Evening star., 1921-12-18

Mighty nicer Of you to ast me" !"
simpered Idalene. This is momma-
Momma. this is Mr.. Duncan
PLEASED to meet cha," said Mrs.
Nobbin.
Roy preceded his guests as II he
were their captured slave and led
them to a waiting hack. When the
door had closed on their guests. leav-
ing Roy and Phin alone on the porch.
Phin saw in Roy's eye a look that
sent him off the porch at a quickstep.
After a vain chase along the street
and across the campus. Roy gave up
and went to his rooms.
Dance cards. were still used at the
Gramlin proms. and Roy had Idalene's
card with him. He set out among the
rooms to sell Iralene's dances. He
bribed the men in various ways. Some
Of them demanded cash. and when
Roy returned to his room to dress he
still had a number of blanks untitled.
While he was bedecking his noble
form he was called upon by one Of
the best dancers in college, the lead
ing social figure, no less a parsonage
than Allen Lansing. Like many an
other aristocrat, Lansing was in
financial straits. Roy desperately Of
fered him money. A white bull pup
that blinked at the proceedings en-
gagged Lansing's fancy and he said:
"1'n sell myself for five dances for
the bull pup"
When Roy called at the boarding
house for Idalene. he found Phin in
the parlor, grinning anxiously and
pleading: "This is neutral ground
and I got my fingers crossed"
When Idalene came down, looking
Infinitely worse than ever, Roy needed
all his resolution to keep from leap
ing through the window. When Prue
drifted in like a nymph the only
thing that saved him from numbering
Phip was "the presence Of the ladies" "
It was martyrdom to march Idalene
and her mother into the bunting-fes-
tooned gymnasium, thronged with the
prettiest girls obtainable. regardless
of expense or distance. Roy could
crowd opened before her like a Red
sea to let her through. Those in
front stared with startled smiles that
became smokers after she passed.
Then Roy had her on his hands (and
feet) for the first dance.
NH Si
= the second dance did not call for
it, and Roy had to hunt him down
and menace him with a twisted neck
II he WEIGHED. Allen Lansing had
missed Idalene's grand entry and ar
rived in time for the third dance. He
saluted Roy and said:
Private Lansing. Company A, re-
ports as orderly, sir"
Roy pointed dismally at Idalene.
who sat putting as result Of her long
wrestle with her exhausted partner,
and groaned: There she blows!"
Lansing went to his fate with the
grim elegance Of a French aristocrat
advancing to the guillotine. Roy
paused to warn Job wolfert. the next
mortgage, that If he failed to carry
out his dance with Idalene he would
never make the foot ball eleven.
"All right. cap. I'll practice on your
Idalene. But she runs mean, and
she's a hard one to tackle"
Roy cut in on Phin, and Prue fol-
lowed him Nrustingly into the moon
light, where he told her Of Phin's per-
jurous treachery and his own thwart-
ed effort to have her as his guest.
Joe wolfert, the ambitious foot ball
candidate, saw that Roy was absent.
and was suddenly inspired to dance
right into a group Of idlers and force
Idalene upon one Of them. Poor Lam
sing suddenly heard ,WolfeFt at his
elbow saying: "Say, old man. I'm go
ing to give you the rest Of this dance.
I've got nosebleed."
He had the unheard Of audacity to
wrap Lansing's arm around Idalene
and hurry away with his handker-
chief to his nose. During one Of the
brief intermissions Lansing dug up
his last two-dollar bill and palmsd II.
When Idalene crept into k:s bosom
to resume the dance. she never
dreamed that behind her back his
right hand held out the banknote,
waving 1t ms a signal Of distress and
a reward TO any one who would take