The Wrangell sentinel., 1920-02-05

TASK. EiAMMA."
By c. '. LEWIS.

Then he turned from looking at his Sadie" in the chorus on the stage. and looked at the girl in the box with him.
 He was Clarence Devoe, young man with a rich father. He had beeF invited to box party and Dorothy Davenport was one of the party. Clar- | ence had cut Il dash. us some rich mems sons do. He had smashed up | three or four autos, run in debt wher- ever possible, had been almost expelled from college and was proud of his career.
 Clarence had simply known that there was a Dorothy Davenport, and he had scarcely spoken ten words to her on the way to the theater. All of a sudden, as stated at the opening, he turned and looked at her She was a young girl, eighteen years old. She was bashful. She happened to look at Clarence as he looked at her. Was that gleam of love that shot forth from the eyes of each one? It might have been, for that is one of the ways of Cupid.
 Clarence unused to himself: Say, there is some style there while you are talking. There are good looks there and gobs of money behind her. 1 don't know her mother, but 1 guess she will be willing. Her governor don't count, of course. He's too busy making more money. I'll make myself a little more agreeable
 That very morning, after paying up his debts, among which was S250 for bouquets for the green room, Clarence | Devoe's father had said to him:
 Boy, you have got to quit this mad career! You are now man in age, and I'll soon repudiate your debts. Why in the Old Harry don't you find nice girl and marry and settle down? There's lots of 'em in this big town. Marry one of them and I'll take you into partnership"
 The words had made little impress sion on Clarence at the time. but now that he came to cast his looks on Dor othy Davenport, he recalled them. Why not win her? Of course Sadie" would lament and weep and almost 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 formal call. Dorothy was brought into the room, and he had a few words with her in | the presence of her mother. It was her first courtship, and she was little abashed. When d remark was ad- 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 "Devoe" or Bob" or old Man"
 Clarence called again and again. It seemed to please Mrs. Davenport, and it seemed to please his father. l 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 boast to her and she never replied with q word of doubt or censure. Other girls had boldly told him to ''cut that out" but such aggressive expressions never passed Dorothy's lips. After | several months she got as far as to say that it must be awfully nice to have 1 house out in the country in summer and one in town i'll the winter, but she fingered right there for some time. | ', l,I, bod ,k,l-,, l1nr bl lnunH she would have answered:
 II don't know whether l do or not, but I will ask mamma and then tell you"
 Clarence mended his ways some what He smashed just as many autos, and he spent just us much of his fathers money, but he didn't go to the theater quite so much, and, when he did go, il was to escort Dor othy and her mother, and sometimes two or three other ladies besides. Yes. Clarence was becoming quite d model young man. His mother was little afraid that he was becoming almost too good, and his father had some faint hope that he would yet become Sun day school teacher.
 It was one evening when Clarence and Dorothy were left alone in the 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 hour, the young man said:
 "Dorothy I love you
 "Yes," she replied, as if she had been expecting the declaration at any time for the past year.
 T will love, cherish and protect you," continued Clarence.
 And that will be so nice of you!'
 Can't you set the day within couple of months, Dorothy, dear?
 1T think so, Clarence; but l will ask mamma and tell you the next time you come"