The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-05-28
THE
UNROMANTIC.
MIR. DALE
By HAYDEN T. PRICE
g. 1920 by Mcclure Newspaper syndicats.)

VIZ isEV' py McCiure Newspaper Syndicate
!, Marjorie Rogers had looked forward
7er since February to Dale's visit a
Eastertime. Dale was her brother.
roommate at college. Brother Harr,
mad "raved" about the great Dale il
letters and on his visits home. Rt
was one Of the "big" men OF tht
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 tC
praise the charm and clever, spark
ling personality of Dale.
Marjorie, just turning eighteen, had
heard so much about Dale that hel
slrlish imagination had seized upon
him as 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 &C.
companied each seniors picture, and
i the sketch describing Dale pictured
MIN as 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.
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
A 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 z. 81 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.
, There's Madge!" cried her brother,
as the train came to stop. In mo-
ment she was being bear-hugged by
Harry. |
"Why, what's the matter with your
voice, Harry?"
Nothing much-just cold, but I
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.
Marjorie called up Miss Marbridge
and as casually as possible delivered
certain that she had caught a little
malicious laugh of triumph in Ethel
Marbridge's voice, and felt certain that
Ethel was enjoying her discontinue.
The day was spoiled for Marjorie
even the Easter week was a dismal
failure. She began to blame herself.
After all it was rather presumptuous
to have hoped that she might mean
anything to Mr.. Dale.
She remembered with chagrin her
famous exaltatiOn of spirits when she
thought Dale had held her hand at the
station with something of significance
in his clasp. Tears came into her
eyes at the thought.
That evening Dale and her brother
called on Ethel Marbridge and it was
10 o'clock the next morning when Mar
jorie saw them again.
"Madge," said Brother Harry In
husky whisper, you'll have to act as
our social secretary. My throat won't