Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1922-01-06
To Win the Love of
Philip Utard
By DORA NOLAN


That "A woman with fair opportun-
lty and without an absolute hump
may marry whom she likes" And
"vanity Fair" being the book chosen
as the weeks English lesson for the
senior class at the Pitman high. It
came naturally about that this frag-
ment Of the philosophy of wise man
should be the subject Of discussion by
. group Of girl students gathered In
Q corner of the big assembly room
"Why, it's no more to be doubted
that Professor Banks tOupe!" This
calm statement by Susan Belden ought
to have settled the question forever
for hadn't Susan Uttered the steps
Of Pitman's school system with heart
breaks? Nor was she the prettiest
girl In the class, by several.
Some budding icOnoclast In the
group murmured, soto voce, "Her
mother feeds 'em!" This drew smOth-
cred giggles. But 1t was Anne Tyson,
the acknowledged brains of the senior
class, who had the temerity to open
ly qualify the dictum Of the class
belle.
"You can win a man, girls, by trick
cry. But you can't keep him by the
same method-not II he's worth It,"
Came a day when this shaft, sped at
q fair mark, was to turn. boomerang
like, and fly back at the archer.
Fate seems to have her own In
scrutible reasons for requiring certain
pairs Of individuals to "fall In" side
by side and march in step, even when
there is no particular sympathy, or
even liking. 1t was that way at school
and afterward-with Sue Belden,
daughter Of the proprietor Of the
towns one little department store.
and Anne Tyson, whose father was
the towns leading physician.
They lived on the same street,
played in the same group as children.
were members Of the same class In
''high," both graduated from the COM
mercial course-and then obtained po-
sitions In the same office-that Of
big chair factory, which was Pitman's
leading industry. And to top it off
fate carried her fantasy SO far as to
plunge them both in love with the
same man at the same time.
Philip Utard. son Of the senior
member Of the firm, had been trans
ferred from the Boston headquarters
to the Pitman plant to learn the de-
tails Of production. And gossip spec
ulated as to whether he would not fol-
low the example Of his father and of
an elder brother-and acquire also a
life partner from among the estab-
lisbment's female personnel. That
was getting to be quite the Utard
way.
II Philip did mediate any such
step It was soon apparent enOugh-to
the watchful gossips-that his choice
lay between Anne Tyson and Susan
Belden. for Philip divided his leisure
very evenly between the Tyson and
Belden homes, or escOrting the girls
alternately to such entertainments as
the town afforded. Perhaps he en-
joyed the company of Anne's father,
for Doctor Tyson was a man Of broad
and genial culture. And 1t was still
said Of Sues mother that she "fed
EN-"
Anyway, on a certain day in Janu-
airy 1t would have been necessary for
Phil Utard himself to toss up a penny
had he been pinned down to a deci-
sion there and then.
1t was on this day that Susan took
close note Of Annes heightened color
| as Utard passed close to their desks.
She leaned slightly toward Anne, and
with a laugh that was just little
machine made. inquired whether she
remembered the schOolroom discus
sion on the Thackerayism. "What
cocksure little Idiots we were!' she
exclaimed. "Wise men change their
minds, don't they, Anne-and wise
womenT"
There was a challenge In the girls
voice. But from the well-poised Anne
1t got no response beyond a non-com-
initial sometimes"
Yet the thoughts of Anne were "long,
long thoughts" In the hour intervening
between her arrival home and the
serving of dinner by the rotund Lu.
cinda, boss Of the Tyson menage. This
hour Anne habitually spent before the
fire In the living room awaiting the
doctors return from his afternoon
round Of calls.
1t was here that Anne confessed to
herself what she had never confessed
before-that for weeks she had been
trying with all her might and main
like the nursery rhyme man Of the
bramble bush-to win the love of Phil
Up Utard. And had she, like the
bramble bush man, scratched out both
her eyes In the proceeding?
Just because she considered herself
a more fit wife than Sue Belden for g
man Of Philips mentality. did It fol
low that she would be able to make
him happler7 Suppose that. with de
liberate effort, she won him-wouldn',
he be very likely to discover latel
that he had been the mar
Of her choice, instead Of her beins
the woman OF his? And would tina
make for happiness for either? Their,
| was nothing for her RI dn h,,t tuyo,