 young girl, eighteen years old. She | was bashful. She happened to look 1 at Clarence as he looked at her. Was l that pleam of love that shot forth l from the eyes of each one? It might
 have been, for that is one of the ways
 of Cupid.
 Clarence unused to himself: "Say, 1 there is some style there while you ] are talking. There are rood looks there and gobs of money behind her. ] 1 don't know her mother, but l guess
 she will be willing. Her governor | don't count, of course. He's too busy
 making more money. I'll make myself I a little more agreeable
 That very morning, after paying up his debts, among which was $25O for | bouquets for the green room, Clarence 1 Devoe's father had said to him: "Boy, you have got to quit this mad I career! You are now a man in age, | and I'll soon repudiate your debts. Why in the Old Harry don't you find 6
 nice girl and marry and settle down?
 There's lots of lem in this big town. 1 Marry one of them and I'll take you into partnership 1 The words had made little impress 1 sion on Clarence at the time, but now that he came to cast his looks on Dor othy Davenport, he recalled them. I Why not win her? Of course Sadie" 1 would lament and weep and almost l break her little heart, but such things
 had to be. Clarence called at the Davenport mansion. He was received very gracefully by the girls mother.
 He paid little more than q formal call.
 Dorothy was brought into the room, and he had few words with her in ! the presence of her mother. It was l her first courtship, and she was little l abashed. When a remark was ad- 1 dressed to her she turned to her moth CT to secure the privilege of answer ing it. This was charming bashful
 ness of hers. She spoke of him as MT.
 Devoe." Other girls had been in the
 habit of calling him "Deyoe" or Bob"
 or "Old Man."
 Clarence called again and again. It
 seemed to please Mrs. Davenport, and it seemed to please his father.
 Whether Miss Dorothy was pleased or
 not, the young man could not be cer- tain. He would have given the thing
 up but for the novelty of it. He could word of doubt or censure. Other l girls had boldly told him to "cut that
 out," but such aggressive expressions 1 never passed Dorothy's lips. After l several months she got as far as to say that it must be awfully nice to have a
 house out in the country in summer and one in town in the winter, but 1 she fingered right there for some time
 If anybody had asked her if she loved 1 she would have answered: l II don't know whether I do or not, l but I will ask mamma and then tell
 you."
 Clarence mended his ways some what. He smashed just as many l autos, and he spent just as much of his fathers money, but he didn't go to the theater quite so much, and
 when he did go, it was to escort Dor
 othy and her mother, and sometimes l two or three other ladies besides. Yes | Clarence was becoming quite model l young man. His mother was a little
 afraid that he was becoming almost l too good, and his father had some faint
 hope that he would yet become Sum- 1 day school teacher.
 l It was one evening when Clarence and Dorothy were left alone in the l parlor together. There was no clear
 ing of the throat to get his voice in trim; there was no attempt at pathos | or tenderness. Just as carelessly as if
 he were making bet that he could
 speed his auto at seventy miles per l hour the young man said:
 "Dorothy, love you"
 'Yes," she replied, as if she had
 been expecting the declaration at any time for the past year.
 q will love, cherish and protect l you," continued Clarence. 1 And that will be so nice of you" Can't you set the day within {
 couple of months, Dorothy, dear?" ''I-I think so, Clarence; but I will ask mamma and tell you the next timt you ccine."
 ''You love me, don't you, DorOthy?' Onnno1n1 !hn VOunp man