Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1917-10-04
Their Hero
By RICHARD MARLEY

10 the eye. \ boy OF sixteen Is more
absorbed in the cut of his clothes than
ever again in his life The love OF per-
sonal adornment is supposed 10 remain
with woman so long as she lives.
Once out OF her teens she Is won rath-
er by devotion than good looks. But
a girl from fifteen 10 twenty Is as much
charmed by what Is usually denominat-
ed handsome in boy as the boy is by
Respondent neckwear Neither the boy
nor the girl attaches much importance
10 merit
Tom Bergman, aged eighteen, the
son of well TO do widow. persuaded
his mother to permit him 10 give
house party In her country home, which
she did not intend to occupy during the
summer The bunch Tom trained with
was composed OF boys and girls OF ages
varying from fourteen TO eighteen,
though none of the girls was quite
seventeen. Six boys and six girls were
invited TO the house party, and all ac-
ccptcd az once. for none Of them had
ever been 50 honored before.
Mrs Bergman had an intimate
friend. n Mrs. Archibald, whose only
son. Reginald, was of proper age to
be invited TO the house party Mrs.
Bergman. desiring 10 show attention
to her friend, made it condition of
giving up her country house to her son
ana her friends that Reginald Archi-
bald should receive an invitation TO be
one Of the party.
Tom consented and had been sufii-
GENTLY trained in social dealings 90 no
tifv the other boys that Reginald Archi-
bald. being n stranger, should receive
especial attention from them. A to
the girls Tom knew that If they did
not happen to fancy young Archibald
they would not be likely 10 put them
selves out Of the way TO Go him honor
When Reginald appeared on the
scene he was found 10 be what girl
OF sixteen would call handsome His
complexion was pink and white. He
was rather tall for his age and deli
cately formed lie possessed a well
turned neck and throat ana wore
byronic collar-not nj all in fashion
which showed the features to advan-
tage. He at once gave the impression
that he honored the company in ap-
pearing among them and that he ex-
pected 10 be treated with especial con-
sideration.
AS has been remarked young ladies'
of sixteen are like the fish that go for
the glttering spoon that whirlS in the
sunshine at the end Of line Regi-
maids pink and white complexion. his
soft brown eyes. his artistically tum-
bled hair and. above all. that throat.
rising above the broad rolling collar,
captivated every girl in the party.
Moreover, his admirers were too young
TO have received proper training In
restraining themselves in such matters.
and Mr. Archibald at once became their
hero.
Even had the girls refraIncd from
showing their admiration for the
voungster with the pink and white
complexion the other boys would
doubtless have discovered il They
were not envious Of him. but his re-
ceiyng all the attention TO the entire
exclusion OF all the rest of them was
III lAllilN ''tl' Nldi'N W MAJ AA' t''NAi "
Of the party No one OF them could
make an engagement with any girl un-
iii She had learned whether Reginald
Archibald would honor her with a like
invitation. If boy were chatting with
"A girl she was forever casting chances
at the Adonis. evidently more interest
cd in getting him away from the Girl he
was with than in her companion.
Tie longer this concentrated atten-
tion OF the girls upon him lasted the
moro Mr.. Archibald seemed to consider
it a matter OF course. Instead Of point
ing out to the girls the want of wisdom
in their course he rather encouraged
them in following il. Instead OF en-
deavorng TO be one OF the party OF
boys he held aloof from them, seeming
to consider the society OF girls prefer
were quite eXcusable in being up in
arms against both the girls and their
hero for spelling their fun.
They put their heads together to con
coct some scheme to show up the ador
able Adonis and reinstate themselves
in the good graces OF the girls They
one and all agreed 70 act on the old
saying Absence makes the heart grow
fonder' The result speaks for itself.
one morning when the girls came
down 10 breakfast the butler an
nounccd that some Of the boys had
gone fishing, some TO baseball match.
The only boy left at home was their
hero They had him for breakfast.
they spent the morning with him, the
afternoon. and when dinner time came
he was still their only companion
Long before the shadows OF evening
came they found that Mr. Archibald
was good deal like fish for breakfast,
fish for luncheon and fish for dinner.
At the usual hour for dancing the pho
nograph was set going, and since these
was only tho hero 10 dance with and
the girls soon tired Of dancing with one
another they sat around and moped
The boys came in at 10 o'clock 70
find all the girls retired to their rooms
and Mr.. Archibald had taken the 9:15
train for home. In the morning the
girls pouted. willie tie boys talked Of
the enjoyable day they had spent as
stays
For a few hours the mopins Of the
girls continued then. when the boys
went out 10 the tennis courts together
they were followed by a repeutant
hOcS Of misses who had concluded that