Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-06-03
THE
NROMANTIC
MIR. DALE
By HAYDEN T. PRICE

Marjorie Rogers had looked forward
ever since February to Dale's visit at
Eastertime. Dale was her brothers
roommate at college. Brother Harry
had "raved" about the great Dale in
letters and on his visits home. He
vas one of the "big" men of the
class, Harry claimed. And Marjorie's
married. sister, Alice, had met Dale
on the occasion of her visit as chap
eron at the Junior Hop in February.
Alice. like brother Harry, returned to
praise the charm and clever, spark
ling personality of Dale.
Marjorie, just turning eighteen, had
heard so much about Dale that her
girlish Imagination had seized upon
him as a subject for day-dreams. And
when, in March, Harry had sent a
copy Of his Glass Annual, the first
thing Marjorie did was to look up
Dale's picture among the seniors.
A humorous descriptive sketch ac-
companied each seniors picture, and
the sketch describing Dale pictured
him as a young man too serious in
his work to recognize the existence of
the fair sex. 1t was not that Dale
was unimaginative or a woman-hater.
1t was almost worse than that,
thought Marjorie, for a ~woman-hater
at least recognizes the existence of
women and romance, but the serious
Mr.. Dale was so busy that he was in
different, chillingly Indifferent, to girls,
moonlight on lakes, porch swings for
two on summer nights, and all other
trappings and accessories of romance.
Marjorie's heart sank a little as she
read this disquieting description of
Dale. What chances would she have
with such a man, even though he was
going to spend a week at her home
as her brothers guest-a week in the
spring of the year?
That afternoon Brother Harry and
Dale were to arrive for the Easter va
cation. Marjorie lived in a state Of
suppressed excitement all day and felt
that 5 o'clock would never come. At
4 the telephone rang and Marjorie
answered.
Her eighteen-year-old heart nearly
stopped when a voice, announced as
the property of Jerry Dale, conveyed
the news that the boys had missed
a train connection and wouldn't be
home until 7. II wonder if he heard
my heart beating" said Marjorie to
herself as she hung up.
This delay in the arrival of the
young men hardly made her more pa
tient. AS a relief from her restless
ness Marjorie went to the station to
meet their train. When the train
pulled in her heart was beating as
only a girls heart can beat under the
urge of a star worship. What would
he look like? Would he think her at
tractive? She was vaguely subcon-
scious of the fact that other young
men thought her attractive, but of
what use was that If the great Dale
didn't think so?
"There's Madger cried her brother,
as the train came to a stop. In a mo-
ment she was being bear-hugged by
Harry.
"Why, what's the matter with your
voice, Harry?"
Nothing much-just a cold, but
can't speak above a whisper. That's
why Jerry had to do the telephoning
when we missed our train"
Then came the big moment, "Madge,
this is MI. Dale-Jerry Dale"
Madge on the way home re-lived that
moment when her hand rested in his
She liked to recall that there was
nothing perfunctory in his handclasp
He had seemed to hold her hand rather
tightly. But probably, she thought
she was mistaken. Probably the wish
was father to the thought with her.
She drove the car back from the
station and between her busy thought:
and her eagerness to catch Dale:
voice her driving would have caused
worry to the founders of the Safety
First movement.
They drew up before the house ant
Marjorie's little heaven was nearl!
COIQpleJG Wucu JclIy OulC ACipcu nc
from the car.
She began to wonder If Mr.. Dali
had changed suddenly since his class
mates had described him as being "tot
serious for romance"
But her happiness was short-lived
On account of their late arrival, ant
because of his inability to be heart
over the telephone. Harry-her owl
brother-asked her to call up Ethe
Marbridge and tell that young lad,
that he and Mr.. Dale would be owe
to call on her that evening.
Now 1t so happened that Of all tn
r. young ladies in the little town Ethe
81 Marbridge found least favor in Mar
jorie's eyes. But how could a brothe
remember a detail like that? And HOY
could her brother know that Dial
"a meant so much in her life an
e thoughts?
So she bit her lip and went to tn
ID telephone. She was Ire she hate
her brother in that moment.
e, Marjorie called up Miss Marbridg
and as casually as possible delivere
1T the message. In her heart she fel
~ ~. aLl - - ~ $3.50