The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1920-06-04
THE
UNROMANTIC
MIR. DALE
By HAYDEN T. PRICE

Marjorie Rogers had looked forward
ever since February to Dale's visit az
Eastertime. Dale was her brothers.
roommate at college. Brother Harry
had "raved" about the great Dale in
letters and on his visits home. He
was 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 subject for day-dreams. And
when. in March, Harry had sent n
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 young man too serious in
his work TO recognize the existence of
the fair sex. 1t was not that Dale
was unimaginative or 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 q little as she
read this disquieting description of
Dale. What chances would she have
with such man, even though he was
going TO spend a week at her home
as her brothers guest-a week I'm 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 O'clock would never come. At
4 the telephone rang and Marjorie
answered.
stopped when a voice, announced as
the property of Jerry Dale, conveyed
the news that the boys had missed
q train connection and wouldn't be
home until Z. 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
tent AS a relief from her restless
ness Marjorie went TO the station to
pulled in her heart was beating as
only a girls heart can beat under the
urge of 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 IL the great Dale
didn't think so?
There's Madge!" cried her brother,
as the train came to q stop. In 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 whisper. That's
why Jerry had to do the telephoning
when we missed our train
Then came the big moment, "Madge,
this is Mr.. 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 thoughts
and her eagerneSs TO catch Dale'S
voice her driving would have caused
worry to the founders of the Safety
First movement.
They drew up before the house and
MarjOrie's little heaven was nearly
complete when Jerry Dale helped her
from the car
She began TO wonder If Mr.. Dale
had changed suddenly since his class
mates had described him as being "too
serious for romance"
But her happiness was short-lived.
On account of their late arrival, and
because of his inability TO be heard
over the telephone Harry-her own
brother-asked her TO call up Ethel
Marbridge and tell that young lady
that he and Mr.. Dale would be over
To call on her that evening.
Now it so happened that of all the
young ladies in the little town Ethel
Marbridge found least favor In Mar
jorie's eyes. But how could brother
remember detail like that? And how
could her brother know that Dale
meant so much in her life and
thoughts?
Sd she bit her lip and went TO the
telephone. She was sure she hated
her brother in that moment.
Marjorie called up Miss Marbridge
and as casually as possible delivered
the message. In her heart she felt
certain that abe had caught a little
malicious laugh OF triumph in Ethel
MARRIAGES. voice, and felt certain that
Ethel was pniOyinp her diScOmfitura